According to the latest statistics for the search engine market, Microsoft's Live Search is not doing that great. The move to Live Search 2,0 has done little to boost Live Search, and the Redmond company's search engine is still the third behind Google and Yahoo in terms of audience and query volume. But at the same time, Live Search has got an actual chance to leave both Google and Yahoo in the dust. Literally! The images included in this article are of the Live Search car. Essentially, the Live Search and Team Seattle are heading over to the Daytona Motor Speedway for the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race between January 26 and 27, 2008. But in the end, Live Search's participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona race is not about its search engine competitors, but about raising some extra funds for Seattle's Children's Hospital.

"As a primary sponsor of Team Seattle, we are committed to helping them reach their goal of raising $700,000 for Seattle's Children's Hospital. Microsoft has been involved with the Team Seattle effort at some level from the beginning in 1997, and for the last two years Live Search has taken the lead role. For 2008, Live Search is returning as a co-sponsor of the team as a title sponsor of one of the cars (#85). Due to corporate and private sponsorship underwriting of the cars, 100% of the pledge proceeds go to help children who are patients of Children's Hospital and the team's fundraising efforts over the past ten years has exceeded $2.7 million dollars! Last year's donors pledged anywhere from ten cents a lap to $15 a lap, for a total of $400,000.00," revealed Chris Pendleton, Virtual Earth Technical Evangelist.

Microsoft has even set up a hotspot on Windows Live Spaces dedicated entirely to Live Search Racing. The Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race represents an opportunity for users to help out Seattle's Children's Hospital with donations. The Live Search Racing space offers visitors the opportunity to make a donation for the hospital. But of course, you can also access a range of content from materials from the drivers, to images of the Live Search Porsche and to videos from behind the wheel.

"I was not going to be able to participate in the Daytona 24 hour with Team Seattle this year. A career opportunity with my employer (and sponsor) Microsoft to run our Enterprise Division for the Hong Kong and Macau subsidiary meant leaving the Seattle area after 3 fun years there," revealed Chris Pennington, one of the drivers of the Live Search car in Daytona this year. "The desire to be in Florida was immense but how could it all be done from the other side of the world? I immediately need to thank Live Search for continuing their support of Team Seattle, Children's Hospital and of course me. Not only did they welcome me back to the team even though I was not going to be able to contribute to the normal level but they also rallied to my help."