Teen gets restored Corvette

SALISBURY, N.C. -- A Salisbury teen got a surprise of a lifetime on Friday.

Fifteen-year-old Victor Isler Jr., received his father’s 1979 Corvette, revamped and fully restored, thanks to the television show NASCAR Angels.

Victor Sr., a firefighter, died in March in a fire at the Salisbury Millworks plant. A huge crowd of firefighters, family members, and people in the community gathered for the unveiling Friday morning at the Salisbury Fire Station on Friday, where Victor Sr. worked.

Victor Sr.’s wife, Tracy, bought the Corvette on eBay as a gift for her husband. It was supposed to be a father and son restoration project.

NASCAR Angels, a national TV program, focuses on how the racing and automobile industry can help deserving people. One of the shows’ hosts, NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace, helped kick off the surprise, as NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick drove the car into the station.

Victor Jr.’s mouth dropped open as he saw the car, painted fire engine red, his dad’s favorite color, and one of his favorite drivers behind the wheel. The car is completely new inside and out, with a new engine, new tires, and a new interior,

“It doesn't look like the same car. I said, 'Did you scrap the other and put the other one on the lot?' Its amazing,” said Tracy Isler. “He's upstairs going, 'Oh my God. I can't believe they're doing this for my family.'”

Victor Jr. doesn’t get his drivers’ license until October. The family says until then the car will stay in the garage, but Victor Jr. said he can’t wait to take it for a spin around the race track. The family’s hearts are still broken, but they are in awe of the generosity of others.

Now a father’s wish is complete.

“Every time he [Victor Jr.] walks in the garage, he's going to think of his dad,” said Tracy Isler.

The episode will air the last weekend in June.