To kick off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NASCAR Cup Series driver Erik Jones joined over 50 breast cancer survivors as well as officials from Charlotte Motor Speedway and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) in painting the famed race track’s pit wall pink on Tuesday. The 12^th annual Paint Pit Wall Pink event, which was also attended by NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Hemric and Xfinity Series drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Kyle Weatherman, serves as a prelude to the Oct. 12 running of the Xfinity Series’ Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross NC.

Paint the Pit Wall Pink has become an annual event to celebrate survivors, provide hope for those battling breast cancer, as well as to raise awareness of the importance of early detection.

Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Greg Walter joined the survivors, drivers and volunteers in using 100 paint brushes and rollers and 50 gallons of paint courtesy of Sherwin Williams to paint the pit wall pink.

“With all the busyness that comes in October, this is a day that we can just pause, and by putting coats of paint on a wall, it’s a chance for us to reflect. That may just be a pink wall, but it stands for so much and for us internally it’s kind of a mile-marker, to remind us what matters in life,” said Walter. “The men and women that come out here, want to paint that pit wall. People come from all over the state to come here to be part of this. They may not be fans of the sport but they want to be part of this and that’s powerful. The fact that the program has been going on for so long is just a testimony of that,”

The event also included the unveiling of a special Toyota pace car design – inspired by the story of breast cancer survivor and Blue Cross NC employee Alex Shelton-Brabham – for the Drive for the Cure 250 race on Oct. 12. Additionally, Jones unveiled a pink paint scheme that he will race the following day at the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400.

“To see this wall means that someone who watches this race will know that they’re being thought about. That somebody cares. There’s some awareness. There’s some support. There’s a community out there that cares for them,” said Shelton-Brabham. “It’s [the pink wall] a beacon of hope, it’s a light in the darkness, cause there’s dark times that you’ll go through but it just helps you to realize, if they can make it, if they can survive and if I believe, I can survive too.”

In partnership with Blue Cross NC and the Erik Jones Foundation, the car – and all cars in Sunday’s Cup Series race – will carry pink window nets as part of the fourth annual Windows of Hope program. Following the Oct. 13 Bank of America ROVAL™ 400, participating drivers will sign their window net to be auctioned off through The Erik Jones Foundation, which will receive the proceeds to then be donated to multiple beneficiaries to support early cancer detection. The Erik Jones Foundation was established in part to encourage early cancer detection and care, a cause significant to Jones, who has had multiple family members battle cancer.

“We [The Erik Jones Foundation] have a few different pillars, but one of the main ones is cancer prevention and early detection. We knew that was going to be a big part of the foundation early on. My mom battled breast cancer and beat breast cancer and we lost my dad to cancer unfortunately in 2016 but to have a cause out here that's benefiting something that fits so great into our foundation, it’s a really natural fit for us,” said Jones. “It’s pretty cool to be back out here, pretty cool to be taking over the window net program and hopefully they raise a lot of money for a great cause. I love the cause and I love seeing everybody that turns out every year and then next weekend seeing the car on track and seeing the pit wall kind of makes it all come together.”

The auction for the signed pink window nets will open Oct. 14. For more information on how to bid and a complete list of participating drivers, visit ErikJonesFoundation.org.

TICKETS:
To purchase Drive for the Cure 250 and Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 race tickets, fans can shop online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10. Tickets also include access to any of three full days of fan-friendly fun, including driver appearances, fan zone programming and Sunday's pre-race concerts with fan-favorite Tim Dugger and GRAMMY-nominated group, Eli Young Band.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on X and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

ABOUT BLUE CROSS NC:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), the leading not-for-profit health plan in North Carolina, is committed to making health care more affordable, easier to navigate and accessible for all. Since 1933, the health insurer has created programs and initiatives to provide North Carolinians the opportunity to be healthy. Blue Cross NC serves its customers and communities of more than 4.2 million members, including approximately 1.1 million on behalf of other Blue Plans. Blue Cross NC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit Blue Cross NC online at www.bluecrossnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

ABOUT THE ERIK JONES FOUNDATION:

The Mission of the Erik Jones Foundation is to change lives by igniting children’s passion for reading, encouraging early cancer detection and care, and promoting animal welfare. Core values guide nearly every aspect of an organization’s operation, from managing resources to interacting with all its stakeholders. Values are how we do our work.