CONCORD, N.C. (September 26th, 2023) – Today, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ drivers Erik Jones and Carson Hocevar, among other competitors, joined several breast cancer survivors at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) to paint the pit wall pink for next weekend’s Bank of America ROVAL 400.
A tradition that has been held for now eleven years straight, the act of painting the wall pink has been a well-received gesture by CMS to promote breast cancer awareness during its races held in October. The speedway hosted over 50 breast cancer survivors, and invited the drivers as well as various media outlets, to join in the cause in the fun-filled event.
Additionally, 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, Kurt Busch, announced that his Window of Hope initiative will be returning for a third season, as part of a new collaboration with the Erik Jones Foundation (EJF). Jones’ foundation will support its efforts in the area of “cancer prevention and early detection and care”. Every driver in the field for the race at CMS will run a uniquely colored pink window net to signify breast cancer awareness, which will then be autographed and put up for auction through the EJF, which will receive the proceeds to then be donated to multiple beneficiaries to support early cancer detection. The auction for the signed pink window nets will open October 9th and close October 16th.
Both NASCAR Cup Series drivers Jones and Hocevar have close family ties to breast cancer, as each of their mothers have battled, and thankfully, overcame as survivors of the disease. Carol Jones, Erik’s mother, was first diagnosed in 2013, and courageously fought into remission in the years since.
“It’s been so great that Kurt (Busch) would let us take this program over, and a huge thanks to him. It’s been a program that I have had a lot of fun watching and participating in over the last few years, it’s really a huge day for The Erik Jones Foundation.” said Jones. “We have worked a lot on the cancer side of things with melanoma, and early detection with that, but we haven’t been able to do anything with breast cancer, which for us is close to the heart with my mom going through it. So, to have a program that has continued to round the foundation out is really important. It has been a big goal of ours to continue the growth of these pillars on each side of the foundation, but just really excited to see the window nets on the car and be able to have a program in the Cup Series like that. You see the other guys and what they do, so to have a program of our own with the foundation is super special.”
Amy Hocevar was diagnosed when her son Carson was only six years old, and fought behind closed doors, initially shielding the news from him so he wouldn’t be afraid at such a young age. Carson recalls that he only recently found out about her diagnosis, and admires her strength and commitment as a mom through the tough battle.
“My mom hid that she had breast cancer from me when I was a kid. Luckily, it was shorter and not as severe as some cases, but obviously any type of cancer diagnosis such a scary situation. She battled through it for about a year-and-a-half to two years from my recollection as a six year old. Cancer is a very scary word, and as a six-year-old, I’m not sure if I would even be able to process what it meant. Looking back now, it all makes sense, because it was hard to understand what she was going through, and I didn’t realize how scary that time must have been. I’m super glad that at least for me though, that time wasn’t as scary as it should have been, and that my parents did a great job of avoiding that tough sit-down with me when I was so young.” remembered Hocevar.
“It was cool to be a part of today’s event with Erik, with him being my teammate at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the fact that he has been attached to breast cancer as well with his mom fighting. Being able to come out to the racetrack and just show a little bit of support and put a paint brush to the pit wall is something big to be a part of. I’m glad I was able to come out and do this with some of the guys that I race with on Sunday to show our support for all of the brave people who were and are still fighting breast cancer.”
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway this week, but will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway the following weekend on Sunday, October 8th. Fans can watch the Bank of America ROVAL 400 race live on NBC, or listen to the radio broadcast on the local MRN Radio affiliate station as well as Sirius XM NASCAR Radio at 2:00 PM ET. For more updates on LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™, follow along on the team’s official social media pages.
About The Erik Jones Foundation:
Erik’s success in his racing career has given him the opportunity to give back to his community. In 2021, the Erik Jones Foundation was officially started as a Non-profit 501c-3 and allows him to continue his efforts to support initiatives close to his heart. 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. For more information or to make a donation to the EJF go to: www.erikjonesfoundation.org.
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB:
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (NCS) Jimmie Johnson. The club competes full-time in the NCS fielding the Nos. 42 and 43 Chevrolet Camaro entries, respectively, along with the No. 84 part-time entry for Johnson in 2023. Richard Petty “The King” serves as team ambassador.
In 2021, Gallagher acquired Richard Petty Motorsports and renamed the team to Petty GMS. With the addition of Johnson to the ownership structure in 2023, the organization rebranded to LEGACY MOTOR CLUB (LEGACY M.C.). With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level.
Based in Statesville, N.C., LEGACY M.C. operates alongside GMS Racing (GMS), which currently fields three full-time entries in the NASCAR Truck Series. Since the formation of GMS in 2012, Gallagher and Mike Beam, team president, have shared incredible success. GMS Racing captured the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championships and the 2019 and 2020 ARCA East championships, accumulating over 65 wins across six national racing circuits.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
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