CONCORD, N.C. – This weekend, Alex Bowman will pilot a brand-new No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen.
The paint scheme will be made even more special thanks to the name traveling with Bowman above the passenger door.
Bricen Thall, this year’s patient champion, is a 5-year-old patient at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. At just five days old, he was diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s Disease, which meant he did not have the nerve cells in his colon needed for his body to function normally.
He had to have surgery at just one week old.
Over the next few years, he went through many procedures, surgeries and hospitalizations, including time spent at Nationwide Children’s.
Today, he is thriving and recently finished pre-Kindergarten, going an entire year without any hospital stays for the first time in his life. A big fan of cars and trains, he loves Lightning McQueen from Disney’s “Cars” franchise – and he’ll get the opportunity to see some real race cars up close and personal this weekend.
Bricen and his family will be special guests of Nationwide, Bowman and the No. 88 team for the Watkins Glen race weekend, and his name will be featured on Bowman’s No. 88 Chevy.
“It is an honor to have Bricen’s name on our car this weekend,” Bowman said. “Bricen is a Nationwide Children’s Hospital patient champion and he will be with us all weekend getting the best behind-the-scenes experience. We are hoping for a good finish with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital on board.”
The unique paint scheme features the hospital’s signature butterflies throughout the design. The ultimate goal is to raise awareness, funds and recognition to the hospital.
“Last time we had a patient champion's name on the car, we about won at Phoenix,” Bowman said. “Hopefully, it's more of that and we can finish the job, but it's just such a special paint scheme. It means a lot to me to play a small role in supporting the hospital."