CONCORD, N.C. -- For the seventh year in a row, Jimmie Johnson teamed up with BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina for the "Paint the Wall Pink" event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The seven-time Cup Series champion worked with BlueCross BlueShield executives on Wednesday to paint the pit wall pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was virtual. Breast cancer survivors and BlueCross BlueShield employees were streamed in on the the track's big screen to hear Johnson speak.
“At the end of the day, we’re trying to raise awareness for this cause,” Johnson said. “I feel like NASCAR is a great place to do that. This race track, Charlotte Motor Speedway, has done a phenomenal job over the years … When you have a cancer that, with early detection, is beatable, helping the general public understand that, you’ve got a recipe for success.
“Certainly missed all the fans and wished that the energy was here with all the survivors, but to have the virtual board and know that they were there and watching was really special.”
Also on display was the pink pace car for the Drive for the Cure 250, which has more than 1,000 signatures that were digitally sent in by breast cancer survivors to adorn the car.
During the Charlotte roval race and through the month of October, Johnson will be wearing pink gloves to bring awareness to breast cancer early detection and treatment.
The pink wall will be on display for the Charlotte roval race on Oct. 11. The Drive for the Cure event will be the day before on Oct. 10.