NASCAR In Heels: Think Pink

Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

October is always an exciting month in NASCAR with the Chase in full swing and championship hopes in the air, but there is also a tremendous amount of support for Breast Cancer Awareness, and there is pink everywhere! Surprise, surprise, I like pink! It is amazing to see the number of teams and drivers who support the cause. There were plenty of paint schemes and firesuits, some covered in pink, and some with a small amount. Regardless, it is all great to see!

The races in Charlotte were especially supportive with the pace car, frontstretch grass, and start finish line all in pink. The officials all wore pink lanyards, and had patches on their firesuits, and the Nationwide race was a “pink out” where fans were all encouraged to wear pink to show their support. The Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series drivers in Charlotte, and the Camping World Truck Series drivers in Las Vegas all had a pink ribbon decal on their cars and trucks. Everything down to the Nationwide trophy was pink. 

This week, I have decided to take a closer look at the numerous pink paint schemes and firesuits. Here is my top 10 from the month.

10. Okay, I know this is not technically a paint scheme or a firesuit, but it’s an article of clothing, Chad Knaus’ pink hat! The crew, like all of the others, wore the pink gloves at Charlotte, but Chad has been wearing his pink hat at every race since then. It is great to see him supporting such a great cause, and with the amount of airtime he gets on TV, I’m sure everyone has seen it!

9. This one is more like a group of paint schemes, the Chevy teams in Dover. There were a number of the Chevy teams at Dover who ran with pink numbers, decals, and stripes. This was our first weekend in October, and they definitely got the ball rolling. The rest of the drivers’ paint schemes stayed the same however, this made for a bit of a clash of colors, but it was great to see that many drivers sporting some pink.

8. Robby Gordon’s pink Speed Energy No. 7 car has been looking awesome! I really took notice to his car in Talladega. He and Trevor Bayne were up front for a while, so his paint scheme got a lot of recognition. Job well done!

6 & 7. Elliott Sadler’s No.2 Nationwide series car was looking very nice with some pink accents in Charlotte, and Hermie Sadler’s No.71 Susan G. Komen for the Cure Sprint Cup series car was a stand-out there! I have decided to combine the two brothers because it is very touching to see them supporting such a great cause for their mother who has battled and overcame breast cancer. It really shows the close bond they have to their mother, and I’m sure she is extremely proud!

5. Everyone was very shocked at Reed Sorenson’s departure from Turner Motorsports, but it’s his No. 82 Macdonald Motorsports Nationwide car that has caught my eye. His pink, blue and white “Think Pink” car was very striking. I’m sure everyone was just as happy as I was that Reed found a ride, but I was even more pleased with his amazing paint scheme.

4. David Reutimann’s No. 00 paint scheme in Charlotte was very similar to the usual one, but the pink on the car stood out amazingly! I don’t know if it was the lights during the night race, or just an awesome color of pink, but I absolutely loved this one! The colors were similar to Reed Sorenson’s, but they just “popped” a bit more.

3. In Dover, Kevin Harvick drove the No. 29 Rheem Chasing the Cure Chevrolet. This was one of the first pink paint schemes that was seen this month, and he totally started it all off well! The car was very sharp with its pink and black scheme, and while Kevin wore his usual firesuit, DeLana had one to match the car. This is my favorite firesuit I’ve seen DeLana in yet!

2. In Charlotte Brian Vickers ran the #32 Dollar General car with a very bright paint scheme! Dollar General was the sponsor of the “pinked-out” race, so it is only fitting that their driver be as well. Brian’s car and firesuit were both almost completely pink, with the exception of some black. Brian had the most pink of all of the drivers this month, and we all know how difficult it can be for a redhead to wear pink, but he pulled this one off perfectly.

1. Blake Koch’s No. 81 Nationwide series car was especially nice to see in Charlotte. He had the same pink and black Daystar scheme he ran in May, in honor of his mother, Angie. She has battled breast cancer twice, and is a true survivor. Personal stories, like Blake and the Sadlers, are very touching and meaningful. They have seen someone very close to them experience the disease, so they know first hand the importance of finding a cure. Blake also had a matching black and pink firesuit that looked excellent. As well, Blake’s wife Shannon was in the Better Half Dash and wore the same firesuit and had a very similar paint scheme to him. This was truly a family effort, and it’s very moving to see such involvement. 

Blake Koch went pink in honor of his mom, Angie.
Read more on their story: Blake Koch goes pink - In honor of his mom

Now I only have a couple complaints from this month. Why haven’t we seen any pink NASCAR/driver merchandise? They could sell clothing, bracelets, key chains, and really anything else! There would be plenty of fans willing to support such a good cause, and they could donate the money to Breast Cancer Research. And lastly, why didn’t Miss Sprint Cup have a pink firesuit for at least one weekend? I understand that they had the pink ribbon, but I think they should have been all pink. The Sprint logo could still be very visible, and come on they could wear green firesuits earlier in the year, so why not pink?"

I applaud the drivers, teams, and anyone, for that matter, who have shown their support for Breast Cancer Awareness over the past month. I find it truly meaningful to see a sport, dominated with male drivers, supporting this disease that mainly affects women. It really shows their passion, and we can all see that they are extremely caring people. ONLY REAL MEN WEAR PINK!!

Holly Strain is bringing her spin on the NASCAR world to Skirts and Scuffs, as she says, it is The Great American Sport through the eyes of a single girl. Holly is a Canadian born writer currently studying for her Bachelor of Arts degree focusing on Communications and Media Relations through Athabasca University. Feel free to contact Holly on Twitter.