Race Fans “Go Pink” for Pocono Track Walk with Driver Kyle Martel

Kyle Martel and the No. 59 Bill Martel Racing Chevy Silverado at Pocono in 2013.  
Credit: Lauren Kronthal Photography  

If you’re heading to Pocono Raceway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Aug. 2, you might want to wear something pink. After the race, fans will lace up their sneakers at the start-finish line for the “Go Pink @ Pocono 3,” a track walk to benefit the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition.

NASCAR driver Kyle Martel and his team, Bill Martel Racing, will host the event at their home track, building on the success of last year’s track walk.

“Last year we had 300+ walkers and this year we’re looking to double that,” Martel said. “It’s a unique experience ... race fans get to walk with a NASCAR driver on a track, and they can do it for a good cause, so it’s a win-win for everybody.”

On the heels of a 14th-place finish in the spring ARCA race at Pocono, Martel, who has two top-10 finishes in 16 career ARCA starts, will run the ModSpace 125. He’ll do double duty, making his fourth career NCWTS start in the Pocono Mountains 150 in the No. 59 Hanover Cold Storage Chevy Silverado, with three more truck series races on his schedule for 2014.

BMR is a family-owned team of volunteers led by Kyle’s father, Bill Martel Jr., who also serves as crew chief. The driver is proud of how his team holds their own against NASCAR’s elite organizations.

“You go out and compete against top guys, like Kyle Busch - they’ve got all the money and resources in the world,” he said. “You might not be quite as fast, but you’re pretty close and that is quite an accomplishment, because of how limited you are as a team.”

Martel said he admires Kyle Busch and a lot of other guys competing in the top-tier series today, but identifies most with the path Brad Keselowski has taken to the top with his family-based team.

Martel, center, and fans enjoy last year's track walk at Pocono.
Credit: Lauren Kronthal Photography

“He was always, just like us, working with the negatives to make a better picture. At the end of the day, it makes you a better race car driver and a better person and gives you a sense of pride in what you’re doing.”

That sense of pride, coupled with teamwork and the desire to give back, led the Bill Martel Racing business to sponsor the track walk to benefit Pennsylvania breast cancer patients and their families.

Martel and his crew will make the trek alongside the fans, answering questions, doing autographs and photos and enjoying the Tricky Triangle track. He said last year’s walkers were amazed at the long straightaway and steepness of the banking in Turn 1.

“People were rolling soda cans down the banking, having little races,” he said. “Walking on [the track] --compared to just seeing it from the stands or on TV -- is definitely a big difference.”

For registration details, including how you can get a pink T-shirt or sponsor a customized pink ribbon decal on Martel’s truck, visit the “Go Pink @ Pocono 3” page on the team website.

Follow Kyle Martel on Twitter at @Kyle_Martel and Bill Martel Racing at @bmrpr .