Press Release | WINDOW OF HOPE x ERIK JONES FOUNDATION
CONCORD, N.C. (Sept. 26, 2023) – NASCAR Cup Series veteran driver Kurt Busch announced the Window of Hope pink window net program will return for a third year to show support for breast cancer survivors and those continuing to battle breast cancer. Thermal Control Products will provide each NASCAR Cup Series participating driver with a pink window net to display at next month’s running of the Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
As the program continues for the third year, Kurt Busch also announced he is expanding the program to partner with the Erik Jones Foundation to support its efforts in the area of, “cancer prevention and early detection and care.” It is widely known by the NASCAR community that Erik’s foundation engages in cancer work because the disease took his father in 2016, when Erik was just 19 years old. A less well-known fact about Erik’s history with cancer is that his mother, Carol, is a breast cancer survivor.
“From the very beginning, the NASCAR industry supported us, and I am thankful for their continued support as we enter year three,” said Busch. “This program has become something I look forward to every year and I am grateful for the opportunity to bring in the Erik Jones Foundation to help continue to give it life for years to come. After learning more about what motivates Erik’s foundation’s cancer efforts, I felt a partnership with him was a natural evolution of the program. I am thrilled about this partnership and confident Erik’s personal commitment to cancer detection and care will grow this program and positively impact his cancer efforts.”
Following the October 8th ROVAL race, each participating driver will sign their window net to be auctioned through The Erik Jones Foundation, which will receive the proceeds to then be donated to multiple beneficiaries to support early cancer detection. The Erik Jones Foundation was established in part to encourage early cancer detection and care, a cause significant to Jones, who has had multiple family members battle cancer.
“I’m glad Kurt reached out and suggested my foundation continue this important effort,” said Jones. “Fighting cancer is a very personal issue for me and my foundation. Many folks know that my father died of cancer, but most don’t know my mother is a breast cancer survivor. Everyone involved in my foundation, including my mom, is excited to add a breast cancer component to our efforts. We look forward to building on the legacy Kurt has laid with this program.”
The inspiration for “Window of Hope” came from a request from one of Busch’s young fans to support breast cancer awareness. In September of 2019, Kurt Busch received a letter from a young fan, Mason Bradley, expressing how big of a fan he was of the 2004 champion, and his hopes to one day meet Busch in-person. Mason’s letter included a hand-drawn image of Busch’s car with a note reading, “maybe you could do the window net pink.” Bradley’s request for the pink window net was an inspiration to support others, like his mother Stephanie, who was battling breast cancer at the time but is now in remission. Through commitment and support from NASCAR and Thermal Control Products, “Window of Hope” became a reality in 2021 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 2022 program raised more than $100,000 benefiting breast cancer research and treatment.
The auction for the signed pink window nets will open October 9th and close October 16th.
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