Yes, that is indeed track operator Clay Campbell helping to paint the infamous Martinsville Speedway curbs pink to promote awareness of breast cancer at this weekend's NASCAR events at the beautiful Virginia paperclip shaped venue. The photo is on the Speedway web site.
Those curbs are pretty unusual for a racetrack (is there another track in Cup with curbs? ) and have often played into the outcome of Martinsville races. I guarantee there'll be at least one hopeful this weekend who knocks his toe-in out during a curb encounter.
One of my fondest memories at Martinsville is of the 1972 Old Dominion 500 when Richard Petty somehow kept his PLYMOUTH (that's right, Legend... it was still a Plymouth ) off that curb enroute to winning the race. Bobby Allison was driving the Richard Howard-owned, Junior Johnson-prepared #12 Coke Machine Chevy Monte Carlo that day and led 432 of the 500 laps. My friends and I watched in amazement, however, as the "King," who led 64 laps that day, kept his nose just to the inside of the left rear wheel of Bobby's car for what seemed like a million laps, hugging that Martinsville curb, but never touching it. Sitting in our favorite seats in turn 1, we could see what Richard was doing in the closing stages. He kept tapping Bobby's car in the left rear wheelwell, until near the end, Bobby's left rear tire was cut down and Richard drove to the win with Bobby second, the only two cars on the lead lap. It was one of the greatest displays of side by side racing I have ever had the privilege to watch in person. Much of it is actually documented in the Jeff Bridges film Last American Hero , later retitled Hard Charger , a loose retelling of the Junior Johnson story. Twentieth-Century Fox had a cameraman just to our right in the grass where the Martinsville stands then ended before turn two and he got great shots of Petty and Allison side by side during one of their famous feud years. Appropriately, David Pearson in the Wood Brothers Mercury from nearby Stuart finished third, two laps down, and led the other 4 laps not led by Petty and Allison.
There hasn't been a lot of pink to be seen at Martinsville since the beautiful pink azaleas in the green grassy areas behind the turns ( interspersed with boxwoods) planted by the track's late founder, Clay Earles had to removed for seating expansion.
As the month of October - Breast Cancer Awareness Month - concludes, I am proud of the efforts made by numerous tracks, drivers, car owners, sponsors, and crew members to use the pink color to promote awareness.
The first time I ever heard of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the color pink to promote breast cancer awareness was in the 90s when Dale Jarrett was driving the Robert Yates Ford. The late Marti Rompf (a wonderful person) called me from the Dearborn offices of Campbell and Co., the agency that handled all Ford racing public relations to see if the Richmond track could participate in a function at Byrd Park they were bringing Dale and a showcar in for.
It really hit home in 2001 when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, resulting in a mastectomy and breast reconstruction. 10 years cancer free in August, our family applauds the efforts of all the folks who have pinked up the month of October.
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"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM
