Wyler Racing Recognizes National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Mooresville, N.C. (October 3, 2007) - October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) and as a tribute to those affected by the disease, Wyler Racing’s No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota will carry the symbolic pink ribbon during all three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events during the month of October.  In addition, the entire team will wear a small pink ribbon on their uniform and a pink bracelet to pay tribute to those who have been impacted by the disease.

Breast cancer hits close to home for the Wyler Racing team.  Jeff Wilson and Randy Bates, who are both members of Wyler Racing’s over-the-wall crew, have immediate family members who have been diagnosed with the disease.   Wilson’s mother, Kathy Guerin, is currently in treatment while Bates Aunt Jackie has thankfully been cured.

Wyler Racing hopes to help raise awareness about breast cancer and the need for continual screening by promoting NBCAM at Talladega Superspeedway (October 6th), Martinsville Speedway (October 20th) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (October 27th). 

The purpose of the NBCAM is to educate women about the importance of early detection for breast cancer.  Since the NBCAM program began in 1975, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.  The statistics are still alarming though.  Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, it's estimated that about 178,480 women in the United States will be found to have invasive breast cancer in 2007. About 40,460 women will die from the disease this year. Right now there are slightly over two million women living in the United States who have been treated for breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer). Although African-American women have a slightly lower incidence of breast cancer after age 40 than Caucasian women, they have a slightly higher incidence rate of breast cancer before age 40. However, African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age. Breast cancer is much less common in males; by comparison, the disease is about 100 times more common among women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2007 some 2,030 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among men in the United States.

For more information about NBCAM, please visit www.nbcam.org.  For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers: American Cancer Society, (800) 227-2345, National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141.