More than 100 breast cancer survivors and supporters painted pit road at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday, Oct. 6, covering more than 1,300 feet of wall in pink ahead of Bank of America 400 race week.

The 14th annual Paint the Pit Wall Pink event carried extra weight for Jessica Fickenscher, the speedway's executive vice president and general manager. Fickenscher was diagnosed with cancer in 2025 and attended the event that year as a new patient.

She returned Tuesday as a survivor.

"It just gives a different meaning for me, and I just hope that somebody maybe in my shoes in the future can come here and take away what I took away last year … That it's going to be okay," Fickenscher told WCNC.

Fickenscher said the Concord speedway's platform makes the cause a natural fit. The pink pit wall will stay up through Sunday's Bank of America 400, visible to every fan who walks through the gates during race weekend.

Five NASCAR Cup Series drivers joined survivors on pit road: Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Preece, Todd Gilliland, Cole Custer and Cody Ware. Preece, who drives the No. 60 Ford for RFK Racing, clinched the final Chase playoff spot with his first career Cup Series victory at Daytona on Aug. 29. He said the pink transformation stands out to every family walking into the speedway.

Breast cancer survivor Cassandra Williams also attended. Williams said she hopes the event has a broader impact on survivors and drivers alike.

Beyond the paint, participants packed more than 250 care packages for distribution through Atrium Health's Project Pink and Nothing Pink, two programs supporting patients in treatment. Survivors also took a parade lap around the frontstretch quarter-mile, according to a Charlotte Motor Speedway press release.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC), the event's presenting partner for more than a decade, helped organize the gathering. Cheryl Parquet, associate vice president of community engagement at Blue Cross NC, said the event honors people at every stage of their cancer journey.

The Bank of America 400 marks the first time NASCAR's fall race returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile oval since 2017. Here is the full race weekend schedule:

  • Friday, Oct. 9 — EcoSave 250, CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, 5 p.m. on FOX
  • Saturday, Oct. 10 — Blue Cross NC 250, O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, 4 p.m. on CW
  • Sunday, Oct. 11 — Bank of America 400, Cup Series, 3 p.m. on USA Network