NASCAR Artist Sam Bass to ‘Ride’ with Ryan Reed at Darlington

By:
On:
In: Xfinity Series News

NASCAR’s First Officially Licensed Artist and Diabetes Advocate Sam Bass will ‘ride’ with Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed this weekend at Darlington Raceway.  The Concord, N.C. resident will have his name featured on a decal above the passenger-side window on the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang.

Bass was diagnosed with diabetes more than 20 years ago and has had his share of complications relating to the disease. In 2008, he lost the lower portion of his left leg and since has had three bouts of sepsis, a serious blood infection that can lead to death. Today, Bass knows the importance of working with his doctors, eating right and staying as active as possible to avoid complications and lead a normal life.

“I definitely learned the hard way what can happen if you don’t properly manage your diabetes,” said Bass. “If I can reach just one person and let them know how important it is to take care of yourself, it means so much to me. Ryan Reed and the Drive to Stop Diabetes team do such a great job showing people how it’s possible to be successful with diabetes and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Bass has shared his story of diagnosis at several American Diabetes Association events, including the Association’s 2014 Father of the Year Awards in Charlotte.  

This Friday at Darlington Raceway, Bass will serve a special role with the No. 16 team as he will do a live painting of Lilly Diabetes’ 140th Anniversary logo on the decklid of the car that Reed will race on Saturday afternoon. Reed’s Darlington paint scheme is an adaption Bobby Allison’s 1975 ‘Matador’ scheme, originally run by Penske Racing, which Bass helped adjust to fit Reed’s current Ford Mustang.

“Having such a talented artist and fellow diabetes ambassador like Sam be a part of our Drive to Stop Diabetes program and especially the race at Darlington this weekend is truly an honor,” said Reed. “He’s a true testament that diabetes has its challenges, but doesn’t have to stop you from doing great things. I will definitely leave the artwork to him and hope to make him proud on-track this weekend.”

Ryan Reed and the ‘Riding with Ryan’ program roll into Darlington Raceway for the first time this season. In this race last year, Reed finished 23rd after starting 17th. 

RFR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
Follow Me
Latest posts by Speedway Digest Staff (see all)
Post Views: 79