Monday

R3 Motorsports donates Charlotte cars for cause backed by Emerson and Olivia Newton-John

No. 23 to carry Pink and Blue for Two initiative for breast and prostate cancer awareness

R3 Motorsports

The No. 23 Chevrolets will drop its familiar black, red and gray scheme and switch over to a black, pink and blue motif for “Pink and Blue for Two” (PB42) under the lights of the 1.5-mile oval. R3 Motorsports has entered their first Sprint Cup Series race of the season meaning the scheme will be on both of their No. 23 Chevrolets. Since the team didn’t have a primary marketing partner, they wanted to help PB42 out by donating the entire car to their cause for both races.

“When the opportunity came up to do this, we immediately realized this would be a great thing for everyone,” said Robert Richardson, Sr., owner of R3 Motorsports. “If our No. 23 cars can help remind men and women to get the proper cancer screenings with Pink and Blue for Two on there, then it might help someone else down the road.”

Pink and Blue for Two is an initiative started by Emerson, and fully supported by Olivia, to raise cancer-testing awareness for men and women. The main goal of PB42 links the strikingly similar statistics between breast and prostate cancers and encourages couples to help remind one another to go to their Dr.’s for screenings. Also on the car will be a decal highlighting Olivia’s self-breast examination kit for women called Liv Aid.

“This is great that R3 Motorsports has been kind enough to donate their entire Chevrolet to our cause for the Charlotte races this weekend,” said Emerson Newton-John. “We have been working hard to launch this campaign into a high-visibility market, and this opportunity with R3 to showcase our campaign in NASCAR is a great step in that direction. I thank them for this.

“The No. 23 car is going to look awesome under the lights and I know this will greatly help raise awareness for PB42, Olivia’s self-screening kit and our fundraiser later this month. When I called to tell her what was going on for the Charlotte race and what R3 Motorsports did for us, she was very, very pleased.”

Emerson, a successful and experienced racer in everything from the Australian Formula Holden Championship to European Sports Cars, is the founder of PB42. Olivia, a cancer “thriver” herself, is the face of the initiative. Later this month, the group’s second PB42 event takes place on Wednesday, October 27 at Busch Gardens Theme Park in Tampa, Fla.

Olivia Newton-John is in Japan this week and will not be in attendance at this Friday’s race.

“As a breast cancer “thriver” of 16 years, I attribute this to early detection and swift treatment,” said Olivia Newton-John. “One of my passions in life is to encourage other women to self-examine on a regular basis. To do this, I have developed the “Liv Aid” breast self-examination aid. This unique tool, along with annual clinical exams and annual mammograms starting at the age of 40, will give a woman the best chance of living a full and healthy life. My goal and my dream is to have a “Liv Aid” in every household in the world in the not-to-distant future.”

PB42 gives a portion of their proceeds to two charitable benefactors; Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center and the Moffitt Cancer Center. Other principals involved with this are Dr. Ernie Bodai, and Larry Foyt, a former Indy and NASCAR driver, who now runs A.J. Foyt Racing in the Indy Car Series. PB42 plans on a full-time motorsports campaign in 2011, with a car driven by Emerson Newton-John, to help grow the brand and create further awareness for the initiative.

For more information about PB42 and their fundraiser later this month, click on www.PinkAndBlueForTwo.com and, for a video of Emerson talking about PB42, click on

- R3 Motorsports, Press Release