April 19 Bristol race renamed to honor FOX Sports' Steve Byrnes
In recognition of FOX Sports broadcaster Steve Byrnes' courageous and ongoing battle with head-and-neck cancer, FOX Sports, in coordination with Bristol Motor Speedway, Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI), Stand Up To Cancer and NASCAR, is naming the April 19 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from Bristol the Food City 500 In Support Of Steve Byrnes And Stand Up To Cancer.
The event, which will be aired live on FOX at 12:30 p.m. ET, pays tribute to Byrnes, a NASCAR television mainstay for 30 years, while also serving as a vehicle of support and awareness for all those battling cancer.
Byrnes, co-host of "NASCAR Race Hub" and play-by-play announcer for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, is on a medical leave of absence while he undergoes treatment. He has been part of the FOX NASCAR broadcast team since its inaugural year of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series coverage in 2001.
"The support I have received from my teammates at FOX Sports, drivers, team members, track officials, NASCAR and the fans has been overwhelming," Byrnes said. "So many families are affected by cancer, and to play a small part in raising awareness is an honor to me."
About Stand Up To Cancer:
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3), is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that gets new therapies to patients quickly in order to save lives now. SU2C, a charitable partner of FOX Sports Supports, brings together the best and brightest researchers and encourages collaboration instead of competition among the entire cancer community. For more information or to donate to Stand Up To Cancer, please visit standup2cancer.org.
Got my buddy @SteveByrnes12 riding with me this weekend in Texas... #heart pic.twitter.com/i61FpWdNTC
— Elliott Sadler (@Elliott_Sadler) April 9, 2015
