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NASCAR's Joey Gase visits Iowa Children's Hospital ahead of Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway

Nick Profile Picby: Nick Geddes06/14/24NickGeddesNews
Joey Gase
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Joey Gase paid a visit to the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital Thursday for “Handprints of Hope” ahead of Saturday’s HyVee Perks 250 at Iowa Speedway.

Gase received handprint stickers signed by patients that were then placed on his No. 35 Chevrolet.

Gase, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native, is teaming up with Iowa Donor Network this week to spread awareness for organ donation. In addition to the handprint stickers, Gase’s car will feature a portrait of Brian McGregor, a fellow Iowan who died last June. His family donated his organs to help save those in need.

“When people see photos and handprints on a racecar, well that’s really rare,” Gase said, via KCRG. “They wanna know and they ask us and our crew, ‘Well why is that on there?’ And we get to tell them why. And that’s our goal to raise awareness for donation and promote it.”

Joey Gase raising awareness for organ donation

Gase and his team reached out to the McGregor family to inquire about putting Brian’s picture on the hood. They quickly accepted.

“It was a very quick no-brainer,” said Cory McGregor, Brian’s younger brother. “Just with his love of NASCAR of racing and of sports overall, what better way to honor him?”

The cause is very close to Gase’s heart, who lost his mother back in 2011. Her organs saved 66 lives.

“I didn’t realize, you always hear there are around a hundred thousand people on the wait list nationwide,” Gase said. “And you’re like that’s not a very big number. But it’s so rare to be able to even be an organ donor.”

Gase, 31, will be making just his seventh start of the season and first since finishing P18 at Talladega in April. He has made 17 previous starts at his home racetrack, finishing a career-best 17th in 2018.