Supercars isn’t known for pink. But when Matt Payne and Kai Allen roll into Surfers Paradise for the Gold Coast 500 from 23 to 25 October, the Penrite Racing pair will be wearing it, and every bit of it is there to raise money for cancer care.
The two young Mustang drivers, Payne in the #19 and Allen in the #26, are fronting Snap-on Tools’ Socket to Breast Cancer campaign for the McGrath Foundation. The target this year is $350,000.
What is Socket to Breast Cancer?
It’s Snap-on’s October fundraiser for the McGrath Foundation, now in its third year. The first two years raised more than $500,000, according to the campaign announcement, and this year’s goal would push the total past $850,000.
The money comes in three ways. Payne and Allen will race the Gold Coast weekend in limited-edition apparel, which will be auctioned once they’ve finished with it. Snap-on is selling a limited-edition range of pink tools through October and donating a portion of the proceeds. And anyone can donate directly.
Two title contenders in pink
The timing gives the campaign a bigger stage than usual. The Gold Coast 500 is Round 12 of the Supercars Finals, where the title chase narrows: ten drivers go in with a shot, and seven come out. When the campaign was announced at the end of September, Payne led the championship and Allen was third, according to Speedcafe. So the pink cars won’t be making up the numbers at the back.
“Cancer impacts so many people and for us to be able to help raise funds through our racing allows us as a sport and the entire motorsport community to get behind a very worthwhile cause and make a difference to the lives of those who are impacted,” Payne said in the team’s announcement.
Allen’s message was aimed at the grandstands. “We’ll be encouraging everyone to dig deep and get behind this important campaign throughout October,” he said.
That’s the real point. A Supercars crowd is a big, mostly male, very loyal audience, and on race weekend it’s paying attention.
Why it matters
The McGrath Foundation is best known for breast cancer, but it now supports people with all types of cancer. Its McGrath Cancer Care Nurses provide free specialist support to people going through cancer, and the campaign announcement says there are 430 of them working across Australia.
For a lot of blokes in that crowd, cancer arrives second-hand first: a mum, a partner, a mate, a sister. That’s often when you find out how much difference a good nurse makes. Supporting the people doing that work isn’t a stretch for a sport whose fans spend a lot of time looking after each other’s cars, and each other.
How to support Socket to Breast Cancer
- Donate directly: give through the Snap-on Socket to Breast Cancer fundraising page.
- Buy pink tools: the limited-edition range is available through October from Snap-on franchisees. Find your local franchisee.
- Bid on the drivers’ gear: the apparel Payne and Allen wear at the Gold Coast 500 will be auctioned after the race weekend. Snap-on and Penrite Racing will announce auction details; we’ll add the link when it’s live.
If you’re heading to Surfers this month, there are worse ways to spend a few dollars than on the people who’ll be there when cancer turns up. If you’re watching from the couch, the donation page takes about a minute.
And while you’re thinking about it, there’s good evidence that staying active lowers your own risk: our guide to exercise and cancer protection explains how, and how fitness helps people through cancer. More motorsport? Read why the Darwin Triple Crown is our kind of weekend.
