NASCAR Nationwide Driver Teams Up With 9-year-Old To Raise Awareness Of Emerging Disease

Online, September 1, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Atlanta - NASCAR drivers often blaze by with flashy commercial logos touting relationships with popular commercial enterprises, but this Saturday Nationwide driver Jeremy Clements will celebrate an exciting new partnership - with a 9-year-old boy.

Clements was approached recently by Ricky Springer, an adoring fan and fellow racing enthusiast who suffers from a chronic, debilitating disease called eosinophilic colitis. But unlike most boys his age, Springer wasn't asking for an autograph. He wanted to become a sponsor.

This wasn't Springer's first lap around the track. A McDonough, Ga. native, Springer grew up with a love for racing, but he also spent many years struggling to find an effective treatment for his rare autoimmune condition. Many children who suffer from his and related disorders face years of invasive diagnostic and testing measures, extreme elimination diets, life-threatening food allergies and a host of other complications.

The young dirt track go-kart racer decided to take a stand for others suffering from eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs). At age seven, he founded Racing for a Cause (RFAC), a charitable campaign that raises money for the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED). And for the last two years, he has used his own racing and RFAC to educate more than a million people about EGIDs.

Springer Racing first reached out to Clements in 2010 and the nationwide driver became an immediate advocate. Bonded by a love for racing, the two drivers have co-hosted fundraising events to support RFAC and APFED. Springer's new proposition in April was met with a challenge. If he could raise $10,000 by August - the hood of Clements's racecar was his.

Springer quickly switched into high gear and gathered support from local families and businesses, APFED supporters and his social media followers - easily reaching his goal. The new opportunity would open the door for the young philanthropist to reach even more people with his message of hope.

On Sept. 3, the No. 51 APFED/Racing for a Cause Chevrolet will take the track signifying a unique partnership and proving that nothing is impossible. When Clements crosses the finish line this weekend, both teams will chalk up a win.

Join partners Clements and Springer with the No. 51 APFED / Racing for a Cause Chevrolet on Thursday, Sept. 1, at Outlaws Woodfire Steak & Seafood in McDonough, from 6-8:30 p.m.