CONCORD, N.C. -- If you see Elliott Sadler clinging to his mother a little tighter on pit road Saturday, know there's a good reason. If you see a protective gaze across his face, understand there is purpose.

This time last year, Sadler sat inside his motor home and listened to a group of women explain to his mother the risks and recoveries of breast cancer.

"I remember it like it was yesterday, three or four ladies from the Susan G. Komen foundation sat on my couch and told her about the side effects and what her body was going through," said Sadler, whose mother, Bell Sadler, was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2007.

The disease is in remission, but since then, life has changed for Sadler and his Virginia family which is steeped in tradition and built on devotion.

"My priorities have changed because life can change so quickly and you can't take it for granted. I probably took it for granted as a teenager and in my young 20s, but as life changes and you start dealing with real-life issues, things that can harm your family, you definitely change how you look at things and the directions you want to go in," Sadler said. "I'm more aware of what is going on with me and my surroundings."

His heightened awareness has motivated Sadler to set an example in the NASCAR garage this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway by running a pink paint scheme on his racecar in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

"To run that logo on the car means a lot to me. It means more than just pink lettering and stickers, it symbolizes a cause. A cause we are racing for," he added.

Sadler, who always drives with a pink ribbon decal above the door of his No. 19 Gillett Evernham Motorsports Dodge, found support through his sponsor Stanley Tools in order to create the special pink car.

Stanley Tools, which has refused to change the color of its yellow logo for 165 years, is also making a $100,000 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. All of Sadler's uniform items as well as the used wheels on his racecar will be up for auction on his fan Web site. (Continued)