Greg Van Alst raises diabetes awareness in Darlington throwback scheme

Yesterday at 11:12 AM

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Greg Van Alst today announced he is raising awareness of diabetes with his throwback paint scheme for this weekend‘s Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Van Alst‘s No. 35 CB Fabricating Chevrolet Camaro will sport a red and white color scheme and font in a nod to Ryan Reed‘s Lilly Diabetes car.

Reed is the first-known driver in NASCAR to be publicly diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Reed partnered with Lilly Diabetes from 2013 until 2018 in what was then called the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The partnership brought diabetes to the forefront, allowing Reed to serve as an ambassador for the condition.

Reed was diagnosed in 2011 and initially told his racing career was over. But he refused to let Type 1 Diabetes control his life.

"It was an incredibly difficult diagnosis. I was originally told I would never drive a race car again," said Reed. "Finding the right medical team was key for me to fight my way back to racing! Training and preparation became a much bigger part of my routine. Using a continuous glucose monitor is a key component to each and every race."

Van Alst is no stranger to the preparation and monitoring required of a driver with Type 1 Diabetes. He was diagnosed in 2021. Like Reed, Van Alst refused to give up racing because of his diagnosis.

"I really have to be conscious of what I eat around race time. A lot of drivers get nervous before a race and can‘t eat," offered Van Alst. "Many times I have had to force myself to eat right before a race," said Van Alst. "I also have two water bottles in the car at each race. One for water. One with a sugar drink to bring my sugar levels up if they drop.

"My wife monitors my glucose levels from home and messages the crew chief with updates so he can let me know if I need to bring up my sugar levels."

Van Alst‘s younger brother and his primary sponsor‘s (Chris Barkdull of CB Fabricating) son were diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as kids. So, he felt it was important to raise awareness about diabetes and the struggles those with Type 1 Diabetes face.

"Being a couple of years into my diabetes journey, I wanted to do something that would help share my story," added Van Alst. "What a better way than to throw back to a driver who was a huge advocate of the diabetes community while he was racing."

"This throwback is so important to me for many reasons," said Reed. "Of course it‘s very flattering for myself, but even more importantly it continues to draw attention to the entire diabetes community. Folks with diabetes wake up every day and fight silent battles. I hope this gives them a little encouragement to keep fighting the good fight."

For the third time this season, CB Fabricating will join Van Alst as the primary partner on the team‘s No. 35 Chevrolet.

Headquartered in Anderson, Ind., CB Fabricating offers a complete list of fabricating from design, laser cutting, CNC punching, forming, welding, powder coating, and assembly.

"This is Chris‘s (Barkdull) first participation in NASCAR Throwback Weekend, and bringing further awareness to Type 1 Diabetes is incredibly important to all of us," said Van Alst.

"This initiative hits close to home for our team, and having the opportunity to highlight such a meaningful cause on a national stage is something we don‘t take for granted. We‘re proud to have Chris and his support behind this effort."

For those looking to learn more and support Type 1 Diabetes research and treatment, Reed suggests Breakthrough T1D, Beyond Type 1 and American Diabetes Association.

For more information on Greg Van Alst, visit https://www.gregvanalst.com/ or follow him on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vanalstmotorsports/) and X (https://twitter.com/GregVanAlst35).

The Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200 (147 laps | 200.8 miles) is the eighth of thirty-three (33) NASCAR Xfinity Series races on the 2025 schedule. Twenty-five-minute group practices will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:55 a.m. Qualifying will immediately follow, beginning at 11:05 a.m. The field will take the green flag later in the day, shortly after 3:30 p.m., with live coverage on The CW Network, the Motor Racing Network (Radio), and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

— Greg Van Alst / Snow Belt MGMT —