NASCAR Driver / Cancer Survivor Initiates Fund for Ailing Crew Chief

SEATTLE--Jan. 2, 20050, 2005--NASCAR Driver, Jerrod Sessler, has set up a fund for his crew chief, John King. King is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 breast cancer and is without a paycheck and health insurance. Sessler has agreed to match gifts to the fund up to $1,000.

Breast cancer in men is rare. According to the American Cancer Society in 2003, approximately only 1,300 men were diagnosed in the United States while 212,000 women received the same diagnosis that year.

NASCAR driver, Jerrod Sessler, understands the struggles his crew chief is facing. "It has been just over five years since I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and told I was going to die. Fortunately, I made some radical changes in my life, learned a lot, avoided conventional medical advice and trusted God."

King and Sessler saw immediate success on the track this year as King turned a rough set-up into a car that "just smoothed out once it was up to speed," With that, they had no troubles qualifying and competing within the top five. "John is amazing with regard to knowing what to do to the racecar. Communication is sometimes intense as we try to understand each other. John uses old-school experience while I prefer a more technical approach." Sessler, a degreed engineer, views chassis set up from a different perspective but the results of the combination of experience and education work.

"John is a fierce competitor. He climbed all over me after a race for spinning out and I, of course, was upset. When we talked, he just said, with his big John King smile, 'I want to win just as bad as you do man.' I really respect his drive and passion for what he does. He doesn't do this because he makes lots of money. He is like most of us in racing, he just loves it."

Sessler is now seeking sponsorship for competition at the national level. He hopes this platform will enable him to further share the lessons he has learned about diet and lifestyle and the impact these day-to-day choices had on saving his life from Stage 4 cancer.

Those interested in making a donation can do so through Key Bank's "John King Survivor Fund" or http://www.jerrodsessler.com/kingfund.htm.