SHREWSBURY, MA :: If you attend the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park this weekend, or any other NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, you’ll see something different on the body panels of Rob Fuller’s Modified compared to any other car on the circuit. Fuller isn’t trying to sell soda, or auto parts, or any other product. Instead, Fuller and his race team try to raise awareness for early cancer detection through the 15-40 Connection organization.

“It’s a totally different way of approaching a sponsorship program,” said Fuller. “You’re trying to just make people aware to get themselves checked and know your own body. When things aren’t going right or something doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to get a second opinion from another doctor.”

Through 15-40 Connection Fuller will have a cancer survivor with the team at every race on the Tour, and their name and picture will be on the car. The team had Joshua Bell on the car at Daytona for the UNOH Battle at the Beach. For the Icebreaker this weekend the team will have 40-year-old Mass. native Dave McGrath on the car and with the team.

“At age 14, Crohn’s Disease was found in my intestines and one and a half feet of them were removed,” said McGrath in a press release. “After that, things were going fine for me, up until my 18th birthday when I started having double vision and headaches.”

At the age of 18, McGrath was diagnosed with brain cancer. He underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and has been cancer-free now for “almost 22 years.”

Now McGrath is a volunteer speaker for 15-40 Connection, and he plays some hockey in his free time.

“I’ve spoken at Relay for Life events,” said McGrath, “but 15-40 is the first time I’ve consistently done it once a month. And it’s good. I like it a lot.”

While McGrath has never actually attended a NASCAR race, he has been to a race track once before. He and Fuller’s team did a photo shoot at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last July.

McGrath isn’t aware of it just yet, but Fuller says that McGrath will be doing more than just watching Sunday’s 150-lap race.

“He’ll have a radio on and he’ll come out on pit road with us,” said Fuller. “And I think Jeff, our crew chief, has him doing the sign board for the pit stop. So he’ll be right down in the middle of everything.”