Three Weeks of Testicular Cancer Awareness at the Indy 500
In May 2026, the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation partnered with Fennec Pharmaceuticals and spent three weeks in Indianapolis as part of the Indy’s Nuts campaign, bringing testicular cancer awareness to Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the weeks leading up to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing - the Indy 500.
Through a partnership involving Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, Fennec Pharmaceuticals, INVST, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, driver Jack Harvey, Denver Broncos linebacker and testicular cancer survivor Alex Singleton, and a dedicated team of volunteers, race fans attending Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) were introduced to important conversations about testicular cancer, early detection, hearing loss caused by chemotherapy, and life after cancer.
What began as a creative awareness campaign quickly became one of the most visible public outreach efforts in the Foundation's history.
Bringing Awareness to the Speedway
Beginning with the Sonsio Grand Prix and continuing through Fast Friday, Carb Day, and Race Day, staff and volunteers spent three weeks at the IMS as part of the Indy’s Nuts campaign. Located in the fan midway, the tent served as a gathering place where race fans could learn about testicular cancer, pick up educational materials, and engage with the campaign.
Throughout race month, crowds gathered around the tent from the moment the gates opened. Fans stopped by to learn more about testicular cancer, collect educational materials, take photos, and share personal stories. Many arrived after hearing about the campaign elsewhere on the grounds, while others were drawn in by the name, the mascots, or simply their curiosity.
Indy the mascot
One of the most popular features of the campaign was the Indy’s Nuts photo booth experience, which gave visitors an opportunity to engage with the campaign while creating lasting memories from their day at the Speedway. The campaign's Indy’s Nuts mascot, an oversized peanut, quickly became a fan favorite whenever it appeared. Children especially loved interacting with them, and he became a familiar sight throughout race month as he posed for photos and welcomed visitors to the tent.
While the campaign was designed to be lighthearted and approachable, many of the conversations that took place were deeply personal.
Throughout race month, visitors frequently stopped to share their own experiences with testicular cancer. Some were survivors. Others were family members who had supported a son, husband, brother, or friend through treatment. We also met countless people who had little or no familiarity with testicular cancer and were surprised to learn how common it is among men. Conversations often began with a bag of peanuts and ended with discussions about self-exams, symptoms, and when to seek medical attention.
By the end of the month, many visitors had become repeat guests, stopping by multiple times to say hello, introduce friends or family members, or just grab another bag of nuts.
The campaign also provided opportunities to connect with physicians, nurses, researchers, audiologists, and other medical professionals from around the country who were attending race activities. These conversations created opportunities to discuss survivorship issues, hearing health, and the challenges patients can face long after treatment ends.
Jack Harvey preparing for practice on Fast Friday
Throughout race month, nearly 100,000 bags of Indy’s Nuts were distributed to race fans attending events at the Speedway. In addition to the campaign's signature peanut bags, visitors received shower cards, backpacks, educational materials, and information about cisplatin-induced ototoxicity (CIO), a form of permanent hearing loss that can result from cisplatin chemotherapy.
The activation used a simple concept to start important conversations. While the peanuts served as a lighthearted reminder about the importance of knowing your body and performing regular self-exams, many of those conversations naturally expanded to include treatment decisions, survivorship, hearing loss, and quality of life after cancer.
Indy’s Nuts on the front of Chevy No. 24
A Partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
A key part of the campaign was Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation's partnership with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and driver Jack Harvey.
From the beginning, Harvey embraced the Indy’s Nuts initiative and helped bring testicular cancer awareness to one of the largest audiences in motorsports. Throughout race month, he participated in campaign activities, promoted awareness messaging, and engaged with fans at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Harvey also joined Denver Broncos linebacker and testicular cancer survivor Alex Singleton in a series of public service announcements supporting the campaign. Bringing humor to a topic that many people find uncomfortable to discuss, the videos encouraged race fans to pay attention to changes in their bodies, perform regular self-exams, and understand the importance of early detection. The lighthearted approach helped make conversations about testicular cancer more approachable while still delivering an important message.
Jack Harvey & Alex Singleton at the Indy’s Nuts tent on Carb Day (May 22, 2026)
One of the most memorable moments of the campaign came on Carb Day when Harvey and Singleton visited the Indy’s Nuts tent together. Fans quickly gathered around the booth as the pair handed out bags of nuts, posed for photographs, signed autographs, and spoke with visitors about the importance of testicular cancer awareness. What began as a brief appearance quickly became one of the busiest moments of the month.
Harvey's support helped introduce many race fans to Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation's mission and played an important role in expanding the campaign's reach throughout the Indy 500 community.
Alex Singleton's Impact
Throughout race month, Alex Singleton helped bring additional visibility to the campaign through appearances, interviews, and conversations with fans.
Diagnosed with testicular cancer during the 2025 NFL season, Singleton quickly became an ambassador for Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation and a passionate advocate for awareness and early detection. His willingness to openly share his experience created opportunities for meaningful conversations with race fans who may never have previously considered their own risk for testicular cancer.
By sharing his story throughout the month, Singleton helped reinforce the importance of knowing your body, recognizing symptoms, and seeking medical attention when something doesn't seem right. His involvement provided a powerful example of survivorship while helping encourage more open conversations about men's health.
Taking the Message Beyond the Speedway
The campaign's reach extended well beyond visitors who stopped at the Indy’s Nuts tent.
Burger Bash
Throughout race month, Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation had opportunities to share its message through media appearances and interviews reaching audiences across the Speedway and throughout the Indianapolis community. Founder & CEO Kim Jones joined longtime motorsports broadcaster Kevin Lee to discuss the campaign, the importance of testicular cancer awareness, and the goals behind bringing Indy’s Nuts to the Speedway.
Singleton also joined Lee during race week to discuss his personal experience with testicular cancer and the importance of early detection. The interview helped introduce additional race fans to the campaign and encouraged conversations far beyond the tent itself.
In addition to media appearances, campaign videos featuring Harvey and Singleton were shared throughout race month, helping bring awareness messages to audiences both at IMS and online.
Alex Singleton’s trackside interview with Kevin Lee
The festivities also included Burger Bash, a community fundraiser supporting the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. The event brought together race fans, members of the Indianapolis community, survivors, and supporters for an evening focused on raising awareness while supporting cancer research and patient care efforts. It provided another opportunity to share information about testicular cancer awareness and connect with members of the community outside of the Speedway environment.
The Inaugural TCAF Indy 500 Educational Event
In addition to the public-facing activities at the Speedway, the campaign also included an invitation-only educational event for doctors and medical experts. Sponsored by Fennec Pharmaceuticals, the program brought together leaders in testicular cancer care to discuss treatment, survivorship, and opportunities to improve outcomes for patients. A separate recap of that event is available here.
Looking Back & Driving Forward
For Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, the Indy 500 provided an opportunity to reach people who may never have otherwise encountered a testicular cancer awareness campaign.
Over three weeks in Indianapolis, the Indy’s Nuts campaign created opportunities for thousands of conversations about early detection, treatment-related hearing loss, survivorship, and quality of life after cancer while reaching race fans attending events throughout the lead-up to the Indy 500.
Nearly 100,000 bags of nuts were distributed throughout race month. Race fans connected with survivors, family members shared their stories, medical professionals stopped by to learn more about Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation's work, and new audiences were introduced to the importance of early detection.
What started as a bag of peanuts often became something much more meaningful: a conversation.
wITH OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE
We would also like to thank 21Grams and Real Chemistry, whose creative team helped develop the Indy’s Nuts campaign concept and bring this awareness initiative to life.
We are also grateful to INVST, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, Jack Harvey, Alex Singleton, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, our volunteers, and everyone who stopped by the tent throughout race month.
A special thank you to Fennec Pharmaceuticals for their partnership throughout the Indy’s Nuts campaign and for their continued commitment to raising awareness about cisplatin-induced ototoxicity and hearing health during cancer treatment. Their support helped create opportunities to educate race fans, engage medical professionals, and bring important conversations about quality of life after cancer to one of the largest audiences in motorsports.
The checkered flag may have fallen on the 2026 Indy 500, but the impact of Indy’s Nuts is only beginning. As the largest campaign in the history of Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, it created new opportunities to educate, connect, and inspire action on a scale we had never reached before. Every conversation started at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has the potential to lead to earlier detection, better outcomes, and more lives saved in the years ahead.
