INDIANAPOLIS – Two days before the 2024 Sonsio Grand Prix, a small group of representatives from Chip Ganassi Racing, the Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center and Schwarz Partners tried to speak against the whir of Indy cars speeding down the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Then, the four ducked inside a garage to talk beside a crew working on CGR’s No. 11 car. The livery of the car was the topic of discussion.

Marcus Armstrong, CGR’s No. 11 driver in the grand prix, described the livery as “sexy,” citing the red and white colorway to represent IU as especially appealing.

But he said what makes the livery even better is what it stands for.

“It's not as if I am representing McDonald's; (cancer) is a genuine thing that affects all of us,” Armstrong said. “Motorsport is a good way to forget about things like that, because it's a true passion and you're very present in the moment when you're on a racetrack and when you're watching a race.

“It's a great way to distract yourself from things like this, but it's also good to raise awareness.”

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Dr. Kelvin P. Lee, director for the IU Simon Cancer Center, said the first time he set foot on a racetrack was at IMS in 2022 after moving to Indianapolis from Buffalo in 2021. He immediately felt the passion and importance of racing in the state and soon looked to begin a partnership with a team.

In August 2023, Lee got his wish as the IU Simon Cancer Center was represented on CGR’s No. 11 livery at the Gallagher Grand Prix. After the race, Lee said he felt enthusiasm from representatives of the IU Simon Cancer Center, sparking further excitement from the wider community.

Yet it is those battling cancer at the IU Simon Cancer Center that matter most to Lee, whether they have a passion for racing or not.

“They are the epitome of the human spirit in their fight, in their courage (and) in their grace,” Lee said. “We say, ‘We have lives to save,’ and we believe that.”

Jeff Schwarz, one of the co-founders of Schwarz Partners, was one of those battling cancer who was able to see the livery in 2023. Schwarz was on the IU Simon Cancer Center board of directors while he received brain cancer treatment, but after a year-long fight, Schwarz died in November 2023.

Lee remembered Jeff’s ability to put his dire situation aside in the pursuit of living a normal life. In fact, Lee said Jeff told him he didn’t want to live like he was afraid of dying.

Lee thought back to a conversation he had with Jeff at ChuckStrong -- an annual cancer fundraiser held by the Colts and former coach Chuck Pagano -- in 2023, as Jeff sported electro-magnetic headgear to attend the event while still receiving treatment. When Lee asked him what he was wearing on his head, Jeff said, "I’m going to the bar," and walked away with a smile.

“I said, ‘This man is a man I want to hang out with,’” Lee said. “He was incredible.”

John Schwarz represented his late brother near the garages, and although John recognized the full-circle impact of a Schwarz Partners logo sitting on the side of IU Simon Cancer Center hats at IMS, he consistently gave credit to the generosity of CGR and the cancer center for making the partnership possible.

“Our family hasn't been about self promotion,” John said. “What I would really say is, ‘Let's do it together.’

“Cancer doesn't discriminate against anybody. It doesn't matter; It gets everybody one way or another, and the research they do there is the only way we're going to fight this thing and beat it.”

John and other Schwarz family members were with Jeff to see the IU Simon Cancer Center livery in 2023, and whether it involved spending time with the drivers and crew of different teams, watching races in the bleachers or even just standing in the hallowed grounds, John recalled other memories of IMS with his brother.

“Even before Ganassi Racing, we were fans in the stands, and that was what we did as a family,” John said.

Barry Wanser, team manager for CGR, has been involved with the team for nearly 27 of its 35 years. However, racing has been a part of his life since he was 14 years old.

In 2023, Wanser was temporarily taken away from the sport when he was diagnosed with throat cancer. So, he turned to IU Health’s Joe and Shelly Schwarz Cancer Center for numerous surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy to successfully remove the cancer.

Wanser said this would not have been possible without the research done by IU Simon Cancer Center, adding extra meaning to CGR’s partnership with the center.

“It means a lot more to me than a lot of people realize,” Wanser said.

Yet it’s not just his recent battle with cancer that makes the partnership impactful. More than 12 years ago, Wanser’s son, Michael, lost his nearly year-long battle with cancer.

“We're close with all of our sponsors and partners, and we work hard to have mutually beneficial relationships, but this touches the heart,” Wanser said.

Involved in the sport for more than half his life, Wanser said he has found the racing community to be one big family, citing the support he received from teams outside the CGR banner during his cancer diagnosis as proof. However, within his own team, Wanser has grown close to the 23-year-old Armstrong.

Wanser said for the New Zealand native to win the upcoming grand prix while sporting the IU Simon Cancer Center livery would be “incredible.”

“There's no better marriage than the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IU Health,” Barry said. “They're helping cure the fans that are coming to the races, so the connection there is pretty remarkable.”

Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at kmsmedley213@gmail.com or on X @KyleSmedley_.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why the color scheme on Ganassi's No. 11 car is so meaningful