“Best Post of the Day” – NASCAR Community Joined by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Rejoice as Beloved Insider Wins Her Battle With Cancer

The veteran Motorsports journalist Holly Cain is back at her desk in the NASCAR wire service office, with her earphones plugged in and glued to her laptop, working the magic as she gives timely updates from NASCAR. Cain is a true testament to hard work and dedication, as it wasn’t long ago that the Lakeland native was fighting cancer. That too for the second time!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is delighted to have Holly Cain back!

This wasn’t Cain’s first tussle with cancer. Back in 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and, after a long battle, defeated it. But it returned during the NASCAR 2023 season finale at Phoenix. Recently, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck shared the story of how it started. Gluck recently posted a photo of Cain, hard at work, as it took him down memory lane to when, on this very day, her cancer reappeared.

Gluck wrote on X, “This morning walking into the track, I was thinking of how a year ago on this day, I was riding on the back of a golf cart with Holly Cain. She pointed to a large lump on her neck and expressed concern it meant her cancer had returned.” According to the Athletic journalist, Holly Cain, despite that, worked throughout the race weekend, and only after that, when she went home to do a checkup, did she get to know that the cancer had returned. After strenuous treatment, Cain notified everyone in the NASCAR community via X.

She wrote, “Just had my second big exam to confirm…I am cancer-free! And soooooo appreciative of my doctors, my family, and friends – everyone who encouraged and supported me!  Still recovering from treatment, but I’ve got this.” Jeff Gluck, after seeing her recently, was delighted to have his fellow motorsport journalist still contributing to impactful storytelling.

“Holly underwent an extreme chemo/radiation treatment that many people do not survive. Somehow, she’s still with us. And one year later, she’s here at the track again, doing her job as always. Definitely not taking it for granted. We’re so happy to get extra time with you, Holly,” Gluck added.

The veteran journalist was touched reading this as she replied, “Thank you for always being so kind and thoughtful Jeff. You checked on me throughout it all and your friendship and care has meant more to me than you know. I’m so fortunate!” Seeing Gluck’s post, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. was glad to see his good friend Cain back at what she does best. Jr. was quick to reply to Gluck’s post, “Best post of the day.” Holly Cain and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have known each other since before Junior became one of the most popular names in the sport.

Holly Cain, remembering her first meeting with Jr., had previously said, “It came in the small conference room of a Charlotte chain hotel in 1998 during the traditional preseason NASCAR Media Tour. And the 23-year-old Earnhardt wasn’t even the primary focus of the interview session, scheduled to promote the upcoming Busch Grand National season, as the Nationwide Series was then known. Looking a little overwhelmed by his first “media tour,” Earnhardt sat quietly at a table by himself, waiting patiently in case any of the handful of reporters wanted a one-on-one interview when the formal portion of the event was over.”

And not just Dale Jr., but pretty much the entire NASCAR community would be pleased to see her back to full strength as they all rallied together for her treatment.

Holly Cain is loved across the NASCAR community

When the news of her second bout with cancer became public, a fundraising campaign for her treatment expenses was started. After having been a motorsport journalist for more than 30 years, Cain is admired and respected by other media members, as well as the racers she writes about. NASCAR journalist Doug Rice was quick to take charge of the campaign as they aimed to raise $60,000 for medical expenses.

And, the overwhelming support from the motorsport community was instrumental in raising nearly $25,000 within just one day, demonstrating how the NASCAR community cherishes her. In the three decades of writing stories, Holly Cain has won many awards, including the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award back in 2015, an honor that celebrates those who demonstrate courage, sportsmanship, and dedication to Motorsports.

It’s often rare for a journalist to have such deep bonds with the sportsmen or, in this case, drivers that she covers, interviews, and at times is also critical about. Yet, it has led to long-lasting connections, ones that stand firm in times of need. Like this recent campaign, even when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, the NASCAR community came together to support her.

In fact, NASCAR legend Clint Bowyer in the 2014 Kansas race carried Cain’s name on the roof, along with sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy to support the company’s program with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). When Cain got to know about this, she was back home in Florida undergoing chemotherapy. “I merely represent thousands of others affected by breast cancer and what Clint and Living Beyond Breast Cancer and 5-Hour Energy are doing will have a tangible effect on all of us,” This is what she had said after hearing about Bowyer’s gesture.

With the Cup Series finale nearing, surely Holly Cain is super busy with work as NASCAR’s 2024 champion will soon be crowned? However, who do you think it will be?