Cruz Pedregon's annual Breast Cancer Awareness-themed Snap-on Tools Funny Car seems to be a trigger for Nathan Hamm, and not in a negative way. 

Hamm, who works the bottom end duties for the two-time NHRA champion, is reminded about his ties to Breast Cancer when he sees Pedregon's pink-themed race machine. 

Hamm's mother, Lynn, suffered from Stage 4 breast cancer while pregnant with him. She beat the diagnosis, only to have the cancer return and take her life two years ago. 

When Hamm was born in 2002, he knew his life would always incorporate taking a stand alongside his Mom to fight this killer. According to WebMD, one in six deaths are attributed to cancer. Over 43,000 deaths came from breast cancer last year.. 

"Whenever I was younger, me and my Mom would go to Relay for Life," Hamm recalled. "It's a fundraiser for breast cancer, pretty much. I remember just walking around these tracks that were at the school and the little bags that had candles in them with people's names on them. That left a big impression on me."

Hamm learned early in childhood the full scope of the battle she faced, just bringing him into the world. He also became aware that the child of a cancer patient learns the challenges the average child cannot grasp. 

"I guess I was just old enough to understand it; what she was going through and the decisions they had to make and everything," Hamm said. 

Hamm also understoof the rollercoaster ride of negative and positive scans. Years after a clean bill of health from Breast Cancer, Lynn was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She battled bravely for three years before losing the battle. 

Hamm credits Lynn for the role he plays today in drag racing. He works as the bottom-end technician for Pedregon's team and serves as the official welder for the crew. It was Lynn who influenced Hamm to get into welding. 

"She came to me one day and was like, 'hey, you're really good with working with your hands. Would you like to try welding?" Hamm recalled. "I gave it a try and ended up enjoying it a lot. Then I got jobs working in fabrication shops and stuff, and that's really where I started. That was my entryway into drag racing, I think, just working with my hands and then being a welder."

Hamm wasn't really into drag racing, but when an opportunity of connections led him down the pathway to join Cruz Pedregon Racing last year, just one look at the team's 2021 Breast Cancer Awareness theme was enough to seal the deal. 

Pedregon's Dodge carried a pink and gray theme. The pink represented breast cancer, and the gray stood for brain cancer. Different colors represent different kinds of cancers in awareness.

"That was the coolest thing to me before I was even a part of this team," Hamm said. "Seeing those colors, those were her colors. Now I don't know how she would have reacted to me working on a car; I think, in some ways, it might have overwhelmed her to see what takes place behind the scenes.  

"I think she'd be pretty proud of it. She probably wouldn't say it, but I think she'd be really proud. Ever since she passed away, I've always just tried to do everything to the best that I can and really to honor her  because I don't want to let her down."

Pedregon has seen Hamm at work and knows without a doubt she'd be proud of the man her son has become.

"The thing about Nate is that I've been really impressed with his maturity at his age," Pedregon said. "He's very mature, and I'm very impressed with the way he conducts himself for someone of his age. His parents did a good job raising him. I pay attention to that, and I have a lot of respect for him. I've done the bottom end before and know that's not an easy job. He's mature beyond his years."

And when you see Hamm walk to the starting line in St. Louis, and you see his smile, you'll know it was triggered a memory of making his Mom proud.