When 49-year-old NHRA Pro Stock Rookie Bob Yonke started the 2010 season few people expected the Kansas native to make it to two finals and be

ninth in the standings after eight races. Accomplishing so much without the backing of a primary sponsor is even more amazing in the world of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing. Now he hopes to have a big weekend in front of family and friends.
 
 “It’s no secret in racing that sponsorship support is critical to being competitive on a consistent basis and having the chance to win,” Bob Yonke says. “The team has been working extremely hard and we’ve had a solid season so far. We’ve had some promising discussions with potential sponsors and, as we continue to prove ourselves on the track, we will get more interest. We are looking forward to a good showing in Topeka.”

When 49-year-old NHRA Pro Stock Rookie Bob Yonke started the 2010 season few people expected the Kansas native to make it to two finals and be ninth in the standings after eight races. Accomplishing so much without the backing of a primary sponsor is even more amazing in the world of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing. Now he hopes to have a big weekend in front of family and friends.
 
 “It’s no secret in racing that sponsorship support is critical to being competitive on a consistent basis and having the chance to win,” Bob Yonke says. “The team has been working extremely hard and we’ve had a solid season so far. We’ve had some promising discussions with potential sponsors and, as we continue to prove ourselves on the track, we will get more interest. We are looking forward to a good showing in Topeka.”
 
Instead of leaving the hood on the car blank while looking for a primary sponsor, Yonke Motorsports partnered with Pints for Prostates to promote men’s health at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Summer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka from May 21-23. The race will be a homecoming for Yonke, who grew up in Alma, Kansas, and played college basketball at nearby Emporia State University.
 
The NHRA Pro Stock entry driven by Yonke will carry the Pints for Prostates logo at the event, which starts with qualifying on Friday. Yonke, ninth in the NHRA Pro Stock standings, reached the finals in Phoenix and Charlotte already this season.
 
“We really appreciate what Bob Yonke and everyone at Yonke Motorsports is doing to reach race fans with an important health message,” said Rick Lyke, founder of Pints for Prostates. “NHRA fans are the exact demographic that needs to hear our message about testing and early detection. Bob Yonke has been very generous in his support of Pints for Prostates enabling us to reach drag racing fans at the track and watching the action on ESPN2. The more men we reach the more lives will be saved.”
 
“Prostate disease is a very serious issue for all men, as one out of every six men during their lifetime will be diagnosed with some form of prostate cancer,” said Yonke. “Early detection is as simple as a blood test during a routine check up with your primary care physician or urologist, you just need to ask them to check your PSA.”
 
“I started having my prostate checked annually at the age of 45, as my father was diagnosed and successfully treated for prostate cancer at the age of 50,” Yonke said. “It is with great pride and enthusiasm that we have the opportunity to partner with Rick and Pints for Prostates to reach out to the NHRA drag racing community.”
 
In 2002, Yonke and partner, Chris Ringel, started Advanced Medical Partners Inc., a mobile medical business based in Arlington, Texas, that treated approximately 6,000 prostate cancer patients annually with Cryotherapy. The sale of that business in 2008 helped launch Yonke’s full time entry into NHRA Pro Stock this season. Yonke raced in the former NHRA Pro Stock Truck series in 1999-2001. Yonke Motorsports is an independent NHRA Pro Stock team based in Burleson, Texas.  
 
“Every week nearly 4,000 men in the U.S. hear the words ‘you have prostate cancer.’ The key for these guys is detecting the disease in its early stages when treatment is nearly 100 percent successful,” said Lyke, a 49-year-old Charlotte, N.C., marketing executive and drinks journalist who had successful prostate cancer surgery in April 2008. Since being launched in late 2008, Pints for Prostates has reached more than 80 million people through a combination of donated advertising, news articles, appearances at beer festivals, and coverage on websites and blogs. In 2009, the program was featured at the Livestrong Global Cancer Summit in Dublin, Ireland, and profiled on CNN’s Vital Signs program hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.