Road Race Ministries Makes Donation to EB Research Partnership at COTA
November 15, 2023
In addition to the championship trophies and contingency awards given out at the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli season finale at Circuit of The Americas, another very special presentation was made at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Road Race Ministries, the organization that serves as Trans Am’s chaplains, made a $5,000 donation to the EB Research Partnership (EBRP) on behalf of Darin Mock (No. 51 EB Research Partnership Ford Mustang) and Boris Said Jr. (No. 83 3-Dimensional Services Group Chevrolet Camaro). 21-year-old Mock and his father, former NASCAR driver and team owner Butch Mock, both suffer from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a hereditary disease in which individuals lack critical proteins that bind the skin's two layers together. Without these proteins, the skin tears apart, blisters, and shears off.
Mock is lucky, as he has the most common and mild form of EB—EB Simplex. It primarily affects his hands and feet, with blisters formed due to heat and friction. More severe forms of the disorder can cause blisters inside and outside of the entire body, impacting life expectancy.
“In the racecar, it affects me a lot,” says Mock. “It’s really hot in there, and it’s on my hands and my feet, so shifting is really hard for me. We’ve done some stuff to my car, such as putting some insulation on the shifter. Nitro Motorsports has been really helpful with that.”
Mock partnered with the EB Research Partnership this year and has been working to raise awareness and funds to find a cure.
Road Race Ministries’ donation to EBRP comes as a result of a contribution made to the chaplains by Said Jr.’s father, Boris Said, to fund their 2024 ministry. With extra funding, the organization was able to share some of the donation to give back to Mock’s cause.
“It was very special having a fellow competitor donate to a cause that you care so much about,” said Mock. “I grew up watching Boris Sr. race on TV, so it's been very cool to get to know Boris and Boris Jr. over the course of the year.”
Money donated to EBRP goes towards funding research to, hopefully, find a cure. Founded in 2010 by a group of dedicated parents and Jill and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, EBRP has raised over $50 million and has funded more than 120 EB research projects to date, impacting the clinical landscape with a 20x increase in the number of clinical trials in EB. In 2010, there were only two clinical trials in EB, and today there are more than 40, with three in Phase III — the final phase before approval.
Those wishing to donate can visit darinmockracing.com/eb.
