In the heart of the high-octane motorsports scene, where speed and adrenaline reign supreme, one nonprofit is slowing things down to talk about something far more serious: skin cancer.
Founded in 2023, Team Truck Melanoma is on a mission to bring life-saving awareness to communities that spend countless hours under the sun—motorsports fans, drivers, and automotive enthusiasts.
And it’s all driven by passion, purpose, and a street-legal race truck.
“What really sets us apart in the motorsports and automotive enthusiast spaces is that our team is targeting those communities with the potentially life-saving messages of melanoma awareness, early detection, and sun-protective measures,” said founder Ryan Kiernan.
“We’re meeting that community where they are and on a common ground,” he added.
Kiernan, a healthcare professional with more than a decade of experience in dermatology, knows the risks of prolonged sun exposure firsthand. But he’s also a longtime car and off-road enthusiast, which makes his mission even more personal.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Given that off-road enthusiasts spend extended periods outdoors, often under intense sun exposure, prioritizing sun safety is essential. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is a major risk factor for all types of skin cancer, including melanoma.
“We (Truck Melanoma volunteers) are healthcare professionals, but we’re also motorsports and automotive enthusiasts ourselves,” Kiernan explained.
“We understand the community and the amount of time we spend out in the sun. We noticed no one was really addressing that audience, and we wanted to fill the gap and say, ‘Hey, you should wear sunscreen.’”
So far, the response has been remarkable. In just over two years, Team Truck Melanoma has hosted outreach events and offered free skin checks at multiple NASCAR races and local car shows, often identifying conditions people didn’t even know they had.
“Most recently, we attended the Matt’s Offroad Games in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, UT, March 20–22. That event had over 10,000 attendees, and 25+ YouTube channels and content creators—some with 1+ million subs. Grind Hard Plumbing Company was there and Dirt Legal helped them register the ‘Monster Chopper’ that they created,” Kiernan said.
Diving deep into the awareness and results of attending these events, Team Truck Melanoma highlighted how many people they have helped so far.
“We’ve helped identify over 20 potential melanoma skin cancers and more than 30 non-melanoma skin cancers,” Kiernan shared. “Our free skin checks help bridge the gap in access to care, because access to dermatology right now is pretty tricky.”
The team recently completed their custom-built showpiece: an LS-swapped S10 race truck, now fully street-legal thanks to a partnership with Dirt Legal. It’s more than just eye candy—it’s a conversation starter that helps Team Truck Melanoma engage new audiences on the ground, one event at a time.
“We currently have three vehicles, including our flatbed and the new race truck,” Kiernan said. “All of them are registered and street legal thanks to Dirt Legal.”
The nonprofit is gearing up for a major presence during Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month this May, continuing to offer screenings, educational resources, and free sunscreen at events.
Looking ahead, Kiernan envisions a national expansion.
“Right now, we’re mostly on the West Coast, but there are automotive and motorsports events happening every day across the country,” he said. “Our goal is to have Team Truck Melanoma representatives at those events nationwide.”
With growing partnerships and a clear mission, the future is bright, fitting for a nonprofit focused on sun safety.
“The potential is huge,” Kiernan said. “We’re building relationships with more companies in the space so we can expand our outreach and reach younger demographics. If we can spread the message earlier, we can help prevent needless melanoma deaths.”
As Team Truck Melanoma continues to grow, it’s proving that advocacy doesn’t have to come in a white coat—it can roll in on four wheels with a V8 engine and a mission.
Team Truck Melanoma has big plans for the future, with more events and outreach.
“There are a lot of things that we are planning to do so we can really continue to grow as an organization and continue to reach more people with what can potentially be a life-saving message,” Kiernan said.
By merging medicine with motorsports, the team is not only saving lives but changing the way awareness looks, sounds, and drives.
“Ultimately, we have the goal of scaling to a national level in the next 1–2 years.”
With every mile and every event, they’re making sure melanoma awareness reaches the people who need it most.
