MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — “Talladega Nights” character Ricky Bobby’s famous tagline “if you’re not first, you’re last” wasn’t exactly correct.

There are many other places a driver can finish a race, but on July 1 brother and sister youth race car drivers Parker Martin, 14, and Paisley Martin, 13, will put themselves last and others first when they sponsor two area children, Haiden Lewis and Sean Scott, who are living with cancer, through Thumbs Up for a Cure Racing. Drivers, kids and family members of all those involved met at a Milledgeville restaurant for lunch Sunday to get acquainted ahead of the July 1 event that will be held at Cochran Motor Speedway.

“We try to get drivers and kids — crew chiefs as we call them — together to try and put a smile on their faces,” said Russell Lovett who is with Thumbs Up for a Cure. “That’s what it’s all about. [Haiden and Sean] are going to be our guests of honor for the night. We’re asking all the drivers to bring them T-shirts, window decals, and other things to try and make it their night. They’ll also get to tell the drivers to start their engines to help get the night kicked off.”

Haiden, 7, and his family live in Milledgeville where he attended school at Midway Hills Primary before receiving his diagnosis a little more than a month ago. His father Clayton said this offer to participate in Thumbs Up for a Cure is the latest in the outpouring of support the family has received since finding out their son has acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which recently went into remission.

“It caught us off guard because you really don’t realize that there are people out there that do things like this,” Haiden’s father said speaking on behalf of the family. “When we were contacted by Thumbs Up for a Cure it was very surprising. We were very humbled to be a part of it. We’re just still in disbelief right now that in the world we live in today there’s still good people out there that do things like this.”

When Sean, 11, met Parker, who has been racing since he was 11, his eyes lit up in disbelief of the fact that someone so young was allowed to race a car at speeds upward of 100 miles per hour. Sean’s family, the Scotts, live in Eatonton. His mother Tonya said her son had been sick for a couple of years and visited numerous doctors before receiving the cancer diagnosis last August. Tonya said she and her husband D.J. are extremely grateful to Thumbs Up for a Cure for providing her son with the upcoming opportunity.

“I think it’s pretty amazing because these kids are in their homes 24/7 and miss out on a lot of stuff that they used to do,” she said. “Anything like this lifts their spirits and keeps them strong.”

Haiden and Sean will serve as “crew chiefs” for Parker and Paisley the day of the event, getting up close and personal looks at the race cars and the all-important job of starting the race. Cochran Motor Speedway owners Chris and Joni Martin of Milledgeville, parents to Parker and Paisley, decided to sponsor Thumbs Up for a Cure and when their children heard about the program they both jumped on the opportunity to be a part of it.

“It’s exciting,” Chris Martin said. “It’s something they really decided they wanted to do on their own.”

Both drivers, students at John Milledge Academy, told The Union-Recorder they couldn’t wait to meet their new crew chiefs leading up to Sunday’s introduction.

“It’s pretty cool,” said Parker. “I’ve been looking forward to it and I’ve been asking my mom every week when we’re going to get to meet them.”

“We love helping people,” added Paisley, who is in her first year of racing. “We’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

Thumbs Up for a Cure started about four years ago, according to Lovett, and the organization’s motto is “One kid. One driver. One track. One smile.” For more information visit the organization’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThumbsUpForACure. Haiden and Sean will serve as crew chiefs at the fifth annual Ga. Showdown at the Cochran Motor Speedway on July 1. Follow the young men’s stories on Facebook through their pages “Team Haiden” and “Sean’s Story.”