In an effort to salute those who have given so much to protect our freedoms, Roush Fenway Racing and driver of the #17 Ford, Matt Kenseth, will be running a special paint scheme at Martinsville Speedway for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500. Kenseth’s car will be the #17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation/Gary Sinise Foundation Ford and will feature a salute to United States Marine Corps Corporal Josh ‘J.B.’ Kerns. Kerns was a combat engineer with the U.S. Marine Corps and was on a mine sweep on April 7, 2011 in Afghanistan during his third tour of duty. An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated nearby and Kerns lost both of his legs along with his right arm due to the blast. Almost a year later after that fateful day, Matt Kenseth will race the #17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers/Gary Sinise Foundation Ford at Martinsville as a tribute to Kerns for the sacrifices he made for this country. As part of their Building for America’s Bravest program, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Gary Sinise Foundation announced that they will build a ‘smart home’ for Kerns in his hometown of Ararat, Virginia which is located nearby to Martinsville Speedway. As part of the fundraising efforts associated with this program, Lionel NASCAR Collectables will create a die-cast of the #17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation/Gary Sinise Foundation Ford and a large portion of those proceeds will go to building Kerns ‘ new smart home.(Roush Fenway Racing), and more info about a fundraiser on Saturday, see my Racing Charities page.(3-27-2012)
