Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) and sponsor Aaron’s, Inc., will honor the 2011-12 Univ. of Kentucky NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship during Kentucky Speedway’s June 28-30 Quaker State 400 tripleheader weekend by racing a special paint scheme on #55 ‘Dream Machine’ driven by Kentuckian Michael Waltrip and placing the Wildcats ‘ National Championship trophy on display for fans throughout the weekend. Tickets, campsites and daily infield Fan Zone passes for all events can be purchased by logging on to kentuckyspeedway.com/tickets or calling 859-578-2300.(Kentucky Speedway)(6-23-2012)
UPDATE: When Michael Waltrip climbs in the #55 Toyota at Kentucky Speedway’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Saturday night, he and his Aaron’s Dream Machine will sport University of Kentucky colors to honor his and probably most of the local fans ‘ favorite college basketball team. The blue-and-white paint scheme and the Owensboro, Ky. native’s driver’s uniform will pay tribute to UK’s 2012 NCAA National Champion basketball team. ‘This might be my all-time favorite paint scheme,’ said Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion and Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame member. ‘I ‘m so proud of all the people in Kentucky for not only their world class race track, but we have the best college basketball team in the country again. To race in Kentucky and wear the UK uniform will be a heck of an honor for me.’ Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart will visit the track Thursday to help Waltrip unveil the special paint scheme. Aaron’s said it wanted to do something special for the fans at Kentucky Speedway. ‘Aaron’s is a proud sponsor of the University of Kentucky athletic program, and we ‘re thrilled to have an opportunity to honor the school in this exciting and unconventional way,’ said Ken Butler, Aaron’s chief operating officer. ‘We know how much this means to the people of Kentucky. We hope to give the University of Kentucky something to smile about on Saturday night with a Wildcat-themed car in Victory Lane.’(MWR), see an image of the scheme on the #55 Team Schemes page.(6-26-2012)
