Sundays Aarons 499 will be the second race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season with restrictor plates. But for Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing, their effort will be anything but restricted. The team will dedicate its efforts on Sunday to the victims of the West, Texas, explosion that killed 14 people, including 12 first responders. ‘We will run with restricted engines at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, but I can promise you nobody on this race team will hold anything back’ Speed said. ‘Our race team has deep roots in Texas. Our car will be West, Texas, strong.” The Texas-based team decided to bring awareness to the disaster with signage on Speeds #95 Ford Fusion for Sundays race in the aftermath of the fiery explosion at the fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas. The roof to Speeds car will carry to the words: ‘West, Texas, Strong. Victims – Survivors – Heroes.” ‘As Texans, we all bond together’ said car owner Bob Leavine, who lives in Tyler, Texas. ‘Texans are strong people, proud people. And when something happens, we join forces.” TrackingPoint and Jordan Truck Sales (JTS) will share the primary sponsorship for the 188-lap event. Returning team sponsor Jordan Truck Sales (JTS) will be on the hood of the #95 Ford. The Austin, Texas based TrackingPoint will return with sponsorship on the quarter panels. Secondary sponsors Friends of NRA and Besties with Testies also signed on for Sundays project. Crew chief Wally Rogers knows the best way to honor the victims of the explosion is to run up front. The team will bring the same car that led two laps at the season-opening Daytona 500 and wound up with a lead-lap finish. Since Leavine Family Racing is running a selective schedule, Speed kept himself busy with driving in the X-Games Global Rallycross championship. He won a gold medal for Ford Racing by winning the race in an OlsbergsMSE Fiesta Star Ford April 23 at Foz do IguaÃçu, Brazil. Speed won with a last-lap pass. ‘Winning in Brazil was a lot of fun’ Speed said. ‘Winning at Talladega would be even better.”(Leavine Family Racing)
