SPARTA, Ky.—With University of Louisville basketball star Russ Smith in attendance Friday at Kentucky Speedway afternoon, Michael Waltrip Racing unveiled the No. 55 Toyota that Brian Vickers will drive Saturday night in honor of the Cardinals’ NCAA championship this season.
“We want to come here and win, on behalf of (primary sponsor) Aaron’s and Louisville, hopefully take some of the success they had this year and take that championship and turn it into a victory,” Vickers said. “For me it’s an honor to have them on the car, but we really have to thank Aaron’s for that.”
Aaron’s agreed to cede its normal place on the hood of the No. 55 Camry to Louisville.
Team owner Michael Waltrip is a Kentucky native, and last year he drove a car honoring the national championship won by the University of Kentucky, Louisville’s archrival.
“Michael drove last year for the enemy, for the wrong team—is that right?” Vickers said.
“It depends on who you ask,” Waltrip shot back.
“Not being from Kentucky, I don’t fully appreciate, I don’t think, the rivalry between these two teams,” Vickers added. “But what I am honored to have is the opportunity to drive the Louisville Cardinal car this Saturday night, and hopefully we can take their success and put it in Victory Lane.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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