The historic Twin Spires of Churchill Downs and the image of Thoroughbreds racing toward the finish line will adorn a Kentucky-based NASCAR Busch Series car that is scheduled to compete in the Meijer 300 on Saturday, June 19 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky. Churchill Downs is teaming with Race Kentucky Motorsports to present a paint scheme based on the famed home of the Kentucky Derby on the No. 65 Race Kentucky Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the season's biggest race at Kentucky Speedway. The team's driver is 23-year-old Stuart Kirby of Bowling Green, Ky. The white paint scheme with green lettering for the No. 65 Race Kentucky Chevrolet Monte Carlo's run in the Meijer 300 features Churchill Downs' stylized "Twin Spires" logo and the track's name on the hood, trunk, and each side of the vehicle. An image of Thoroughbreds thundering down the stretch is featured on the hood and a horse and jockey are pictured on each side of the car. The rear of the No. 65 Chevrolet includes the "Go Baby Go" slogan of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.
The Meijer 300 will mark the first Busch Series effort for Race Kentucky Motorsports and its No. 65 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The new racing team based in Columbia, Ky. bills itself as a "total Kentucky effort" with a Kentucky driver and a paint scheme that promotes the "Commonwealth's vitally important horse industry." The team's motto is "Racing for a Reason," which underscores its commitment to the effort to maintain the health of the Kentucky's signature horse industry. Mark Karnes serves as the president of Race Kentucky Motorsports and Keith Livermore is the team's executive vice president.Driver Stuart Kirby got his start in racing by participating in go-kart races in his hometown. He entered the World Karting Association in 1996 and was ranked in that organization's top 10 for two straight years. He graduated to stock cars in 1998 and competed at Tennessee's Highland Rim Speedway and later in the Late Model Series at the prestigious Nashville Speedway USA. Kirby, a graduate of Bowling Green's Greenwood High School, has since driven successfully in ARCA competition.
Churchill Downs' association with Race Kentucky Motorsports in the team's run in the Meijer 300 follows the track's involvement earlier this year in NASCAR's NEXTEL Cup series. The Kentucky Derby 130 logo was featured on the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge driven by Sterling Marlin in the Aaron's 499 at Alabama's Talladega Superspeedway. Also, Kentucky-born driver Jeremy Mayfield drove a car bearing the official Kentucky Derby logo during a NASCAR event in 1999.
