MWR at Kentucky Speedway: Will UofL Follow UK in Sprint Cup Race #3?

(Credits: http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com)

SPARTA, KY – Okay, racing fans, the 2013 Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway is about seven weeks away, slated for Saturday, June 29.

After a memorable [read: dreadful] start for many to the speedway’s inception into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing schedule in 2011, Horses and Hoops is looking forward to this year’s race for multiple reasons.

If you lived in Kentucky in 2011 or simply followed NASCAR that June, you know that the inaugural Sprint Cup race in Sparta didn’t go off without a hitch. From the traffic and parking situation for fans traveling up and down I-71 to the arguably boring race itself, all the hype regarding Speedway Motorsports’ acquisition of the 13-year-old track and subsequent renovations leading up to the big race all but fizzled on live TV.

So, needless to say, this year’s third event will no doubt be just as important as the inaugural race. Many tri-state fans will be interested to see if things have improved even more – both before and during the commonwealth’s flagship race.

We will also be tuning in to see if a certain local accolade will be included in the race festivities. Will the 2013 national champion Louisville Cardinals be represented by Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) in the Aaron’s Dream Machine?

My hunch is yes.

Rumors of the potential red and white Cardinal car began floating around after a small flurry of social media posts surfaced following the race at Talladega.

Via Card Chronicle’s FANPOSTS:

Waltrip is no stranger to honoring championship teams located along the Sprint Cup circuit.

Last week’s Talladega race commemorated Alabama’s back-to-back national titles in football. Crimson Tide quarterback A. J. McCarron drove the pace car at the famed race. Auburn’s title run in 2010 was also commemorated by MWR in Talladega’s 2010 race.

In 2012 at Kentucky Speedway, MWR donned the blue and white in honor of the 2012 basketball national champion Kentucky Wildcats. This was a sight to see for many Kentuckians.

I have to hand it to Michael and his crew. I recognize he is from Owensboro and is obviously enamored by our state’s teams, but the fact that MWR is touting title teams at specific local races around the country is nothing short of marketing genius. What better way to show fan support while also attempting to gain fan support than to show up at their home tracks outfitted in their colors and logos?

Simply brilliant.

I guess we will have to wait to find out whether UofL’s title run will be emblazoned across an MWR-owned car. That, my friends, would be even more icing spread atop the Cardinal cake.

I can see it now – Tom Jurich announcing those most famous words in motorsports and Rick Pitino behind the wheel of the pace car. Epic.