Thursday, March 29, 2012

Kenseth's Special Tribute No. 17
Ford for Martinsville

Kenseth and War Hero J.B. Kerns to
Help Load Special Tribute No. 17 Ford for Martinsville


Kenseth to race the No. 17 Ford at Martinsville as a tribute to Kerns and the sacrifices he made for this country; program to help build “smart home” for Kerns in his hometown of Ararat, Va., located near Martinsville Speedway.

In an effort to salute those who have given so much to protect our freedoms, Roush Fenway Racing and Matt Kenseth will run a special paint scheme this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Kenseth’s car will be the No. 17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation/Gary Sinise Foundation Ford and will feature a salute to United States Marine Corps Corporal Josh “J.B.” Kerns.

Kerns was a combat engineer with the U.S. Marine Corps and was on a mine sweep on April 7, 2011, in Afghanistan during his third tour of duty. An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated nearby and Kerns lost both of his legs along with his right arm due to the blast.

Almost a year later, Kerns and the two-time Daytona 500 Champion Kenseth will help load the No. 17 Ford Fusion onto the hauler for this week’s race in Martinsville, Va. Kerns will also be on hand at the track for this weekend’s race as an honorary guest of Kenseth and the team.

As part of the fundraising efforts associated with this program, Lionel NASCAR Collectables will create a die-cast of the No. 17 Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation/Gary Sinise Foundation Ford and a large portion of those proceeds will go to building Kerns’ new smart home.


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