Hawk Rock around the Track

Fueled by Hawkpower, NASCAR driver Casey Mears will fly around the Kansas Speedway Sept. 28, when the Phillips 66 Racing Team's No. 66 Dodge Intrepid starts its engines for the NASCAR Busch Series Mr. Goodcents 300 race at the Kansas City, Kan., track.

The Jayhawk enters the NASCAR circuit with Phillips 66

At more than 180 miles per hour, you may see nothing but the tail feathers.

The Kansas Jayhawk will roar around the Kansas Speedway track later this month aboard the Phillips 66 Racing Team's No. 66 Dodge Intrepid driven by Casey Mears.

For the first time, Phillips 66 has repainted its racing car, switching from its usual black-and-cherry-red color scheme to a crimson-and-blue palette for the Sept. 28 NASCAR Busch Series Mr. Goodcents 300 race at the Kansas City, Kan., motorsports palace. Powered by nearly 700 horsepower, make that Hawkpower, the No. 66 Intrepid will be a contender for the checkered flag.

Mears, 24, a rising star on the NASCAR circuit and the nephew of four-time Indy 500 champion Rick Mears, unveiled the Jayhawk-adorned car at a ceremony on the KU campus Sept. 9. He also signed autographs in the Kansas Union bookstore.

"I think the car turned out great," said Mears. "The special paint scheme is really going to turn some heads and provide some added excitement when we race at Kansas Speedway.

"It's neat to have the additional support of the University behind us. With the help and support of everyone at the University of Kansas, we're going to give the students and faculty something to cheer about."

A limited edition 1/24 scale model of the KU car— only 1,250 will be made— will be sold along with Phillips 66 Rock Chalk Jayhawk T-shirts and other gear.

As the official sponsor of the Big 12 basketball and baseball tournaments, Phillips 66 decided to honor the Jayhawks after Mears caught NCAA basketball fever this spring while attending the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo.

"I had a lot of fun and I met a lot of great people while I was at the tournament," said Mears. "Now all we need is to have all of the Jayhawk fans who attended the tournament to come to Kansas Speedway and cheer us on."

The Kansas Speedway. [www.kansasspeedway.com] the most expensive and elaborate motorsports facility in the world, was built last year on 1,200 acres at the intersection of interstates 70 and 435, just minutes from KU's Lawrence campus and medical facilities in Kansas City, Kan. KU Med, the University hospital, is the speedway's official health care provider.

Learn more about Casey Mears: http://www.phillips66racing.com/caseybio.htm

Learn more about the Phillips 66 Racing Team:
http://www.phillips66racing.com/

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