The No. 77 Spire Motorsports entry, which will be piloted by Josh Bilicki this weekend at Kansas Speedway in the AdventHealth 400 will have a special blue and yellow design. The car will resemble the flag of Ukraine and the car will be branded with the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council (UACC) logo on the hood of the car.
On the sides of the car will be the phrase Slava Ukraini, which translates to Glory to Ukraine. The scheme will also showcase the Ukrainian cities of Kharikiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Mariupol and Mykolaiv.
The UACC is a Ukrainian-American organization that was founded on May 15, 1965.
“In 1991 when Ukraine became independent, many believed that their dreams had finally come to fruition, showing those in Ukraine the path to true democracy,” explained Oksana Tscherepenko, VP of the UACC. “Now, as we watch the occupiers threaten Ukraine’s right to freedom and democracy, it becomes obvious that this dream is not fully realized and our men, women, children and elderly are being killed just for protecting their fundamental rights to democracy. Many civilians are defending themselves and Ukraine with little training and without proper gear or protection.
“After receiving a license from the U.S. State Department, the UACC purchased gear and received incredibly generous donations from individuals, law enforcement agencies, and state national guards, allowing us to ship an abundance of ballistic gear including helmets, vests and plates. One hundred percent of that gear is delivered to civilians in Ukraine who need it the most.”
Of course, Ukraine has been locked into a war with Russian forces since Russia invaded Ukraine back in February.
This weekend, Bilicki will be racing for those who are battling for their freedom abroad.
“As I prepare for this weekend’s race in Kansas, there are civilian men and women defending their freedom and lives on the other side of the world in Ukraine,” said Bilicki in a Spire Motorsports release. “It’s easy for us to take our freedom for granted, which allows us to enjoy life, liberty and do what we love. The UACC’s mission is to provide support for Ukrainian civilian men and women, who often don’t have the equipment they need to protect themselves in their struggle for freedom. Our message this weekend is that we support the ongoing global humanitarian effort and provide hope to the men, women and children of Ukraine.”
If you would like to make a donation to the UACC, Spire Motorsports urges you to do so through the UACC website (uaccusa.org/supportukraine), by clicking here.
Bilicki, 26, has made six starts in the NASCAR Cup Series ranks this season. Bilicki is sporting a career-best average finish of 27.3 so far this year and he has a season’s best finish of 16th, which came at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
