Blue Raiders invade NASCAR...

Middle Tennessee will enter the realm of NASCAR this weekend as its logo will appear on the 31-W Insulation 05 Nationwide Series race car at Homestead, Fla. The 31-W car is making the space available for Middle Tennessee to promote the University and athletics.

Mark Day from Clarksville, Tenn. will drive the number 05 car this Saturday in the Ford 300 at Homestead Miami Speedway. The race will be televised on ESPN2 at 3 p.m., cst.

Andy Rippy, the COO of 31-W Insulation, said this will be great exposure for Middle Tennessee, as their logo will be seen by millions on ESPN2. Rippy also said there are plans to have MTSU back on the car when the series comes to Nashville Superspeedway next spring.

On Saturday, the MT logo will be on the hood, lower quarter panels, and TV panel with 31-W Insulation on the quarter panels.

31-W is an insulation company based out of Goodlettsville, Tenn. In addition to insulation, the company sells fireplaces, shelving, garage doors, and many other home improvement products. The company has grown into the second largest insulation company in the Southeast with 40 branches in 12 states, including one in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

The company is still family owned, and about 40 years ago, the family caught the racing bug. The last 20 years they have spent racing in the NASCAR Nationwide/Busch Series.

The team has had big name drivers such as David Ragan, now driving the number 6 UPS Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing. David Green, Jeff Green and David Starr have driven for them as well. This weekend though, it'll be another Tennessean.