Racing Design Blog

Paint Scheme Profile: Jimmie Johnson

Today's Paint Scheme Profile looks at Martinsville winner Jimmie Johnson. Jimmie returned to Victory Lane this past weekend in an entertaining and competitive race at Martinsville, outpacing Denny Hamlin with a razor's edge passing move down the stretch.

Johnson's three straight Sprint Cup Championships put the driver of the #48 in lofty company. His success has made his car one of the most visible in the sport, rewarding primary sponsor Lowe's with huge exposure.

The design of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet is a simple, effective design that clearly communicates the logo and colors of the sponsor. The way that the Lowe's logo is integrated into the hood and front fenders is a really nice graphic treatment. It makes a great visual element and maintains the integrity of the Lowe's logo. The car is easy to see on the track, the sponsors are easy to read, and the yellow numbers pop off the car. There are just enough graphic elements on the side of the car to make it interesting without making the car too busy or interfering with the sponsor message.

On the special paint scheme front, Johnson will have a couple of designs on the car this year. One of those schemes will feature the Lowe's brand of Kobalt Tools. The Kobalt car will run in 6-8 races this season. The Kobalt design is primarily silver and black, and presents a look of the original scheme being reversed out. The colors look great and the graphic element on the sides is very tool-like and is a nice touch that adds to the branding.

This weekend in Texas, Jimmie Johnson will be driving a special paint scheme featuring Tough Tools for Cool Schools. This design is extremely similar in color and design to the Kobalt car. Texas Motor Speedway issued the following information about this scheme that will run there on Sunday:

#48-Jimmie Johnson will showcase a special "Tough Tools for Cool Schools" paint scheme for the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway as a result of his assistance with a partnership between Kobalt Tools and SkillsUSA. Lowe's and Kobalt Tools will help the next generation of skilled trade professionals by donating approximately $300,000 worth of Kobalt tools to more than 500 SkillsUSA building and construction trade classes and labs across the country. There are approximately 1,000 SkillsUSA chapters in Texas public schools and trade/technical schools. Texas SkillsUSA serves nearly 15,500 student and professional members who are enrolled in trade, technical, industrial and health occupation programs.(Texas Motor Speedway PR)

The #48 Lowe's Chevrolet of Jimmie Johnson is one of the sport's most visible designs and has served sponsor Lowe's very well due to Johnson's unprecedented success. With a textbook 48 team performance on Sunday at Martinsville, the #48 will become even more visible as this season goes on.

Paint Scheme Update:

Last week we profiled the paint schemes of #24 Jeff Gordon. In that profile there was mention of a retro Pepsi Paint scheme that Jeff will be running to honor the Pepsi sponsored cars of Darrell Waltrip. A better image of the car is now available at JeffGordon.com.

Classic Paint Schemes: Dale Earnhardt Silver-the one that started it all

In today's NASCAR, we don't even think twice when a driver runs a special paint scheme for a race. It has become extremely common for almost every team to run different paint schemes throughout the year. The special paint scheme craze got its start in the 1990's. Back then, it was a big deal when a driver would switch from his regular paint scheme to a special one.

This craze can really be traced back to one event. In the 1995 Winston All Star race, Dale Earnhardt showed up at the track in a solid silver GM Goodwrench Monte Carlo that celebrated Winston's 25th anniversary in racing. Fans were accustomed to seeing Dale pilot the intimidating black #3 each week, so this solid silver car was a real departure from what fans were used to seeing.

This was not the first time a driver had used a special paint scheme in a race, but it was definitely the first time this type of thing generated this much interest from fans and the media. The program was the brainchild of Action-Performance Company and its founder Fred Wagenhals. The buzz this solid silver scheme produced was unprecedented. Of course, it also generated some seriously high sales for Action-Performance in die-cast cars and apparel.

While Jeff Gordon won the 1995 Winston All Star race, the event will always be more famous for Dale Earnhardt's silver ride. This silver paint scheme really launched the special paint craze that took off in the 1990's. Each year after this one, it became common practice for cars to show up for the race with a special paint scheme or a different sponsor.

In today's NASCAR, this has almost become commonplace, but in 1995, this car set the NASCAR world on fire and started a trend that completely changed the NASCAR design and licensed products industry.

Paint Scheme Profile: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Today's Paint Scheme Profile subject is none other than Dale Earnhardt Junior. After spending his entire career in the very familiar DEI #8, seeing Dale in a new look and number last year was strange. The #8 Budweiser car was on its way to being one of the all-time classics, and even those who were not serious NASCAR fans could identify it and knew who the driver was.

Dale Jr.'s switch to Hendrick Motorsports last season meant that his legion of fans would have to adapt to a new look and a new number (and fill their closets with a lot of new gear). When I first saw the graphics for Dale's new car, I wasn't really sure if I liked it or not. The designs seemed really simple, especially for a brand like AMP, and I wasn't really sure the number style had the right look to become a classic.

As time has gone by and I have gotten used to seeing Dale in the #88, my opinion on his look has changed. Sharing full season sponsors can prove to be tricky in maintaining a consistent look on the car. Obviously, AMP and the National Guard are two very different sponsor types, so creating a uniform car design for both had to be a challenge.

The basic paint scheme of the car uses the same design template for both sponsors. The primary color switches from AMP green to blue with National Guard. With the basic paint scheme remaining the same, it makes the #88 easy to spot on the track and from the grandstands.

One of the first things I thought I was not going to like about this look was the style of the number. When the first images of the new look came out, I thought the number style was crowded and too tall. I also was not sure about the number font used. As I have now become more familiar with this look, I believe the number is a really good design. It is unlike any other number on the track and by being unique, it has allowed the number to become easily identifiable as Dale Jr.'s. I really feel that through Dale's popularity and the exposure he receives, this number style will become one of the classics.

On the special paint scheme front, Dale Jr. will be participating in a few programs this season. In the month of May, Dale will be piloting three different looks. At Darlington he will be running Mountain Dew as his primary Sponsor. As a big fan of Mtn Dew (as it is called now), I always enjoy seeing cars devoted to that brand. This car's primary colors are black and silver, with a touch of Mtn Dew green and red. Any time you see an Earnhardt in a black car, it is a good thing and pairing that with Mtn Dew sponsorship makes it even better. This is a really great looking design and should have a great presence on the track.

Dale has two more paint schemes to run in May. At Richmond his car will feature a special "Drive the Guard" scheme. In addition, at the All-Star race, Dale's car will have a primarily white scheme promoting the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Foundation. This design should look very good under the lights in this always exciting night of racing.

The #88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. has now become to familiar to all of us. There is no question that Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most popular driver on the circuit, and his look is worthy of that status.

Classic Paint Schemes: Davey Allison's original #28

In this edition of Classic Paint Schemes, I want to take a look at a paint scheme that is easily one of my favorites of all-time. The car I'm referring to is the classic white, gold and black Texaco-Havoline Thunderbird driven by the late Davey Allison for Ranier-Yates when his career was just beginning.

I have long been a fan of the #28 Texaco Havoline cars and the history behind them, which I profiled a few days ago. The car has such a rich history with the men who were behind the wheel, and with the classic look of the Texaco star on the hood. The car has had many looks over the years and is probably most recognizable in its more familiar black and red. Despite not being as recognizable as the black version, this early version of the famed #28 is a true classic.

The car featured a white front, transitioning to red and then to black. The number 28 (in what  later became a classic number style) was treated in metallic gold, as was the Havoline sponsorship on the rear quarterpanels. Even the metallic wheels added a special touch to the look.The sponsorship on the hood was easy to read on the white background. The design is a relatively simple one, but the way the colors are arranged and balanced, it was a thing of beauty. Many paint schemes have come and gone since the late 1980's but this one stands the test of time.

In 1996 Ernie Irvan drove a specially designed Texaco Havoline #28 that paid tribute to this classic look. The car was a thing of beauty and evoked many emotions from fans as it sat on the grid at Talladega preparing to race. Seeing Davey Allison's colors back on the track in his home state was a great tribute to his legacy.

This modern version of the classic design clearly showed that this paint scheme was still relevant even on a more modern car. Paint scheme design had become much more complex and creative by this time, but the beauty of this true classic was still there. (photo Courtesy Jayski.com)

In the world of true NASCAR classics, this Texaco Havoline #28 ranks right at the top of the list. It's history, its story, and its beautiful look will last forever.

Industry Insight: NASCAR Paint Scheme development

In today's column, I want to give you an inside look at the process used in developing a special paint scheme promotion for a NASCAR race. In 1999, while working with Hasbro and Winner's Circle I had the opportunity to be involved in a multi-car paint scheme project promoting a brand that Hasbro was working on.

Fox Kids and NASCAR were developing a cartoon show for children, using NASCAR racing as its theme. The show featured futuristic cars  racing on out-of-this-world tracks. That show was titled NASCAR Racers. Hasbro was involved in the project designing toys that would go along with the show. In the early stages of the show's development, we had the opportunity to assist with the design of the logo for the show and the looks of some of the cars in the show. To give it a true NASCAR feel, each character in the show needed a recognizable paint scheme, logo style, sponsor and number style. I was able to design the paint scheme that adorned the car for the character of Flyer.

As a way to promote the show, there was a program developed to showcase the show on the track at a Winston Cup event. The program called was to include four different cars all running paint schemes related to the show. This was still in the early days of the special paint scheme craze and marked the first time that a special paint promotion was used across multiple cars. The teams involved in the project early on were Jeff Gordon's #24, Bobby Labonte's #18 and Terry Labonte's #5. Finding a fourth team to participate proved a little challenging, due to the many sponsor commitments all of the teams had. The final car in the program was the #55 Andy Petree machine with driver Kenny Wallace.

The cars were going to be designed to look like the paint schemes of the four main hero characters in the show. Each car was assigned a character and I began the process of blending those designs on to the NASCAR bodies. The hoods featured the show's logo and the characters from the show. The character represented on the car was featured prominently in the group on each hood.

Working with four teams presented many challenges with approvals as the process moved along. The designs had to be approved by Hasbro's team, the team at Fox Kids, and each of the teams who were participating in the program. This was an interesting process to go through as nobody had tried a promotion across this many teams before.

The cars were scheduled to run at the Homestead Miami Speedway at the end of the 1999 season.  To debut the cars, NASCAR arranged a special unveiling at the track a few days before the race. Each of the drivers were on hand as each of the cars were unveiled to the public. It was a great event with lots of excitement. I can't really express how great it feels to see your own design work appear at an event like this. The hard work on the project proved to be very rewarding. In addition to the unveiling, the track had invited a large group of children from the Miami area to come and see the first public screening of the NASCAR Racers movie on a large theater screen in the infield of the track.

I can't put into words the feelings I had on race day when I saw the cars on the grid and running in the race. It was a truly rewarding experience and one I will never forget. It was an incredible weekend topped off by a great race day. Bobby Labonte nearly took one of the cars to Victory Lane that day, narrowly losing to Tony Stewart. In addition to the NASCAR Racers cars running, this was also the day the veteran driver Dale Jarrett won the Winston Cup title, leading to another celebration I will never forget.

I hope I've been able to give you some unique insight into how a paint scheme design project unfolded. As we go along, I will have  some more stories about how some of your favorite products were designed and will give you more "Industry Insight".

Paint Scheme Profile: Tony Stewart

In today's edition of Paint Scheme Profile, we take a look at the Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolets of 2-time champion Tony Stewart. In 2009, Tony made the switch from the #20 Home Depot machine to take on ownership of Stewart-Haas Racing and drive the #14 Chevrolet. Although it is a bit strange not to see Tony in those familiar orange colors, many fans have cheered Tony's return to Chevrolet and are pulling for his success as an owner-driver.

Tony chose the #14 to honor one of his childhood racing heroes, the great AJ Foyt.The primary sponsorship for the #14 is being shared this season by Office Depot and Old Spice. The basic design of the car is very simple, but extremely effective in communicating the sponsors' logos on-track. The numbers is easy to read from the grandstands and on television, making this car easy to spot in the pack. The simple color treatment also makes the primary sponsor logo easy to read as well, which is the ultimate goal of the sponsor.

One of the great features of these paint schemes are the interchangeability of logos of the primary sponsors who are sharing the car. With both companies sharing a similar primary color, the Old Spice and Office Depot logos can trade positions from the hood to the rear quarter panels easily while the car maintains its core look. The only difference when the two switch is the change of the accent color on the sides from black to silver and the addition of a touch of Old Spice blue. This interchangeability really makes the paint schemes work together and keeps the integrity of the #14's look in place.

The #14 will also have Burger King as a special sponsor for the races in July in Daytona and in September at Dover. This special Burger King paint scheme is another great example of a simple use of the company's colors and logos producing a scheme with great on-track presence. Unlike some Burger King paint schemes in the past which were very graphic, this one is simple and effective. It has good use of Burger King's corporate colors as the base of the scheme. The logo is extremely visible on the white hood, and should be very easily spotted on television and in the stands.

Though it is a still a bit strange to hear "Tony Stewart" and not look for the #20, his early season success in the #14 is satisfying Tony's longtime fans and winning him new ones. These paint schemes are all clear, visually appealing and effective. I am certain that with Tony's success, they will become instantly recognizable and we will all soon easily associate the #14 and Tony Stewart.

Classic Paint Schemes: GM Goodwrench #3

Today I wanted to begin a regular column devoted to some of the most classic and iconic paint schemes in the history of NASCAR. These are the schemes that immediately trigger great memories and who's driver is easily identified. One of the greatest things about NASCAR is its rich history, and how much the fans of the sport appreciate that history.

Where else would you start a column such as this than with the most recognizable paint scheme of all. Even those who don't follow NASCAR know what they are seeing when they see that big #3 on the side of the black GM Goodwrench Chevrolet. The colors of the Intimidator are still as famous today as they were when Dale was piloting this iconic ride around the track, winning races, championships and loyal fans everywhere.

Dale Earnhardt was the champion of the average fan. He was a hard working, hard charging driver who earned his fame in racing the hard way. Dale Earnhardt was a true American legend. His #3 Chevrolet was the car to watch each and every week, whether he was your driver or not. No driver was ever as good as Dale at getting the fans excited, in both positive and negative ways. No matter what, Dale did what he needed to do and said what he needed to say, and his fans adored him for it, and his detractors respected him for it.

Dale's #3 car was very simple in design. Solid black with a touch of silver to bring the body of the car off the track. The big #3 on the doors and roof could be easily seen from the grandstands. The GM Goodwrench logo was right there on the hood, easy to read, and easy for his competitors to see coming in their rear-view mirrors. It was the simplicity of the design and the intimidating black color that made this paint scheme one of, if not the best, iconic paint scheme of all-time.

The #3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet is truly an image that will be recognized by NASCAR fans and the public for all time. It will be remembered for its simplicity, the intimidating colors, and the for that instantly recognizable number 3. Race days have not been the same since Dale and the #3 left us in 2001, but the legend of this famous car and driver will live forever.

The end of a legend? The Famous #28

There is some NASCAR news today that saddens me. According to Jayski.com and this article from ESPN, the famous #28 Yates Racing team, driven by Travis Kvapil, will not be able to continue operations next week at Martinsville without last second season saving sponsorship. As a person who has adored the #28 car over the years, this news is really troubling.

Of course, we all know that the origins of the famous Texaco Havoline #28 lie in the legacy of the late Davey Allison. Davey Allison the #28 Robert Yates Racing Texaco Havoline #28 Thunderbird until 1993. It was in 1993 that Davey was tragically killed in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway. Davey had a huge fan base and was one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR during his short career. The #28 car had several design incarnations during Davey's tenure, many of which are some of the most recognizable paint schemes of all time.

After Davey's accident, the #28 was piloted by Ernie Irvan. Known for his all out driving style, Irvan had success very quickly in the RYR #28. Ernie was on a collision course with the Winston Cup championship in 1994 when a serious accident derailed Ernie's season and career. After Ernie's injuries, the question was left unanswered as to whether he might have been the champion that season after a spirited battle with Dale Earnhardt.

While Ernie recovered, the #28 was piloted by Dale Jarrett. Jarrett left his familiar #18 Interstate Batteries car to take over for Irvan at RYR. After an up and down season in the #28, Jarrett remained with RYR and drove the newly formed #88 RYR car. Ernie Irvan would return to the #28 and would leave after the 1997 season.

In 1998, an up and coming star named Kenny Irwin Jr. was named to drive the famous #28. Known well in the open wheel racing world, Kenny was a surprise pick to take over this famous ride. The announcement of Kenny as the driver came around the Brickyard 400 week, coinciding with Kenny's Indiana roots.

Kenny won NASCAR Winston Cup rookie of the year honors in the #28 in 1998. Kenny spent one more year in the #28 and after an inconsistent season, left to take over the #42 car at Team Sabco. I had the pleasure of knowing Kenny and he was an outstanding person, and a talented young driver. Kenny's full potential was never fulfilled as he was killed in a practice accident the following year.

In 2000, the #28 was given to the compitent hands of veteran driver Ricky Rudd. The #28 was returned to Victory Lane by Rudd and was reestablished as one of the premier rides in NASCAR. After Rudd's time in the #28, the number was then retired and RYR began using the #38 and 88.

The famous #28 has been back on the track for the last two seasons with Travis Kvapil, competing very well even though the team has been in a constant search for funding. The news that this once mighty and historical team might be leaving the track is indeed news I did not want to hear. Any sponsor looking to be involved in the great sport of NASCAR should definitely consider backing this famous car with such a rich history and fan base.

Paint Scheme Profile: Jeff Gordon

One of the biggest pieces of NASCAR news during the offseason was not an on-track item, but one that was very much design related. It was big news when it was announced that Jeff Gordon would be modifying his paint scheme's primary color from navy to black. Designed by noted NASCAR artist Sam Bass, this marked the first change to Jeff Gordon's primary paint scheme since 2001.

The addition of black to Gordon's main colors was a good one. The car looks clean and fast, and has a great on-track presence. It is also similar in style to the previous look, so it maintains Gordon's instant recognition factor. It is fun to see Jeff Gordon becoming one of the elder statesman in the sport now, and the evolution to a black color scheme is a natural one.

In addition to Gordon's new primary paint scheme, he will also have several special ones as well throughout the 2009 season. One that has already seen the track is the Silver and Black National Guard car. This is a fantastic looking paint scheme. The combination of the black flames and the silver main body color work well together. The car looked great on track, with easy to see numbers and sponsor, and really cool colors. This is definitely one of the best looking cars Jeff has piloted over the years. This scheme will be featured on the car in 8 races in 2009, having made its debut at Atlanta a few weeks ago.

Another special scheme for Jeff this season will be a Pepsi primary sponsorship. Jeff has a long relationship with Pepsi and has driven several Pepsi sponsored cars over the years. The combination of the blue flames and black body also make this a really appealing color combination and scheme. It is also a good opportunity to get a good look at Pepsi's newly redesigned logo.

According to gordononline.com, Jeff is rumored to be driving a retro Pepsi scheme at Talladega in April that will pay tribute to Darrel Waltrip's 1993 Pepsi sponsored car.

It is great to see the new look for Jeff Gordon this season, as it is really only the third time in his storied career that his main paint scheme has undergone a major change. The new colors seem to have lit a "fire" under Jeff, as he has come out in 2009 swinging with great on track performances so far this year.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines! Welcome to the Racing Design Blog

Welcome to the Racing Design Blog. It is my hope to bring you entertaining, thoughtful, and newsworthy commentary on all things related to graphic design related to NASCAR racing. One of the greatest facets of NASCAR racing lies in the colors, logos and graphics on the cars, uniforms and rigs that bring the races to life. This blog will be dedicated to the study of all of the great graphics you see each week in NASCAR.

I have been blessed to work in the NASCAR related design and product development business since the late 1990's. I have had many wonderful opportunities to work with the top companies, teams and drivers in the world of NASCAR Racing. I hope that I can use those experiences to bring the graphics of the race to life in this blog. My subjects will range from current to retro, driver and team related to product related.

I know there are many more like me out there who love the great paint schemes, logos, and colors of NASCAR and I look forward to providing you with quality commentary and news. I also look forward to the feedback and stories that my readers will provide.

That's all for now. I hope you enjoy the Racing Design Blog!