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Painting a picture of racing
Image, style and presentation have become buzzwords in the new glitzy world of NASCAR.

By ALLEN GREGORY
Bristol Herald Courier
May 15, 2002

Image, style and presentation have become buzzwords in the new glitzy world of NASCAR.

       Sam Bass is the master of the game.

       The North Carolina-based motorsports designer and artist has carved out a niche via his popular paint schemes and art work. As the NASCAR Winston Cup game has become younger and bolder, the innovative Bass has kept pace.

        “NASCAR is getting more and more TV coverage,’’ Bass said. “It’s virtually a 24-7 type of thing now. And we are seeing younger fans each week. Those younger fans like the aggressive paint schemes and I like to stay fresh and contemporary.’’

       Bass was the man behind the dramatic change in the paint scheme of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet driven by Jeff Gordon. Some fans love the flames, some hate them. However, the design certainly attracted attention.

        “I thought the design went great,’’ Bass said. “After almost nine years with the Rainbow scheme, it was kind of a unanimous that it was time to explore other things. We had already gone with the water and the rainbow theme. We just decided to go with the fire theme this time and it’s been tremendously received.’’

       Bass has taken note of the influx of young guns in the top levels of NASCAR. Instead of rejecting the trend, Bass has embraced it.

        “I’ve been a fan of this sport since I was six years old,’’ Bass said. “I just turned 40 and it’s wonderful to see the younger fans coming out in droves. And there are so many young drivers now. I think all this is healthy for the sport and wonderful for NASCAR.’’

       Many of the 20-somethings in Winston Cup grew up with fast-paced video games, rap-rock and extreme sports.

        “I believe there has been carryover with all of that,’’ Bass said. “NASCAR is definitely an extreme sport, and the young drivers like Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ryan Newman bring in a whole new level of excitement.

        “Those guys were brought up with extreme games and they are pushing the envelope a little bit more. It’s always exciting to see change and new approaches coming into the sport.’’

       The modern-day driver is becoming more independent and active in the decision-making of his team. Just ask Bass.

        “I’ve been doing this full-time for about 13 years and the drivers are getting more involved in their own marketing. That started back with Dale Earnhardt, who really took his own marketing efforts by the horns. Dale made decisions on his merchandising, how his cars were going to be designed and what special paint schemes were going to be used.

        “Now, all the drivers are following the pattern that guys like Dale, Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon started putting into place. Before, a driver would just show up at the track and drive the car. Now, drivers are involved in the whole process with paint schemes, logo designs and advertising.’’

       Bass is at the forefront of that process.

        “I do all the DEI (Dale Earnhardt, Inc. ) cars,’’ Bass said. “Between Dale Junior’s No. 8 Budweiser car and the No. 24, that’s a pretty big fan base right there.’”

       An average NASCAR Winston Cup race features 12-13 Bass-designed cars, including the entries driven by Robby Gordon, Jeff Green, Terry Labonte and Sterling Marlin.

       With sponsors spending up $15-18 million per year on a team, attracting media exposure by whatever means is vital.

        “So many paint schemes have been done over the years. With all the co-promotions through movies and other one-race sponsor deals, you’ve got to be a lot more on the edge.”

       Life is good for Bass, who has galleries near both Lowe’s and Texas Motor speedways.

        “I started as a fan first and always dreamed of having this as a career. I stay busy, but I can’t think of anything else I would rather do.”

       Allen Gregory may be reached at agregory@bristolnews.com or (276) 669-2181.

Reprinted with permission from Allen Gregory, Bristol Herald Courier,for educational use only. 2002