Iconic Paint Scheme or Iconic Driver?

ChexOrWrex

ChexOrWrex

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Just a shower thought - if this needs to be moved to the paint scheme thread, I apologize.

When fans think of NASCAR I'm sure iconic car paint schemes come to mind. Such as the STP 43, the white, gold and red 21, the red and black 28, the blue 2, the red and white 9, and ofcourse the black 3.

I was thinking that most of these iconic schemes are actually kind of plain and simple, but were driven by drivers that made them stand out with performance.

Do we hold the paint schemes dear to us, or the drivers that piloted them?

Discuss!
 
Good drivers=happy sponsors. Happy sponsors stick around on the car longer than unhappy sponsors. Sponsors that stay on the car longer=more nostalgia as each highlight of that driver's career will have a similar looking car.

Example...Jimmie Johnson...Lowe's has been on that car forever. The NASCAR fans 10 years from now are gonna talk about how they miss that blue and gold Lowe's chevy Jimmie drove to 7 championships...similar to how today's fans dream of seeing that rainbow 24 and all the races it won years ago.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Just a shower thought - if this needs to be moved to the paint scheme thread, I apologize.

When fans think of NASCAR I'm sure iconic car paint schemes come to mind. Such as the STP 43, the white, gold and red 21, the red and black 28, the blue 2, the red and white 9, and ofcourse the black 3.

I was thinking that most of these iconic schemes are actually kind of plain and simple, but were driven by drivers that made them stand out with performance.

Do we hold the paint schemes dear to us, or the drivers that piloted them?

Discuss!
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It is all car to me. The 28 Texaco Havoline Ford was a good looking car regardless of whether Davey, DJ or Ernie drove it and the same goes for the 43/44 STP car as it looked good with the King in it and the same goes for RIck Wilson, John Andretti and Bobby Hamilton. I am including a pic of the 44 STP car piloted by Rick Wilson that was used for 1 year after the King retired so I don't get called out later.

Wilson3-.jpg
 
Iconic paint schemes are a thing of the past. Drivers have so many different sponsors each year that you can't really identify a driver with just one paint scheme anymore. Even guys like JJ who run the same sponsor every race, they change the paint scheme pretty much every year.

Nothing wrong with a simple paint scheme, either. Most were made famous by the driver (Earnhardt/Goodwrench) but many had several drivers (Davey/Irvan/Jarrett's 28) so it varies I guess. Sometimes the simple schemes look the best, despite the driver/performance.
 
But yeah, the paint schemes are iconic because of the driver. I thought Darrell Waltrip's Western Auto car was one of the best I've ever seen, but most folks think of Gatorade/Bud/Tide when they think of DW because of the success he had in those rides. A lot of great looking paint schemes weren't iconic because they never had much success.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Just a shower thought - if this needs to be moved to the paint scheme thread, I apologize.

When fans think of NASCAR I'm sure iconic car paint schemes come to mind. Such as the STP 43, the white, gold and red 21, the red and black 28, the blue 2, the red and white 9, and ofcourse the black 3.

I was thinking that most of these iconic schemes are actually kind of plain and simple, but were driven by drivers that made them stand out with performance.

Do we hold the paint schemes dear to us, or the drivers that piloted them?

Discuss!
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Geez, you really want me to think this morning. LOL
That's a good question, Chex. It's hard to separate some paint with their drivers.
The ones you named, when I think of the man --- the paint automatically comes to mind.
 
I know they sponsored drivers before him but its a shame Jr. could not keep the #8 Budweiser.
 
Some drivers are identified primarily with 1 paint scheme like Dale, Harry, Jimmie and Richard while others like DW, DJ, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace have had several schemes over the years. It would be neat to hear what paint scheme fans identified drivers with as I think of DW and Mountain Dew, DJ and Quality Care (or Hardees believe it or not) Ryan as Alltell and Rusty with Kodiak. I almost forgot Mark as I think of him in the Stroh's car.

With all the different sponsors these days it is hard to believe that many drivers will be remembered for one scheme any longer. After Kyle Busch and JJ I would be hard pressed to name even 1 sponsor for some cars. On one hand it is really good that sponsors have stepped in to piecemeal a season for a car but on the other hand what good is it if you can't remember who they are? Of course I maybe the only person that thinks this way.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Some drivers are identified primarily with 1 paint scheme like Dale, Harry, Jimmie and Richard while others like DW, DJ, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace have had several schemes over the years. It would be neat to hear what paint scheme fans identified drivers with as I think of DW and Mountain Dew, DJ and Quality Care (or Hardees believe it or not) Ryan as Alltell and Rusty with Kodiak. I almost forgot Mark as I think of him in the Stroh's car.

With all the different sponsors these days it is hard to believe that many drivers will be remembered for one scheme any longer. After Kyle Busch and JJ I would be hard pressed to name even 1 sponsor for some cars. On one hand it is really good that sponsors have stepped in to piecemeal a season for a car but on the other hand what good is it if you can't remember who they are? Of course I maybe the only person that thinks this way.
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Mark Stroh’s? I think more Fogers and Valvoline. He contended in those.
 
I think it is easier to associate a car paint scheme with drivers of the past because very few drivers these days has a full time primary sponsor. I realize that is the way they do things these days but when I look for my favorite driver's colors and don't see them I'm disappointed - I have to figure out what colors are on the car for the race. The frequent changes in the car paint scheme make it difficult to keep track of a car - and I try to follow several cars during a race.
 
Zerkfitting said:
I think it is easier to associate a car paint scheme with drivers of the past because very few drivers these days has a full time primary sponsor. I realize that is the way they do things these days but when I look for my favorite driver's colors and don't see them I'm disappointed - I have to figure out what colors are on the car for the race. The frequent changes in the car paint scheme make it difficult to keep track of a car - and I try to follow several cars during a race.
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yep it does require more concentration, but I still get WTF moments. This car was one of them at Charlotte. You usually don't see too many variations in the front runners.
nascar-cup-charlotte-ii-2017-race-winner-martin-truex-jr-furniture-row-racing-toyota.jpg
 
ChexOrWrex said:
nascar-cup-daytona-500-2008-unveiling-of-the-commemorative-car-to-celebrate-the-10th-anniv.jpg
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To bad that she was so villianized.
I don't dislike Dale Jr, in fact I have great deal of respect.
But he was an immature boy at the time that would have crashed the 51% that he wanted to intercept, as well.
He was just spared the opportunity of proving he was incompetent too. And he would have burned the thing down too. Long before Steve Letarte told him to grow up, and bring his ass to work 24/7. And at least act like he wanted to be in his own skin, or as summarized to be a man.

And Kellie wasn't willed it, either.
The disrespect for Dale Earnhardt Sr is just as manifest by trashing the one he entrusted.
And WTF would anyone believe the bad stepmother wasn't a manipulation, either.

Yeah I mean it, every word. Th revisions may drown out the truth, if ones memory is short.
 
I loved the GM Goodwrench # 3. But he already Dale Earnhardt, before those colors. And he was just as ruthless in the Wrangler car.
I would just say the Goodwrench car caught more attention.
 
Jimmie Johnson will always be Lowes, mostly because that's all he ever drove.
Petty was in his mid 30s before ever running the STP colors, all Petty blue was more classic for him, imo.

I will always think Bobby Isaac as K&K Dodge. I think of Harry Hyde with Isaac first and Tim Richmond as a distant second.
It may not be the most accurate, Bobby Isaac may have impressed someone else's memories before the K&K Dodge.

But I was most limpressionable in my younger days, with what I saw at that moment. I would think most can relate.

It is all subjective, in the eye of the beholder.
 
Greg said:
I loved the GM Goodwrench # 3. But he already Dale Earnhardt, before those colors. And he was just as ruthless in the Wrangler car.
I would just say the Goodwrench car caught more attention.
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The black and red was more menacing than the Wrangler blue and yellow scheme IMHO.
 
Greg said:
To bad that she was so villianized.
I don't dislike Dale Jr, in fact I have great deal of respect.
But he was an immature boy at the time that would have crashed the 51% that he wanted to intercept, as well.
He was just spared the opportunity of proving he was incompetent too. And he would have burned the thing down too. Long before Steve Letarte told him to grow up, and bring his ass to work 24/7. And at least act like he wanted to be in his own skin, or as summarized to be a man.

And Kellie wasn't willed it, either.
The disrespect for Dale Earnhardt Sr is just as manifest by trashing the one he entrusted.
And WTF would anyone believe the bad stepmother wasn't a manipulation, either.

Yeah I mean it, every word. Th revisions may drown out the truth, if ones memory is short.
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I'm not saying you are 100% wrong, but it's hard to believe Dale Jr. and Kelley would have imploded DEI any faster than Teresa did. At least they WANTED to run a race team, I don't think she ever did, at least after Dale died, which might be understandable. Ultimately, I blame Dale Sr. for not having a more clear plan for the future should he not be there, and for not doing more to heal the long standing friction between his children and their step-mother. I blame Teresa for taking her husband's legacy and making it too much about HER, and not enough about her late husband's family and racing legacy as a whole. Her current legal battle with Kerry over something so trivial just proves my point.
 
AK and Hooters. Yep, I know Loy Allen and Mast drove a Hooters car and now Chase, but in my mind it wI'll always be Kulwicki.
So I guess to answerve your question, it's both car and Driver for me.
 
Formerjackman said:
I'm not saying you are 100% wrong, but it's hard to believe Dale Jr. and Kelley would have imploded DEI any faster than Teresa did. At least they WANTED to run a race team, I don't think she ever did, at least after Dale died, which might be understandable. Ultimately, I blame Dale Sr. for not having a more clear plan for the future should he not be there, and for not doing more to heal the long standing friction between his children and their step-mother. I blame Teresa for taking her husband's legacy and making it too much about HER, and not enough about her late husband's family and racing legacy as a whole. Her current legal battle with Kerry over something so trivial just proves my point.
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Maybe Kelley but Dale Junior looked totally undisciplined, and I think he at least indirectly has admitted he wasnt 100% into it during those years.

I think both Dale Jr and Teresa had enough flaws, or were unprepared for the job. I just think he is good guy that was just immature compareand to his current state. It is more convenient just to blame Teresa, and for folks to admit that he lacked the personal direction himself at the time.

And I admit it is all speculation on my part. But I wouldn't even know who's account to believe on the inside. I think in spite of the battles and melt down among drivers, there is warriors brotherhood. So imo fair or not, she will almost always be cast as the villian, and the narrative will cast him the good guy.
YMMV.

Dale could have been more prescriptive with the will and legacy. But it is what it is or was, and the one thing he could no longer provide was his presence. That was the biggest thing imo.

I don't know if the rift could have ever been patched. I am sure it was complex on many levels with lots of power to be gained or lost. My desire to speculate on that stops there.
 
Drivers make the paint scheme, there are instances of nice looking cars that weren’t championship caliber (Bell South Chevy from the 90’s for instance) there is none badder for me than the 86/87 3 Wrangler Car, the 28 Texaco/Havoline Ford, the 9 Coors Thunderbird, late 80’s to mid 90’s 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet, 88 Ford Quality Care Credit, 24 DuPont Rainbow, the 20 Home Depot Chevy , the 2001Dupont Flames and lastly the 48 Lowe’s Chevy
 
I don't think Dale Jr. would have even been concerned about an ownership role at DEI if he felt the team was been run properly or that he was getting the respect he felt he deserved. Like it or not, without SR. around, Dale Jr. WAS the face of DEI, and the team's value was CONSIDERABLY less without him. I also think that Dale Jr, mature or not, knew that he couldn't do it alone, that he would need help, which of course includes Kelley, the one person he trusts above all else and always has his back. I also think that the number of key people that left DEI after Dale's death may also indicate that others had trouble working under Teresa too. I understand a period of grieving, but it was pretty clear that Teresa was not interested or capable of doing the things a successful team owner must do, (like actually coming to the races), so she should have turned at least day to day control over to somebody who WAS interested and capable, whether that was Jr. and Kelley or not. Teresa may have been good at pulling strings behind the scenes, but there is no evidence that was able to be or wanted to be the public day to day owner of a racing team.
 
2 Sweet said:
But yeah, the paint schemes are iconic because of the driver. I thought Darrell Waltrip's Western Auto car was one of the best I've ever seen, but most folks think of Gatorade/Bud/Tide when they think of DW because of the success he had in those rides. A lot of great looking paint schemes weren't iconic because they never had much success.
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That Western Auto car was AWESOME looking in my opinion.
 
2 Sweet said:
Nothing wrong with a simple paint scheme, either. Most were made famous by the driver (Earnhardt/Goodwrench) but many had several drivers (Davey/Irvan/Jarrett's 28) so it varies I guess. Sometimes the simple schemes look the best, despite the driver/performance.
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I like the original 1987 Havoline scheme with the white MUCH better than the mostly black car used later.
 
I feel strongly both ways. There are iconic drivers, but I associate Ironhead with Wrangler as much as I do GM. I recall DW as much for Tide as Western Auto.

Then there are iconic paint schemes independent not only of driver but of car number. The Valvoline scheme is a classic and must hold the record for the number of teams and drivers that have run it. Bass Pro shows up a lot, along with the beer paint jobs.
 
I think it's easy to associate Dale in the Wrangler colors because that's what he was driving when he became famous, and the "One Tough Customer" marketing was spot on. The black car just suited him so well though. As for DW, I think Gatorade or Bud first, but the Western Auto is the one I really like.
 
Formerjackman said:
I think it's easy to associate Dale in the Wrangler colors because that's what he was driving when he became famous, and the "One Tough Customer" marketing was spot on. The black car just suited him so well though. As for DW, I think Gatorade or Bud first, but the Western Auto is the one I really like.
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All good stuff the 1980 and 1981 Mountain Dew #11s were my favorite DW cars.
 
Greg said:
All good stuff the 1980 and 1981 Mountain Dew #11s were my favorite DW cars.
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I liked the Dew cars because I'm a big Buick guy. I thought Harry's green Buicks looked better though. In 1981 or 82 I carried a flag in a big parade for my 4H club just ahead of the Mountain Dew show car. As a new NASCAR fan, I was thrilled!
 
I knew I would forget some... Rusty Wallace 2 Miller Lite/MGD, Darrell Waltrip Mountain Dew or Budweiser, Harry Gant Skoal Bandit, Kyle Petty 42 Mellow Yellow. Sure I am forgetting some more...
 
Thinking back, I recall car paint schemes that I associated with a driver but some times I associated the paint scheme with a team. It occurs to me that back then the cars were painted which takes time and the economics allowed a single major sponsor to keep their colors on the car. These days with stick-on paint schemes teams can easily offer more sponsors an opportunity to have their colors shown. While teams may like the advent of wrapping a car for different sponsors I don't think it helps the driver/team identity (aside from staying in business).
 
I fully understand the economics of it, BUT, I think the "different sponsor and or paint scheme every week" is one of the varied reasons people have a hard time staying interested and paying attention to the races. I think it definitely hurts interest from fans that don't follow it religiously like most of us here do. The never ending rules changes don't help either. My wife is basically to the point of refusing to watch anymore because she can't follow it without doing homework first. Sometimes you have to kind of divorce yourself from your own intimacy with something and try to see it the way "outsiders" see it. In sportscar racing, there is a huge gulf between the car techno geeks and purists, and the people that just want to see a neat car race. What the purists usually fail to see is that there just isn't enough of them to keep the sport afloat.
 
I dunno. I don't think the casual fan can remember paint schemes from one week to the next anyway. I agree this could be an obstacle when a casual fan decides he wants to be a regular follower of the sport.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I dunno. I don't think the casual fan can remember paint schemes from one week to the next anyway. I agree this could be an obstacle when a casual fan decides he wants to be a regular follower of the sport.
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It's no more than another in a long string of complaints. Completely irrelevant.

Most fans know who's driving what. Those who don't can buy a program or they can utulize the at track or at home wifi to get the information. After all ... isn't that what the "new" demographic does?
 
Shoot the messenger if you want, I'm just telling you what people tell me, and I'm not even talking about people "new" to the sport" I'm talking about people that used to have a fairly solid interest level.
 
The message was called into question. No-one shot the messenger.
 
Formerjackman said:
Shoot the messenger if you want, I'm just telling you what people tell me, and I'm not even talking about people "new" to the sport" I'm talking about people that used to have a fairly solid interest level.
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I opened with an acknowledgement of my ignorance. I'll take your word, since I don't know any casual fans.
 
On TV there is a position ticker with numbers and names that specify who is who.

Unless one travels to each race every weekend, which is a tiny percentage of fans, recognizing drivers solely by paint scheme is idiotic.
 
I wouldn't call it idiotic, sponsors on leading cars pay millions for the media exposure and association with the driver of the car.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
On TV there is a position ticker with numbers and names that specify who is who.

Unless one travels to each race every weekend, which is a tiny percentage of fans, recognizing drivers solely by paint scheme is idiotic.
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Exactly.

I've also noticed large numbers on the cars. Are they the same every week?
 
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