Monday, February 11, 2008
Designed for speed.
It has been two months since the rumble of NASCAR has been heard through my television speakers and every February, that sound roars to life once more. Along with the pageantry, the speculation about who’s got the fastest ride for the “Great American Race”, and the latest garage banter, each new season also brings a fresh crop of paint schemes.
In years past, the pattern among most of the cars in the field seemed to be flash and flames, and I’m not being figurative either. This year brings a new era to the sport. The “Car of Tomorrow”, a NASCAR designed machine that increases driver safety and hopefully improves competition on race day, will be run full-time in 2008. Gone are the bullet-sharp speedsters that used to tear up the track. This year’s car is...well...a box (with a wing). Taking that into concideration, the liveries for the 2008 Sprint Cup competitors have taken a more toned-down and dare-I-say ”old school” approach.
The objective for a “successful” paint scheme has many avenues. First, it must appeal to the sponsor, and reflect their branding and marketing feel. It also has to be quickly identifiable by the cameras covering the action. Secondly, it must be attractive to the fans. These cars are not only seen on the racetrack, but also are also reproduced in the form of die-cast replicas, t-shirts, and anything else that the average NASCAR fan would want. I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how the designs on this year’s cars compliment the shape of the new racer.