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 The prolific NASCAR artist is known for his work on program covers
for NASCAR events -- and for the ornate guitars he paints as
trophies and as mementos for special occasions.
Bass has been the artist of record for Charlotte Motor Speedway for
three decades. His most recent cover featured "Jeff's Last Ride," a
tribute to four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon,
who is leaving at the end of the season to embark on a television
career in the Fox Sports broadcast booth.
What many don't know is that the careers of Gordon and Bass are
inexorably intertwined. In fact, Bass designed the hallmark rainbow
paint scheme for Gordon's DuPont Chevrolet, a vision that gave rise
to the mystique of Gordon and his "Rainbow Warriors."
What's even more interesting is how Bass got the job in the first
place.
"In 1992, after the May race (at Charlotte), Ray Evernham (Gordon's
longtime crew chief) came by my studio, which used to be up on the
corner above the Simpson Race Products building," Bass told NASCAR
Wire Service. "He was looking for a gift to give Jeff Gordon for his
birthday.
"He picked out a print, and he asked me how much the print was going
to cost. I said, 'It's not going to cost you anything -- I want you
to have it. The only thing I ask is ... I know you guys just hired
Jeff Gordon, and you're going to be his crew chief, and I would love
a chance to design his race car.
"About a month later, he called me up and said, 'Well, here's your
chance.'"
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Bass submitted three designs that were presented at the Wilmington,
Del., headquarters of DuPont, Gordon's sponsor, in competition with
approximately 40 other designs. The company selected Bass' rainbow
paint scheme.
"Little did I know then how that would change my life," Bass said.
"It was really, really cool. I knew the minute I did it that it was
different and unique. To that point, I actually thought it was so
different and so unique that the guys in the body shop would never
want to touch it.
"There wasn't a straight line on the car. It ended up being a
base-coat white, fluorescent yellow, fluorescent green, fluorescent
blue, the middle-tone blue and then neon red. It wasn't the easiest
car to paint, but I remember being over at the shop the day they
rolled the car out, and it was such a head-turner. We knew we had
something."
The No. 24 team resurrected the original rainbow paint scheme at
Bristol Motor Speedway in August, and Bass was thrilled to see it
back on the track.
"That made me so proud," Bass said. "That's been a highlight of my
whole year."
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