Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway will see a rather unique livery on track. The #66 Toyota Camry of MBM Motorsports, to be driven by Joey Gase for Saturday, is sporting a special paint scheme dedicated to NASCAR artist Sam Bass, who passed away in February after battles with kidney disease.
A Virginia native, Bass designed many of the sport’s most iconic paint schemes, including those of Monster Energy Cup Series champions Bobby Allison, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart. However, he was especially responsible for four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon‘s cars, including his famed Rainbow Warrior and flames cars. He also drew programmes for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, while much of his artwork has become popular in the NASCAR community. Bass was NASCAR’s first officially artist.
In alliance with sponsor Eternal Fan‘s Fan Memories programme, the #66’s livery is decorated with a collage of Bass’ works, including paintings of drivers and cars like Bobby and Davey Allison, Richard Petty, and Dale Earnhardt. On the rear is a decal paying tribute to Bass.
Fan Memories currently maintains a partnership with Richmond and Watkins Glen International, allowing fans to cherish their experiences.
“The amount of lives Sam touched [through] the years will be celebrated on track at Richmond Raceway, under the lights, at the Toyota Owners 400, in true Sam fashion with some of his chosen art works,” Eternal Fan president Matt Linn stated in a release. “Our Sam Bass’d up 66 machine will spotlight just a few of the great times he was a part of, and will offer fans a way to continue his legacy.”
Credit: MBM Motorsports
“This will be by far one of the coolest paint schemes I have ever driven and I am so honored to be able to drive it,” Gase commented. “It is awesome that we will have some legends on our car that Sam did art work for, like Rusty Wallace, who was one of my favorite drivers growing up.
“Sam was not only an amazing artist and passionate race fan, but more importantly a great person. It does greatly sadden me knowing that if more people would choose life by being an organ donor that Sam would still be here today. I am very happy that we can honor him in his home state and can’t thank his wife, Denise, enough for letting us do this.”
Gase will start Saturday’s race in thirty-sixth. The night before, he finished twenty-third in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond.
