When NASCAR artist Sam Bass pulls into the infield of Richmond International Raceway for Saturday’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Winston Cup race, he’ll be carrying the event trophy and a lifetime of memories from his “home track.” The race trophy is a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar with graphics designed by Bass and hot rod-style flames carved directly into the polished wood body. Orange and black dominate the trophy, which features the race logo, small-scale Goodyear race tires for control knobs and the title “2003 Race Winner” along the length of the neck. As has been the case with more than a dozen commemorative guitars – the first being a limited edition featuring Dale Earnhardt in 1998 – Bass worked closely with the craftsmen at Gibson’s Custom Shop to create a truly unique instrument. Designed in Concord, NC, crafted in Nashville, TN, and sponsored by Detroit’s own Chevrolet, this special Gibson is a perfect all-American trophy to be awarded in the one-time capital of the South. The one-off six-string won’t be the only Sam Bass design at the track on Saturday; more than a dozen cars in the starting lineup will display paint schemes created by Bass. Bass’ time in Richmond is always a homecoming of sorts. His boyhood home in Hopewell, Va., was less than 20 minutes away from Richmond’s half-mile Fairgrounds Raceway, which is where the young artist saw his first NASCAR Winston Cup event in 1972. Ten years later, it was Sam Bass the college student who applied for and received his first garage access credential. In 1988 Bass was asked to create a program cover to commemorate the end of the old fairgrounds track and the debut of the three-quarter-mile Richmond International Raceway. That cover was a classic piece of artwork that doubled as a résumé for the artist’s graphic talents. Even though hundreds of covers, logos and car designs have followed, that particular illustration has remained special to Bass. “‘Into The New’ was a split image showing the old track in black and white and the new facility in color,” remembers Bass. “I showed Bobby Allison and Bobby Hillin’s Miller Buicks, which I designed, racing from old to new. Painted on RIR’s solid wall was the new track logo I had created.” Although he moved to Charlotte in the early ’90s, Bass’ artwork has maintained a devoted following in the Richmond area, including an extensive display of his images at Joyner Paint & Frame in nearby Petersburg. Part of any homecoming is spending time talking to old friends and making new ones – an activity Bass plans to enjoy at an autograph session scheduled for the day of the race from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the UAW-GM Motorsports trailer. For more information about Sam Bass’ artwork and guitars, visit www.sambass.com or phone 704/455-6915.(Sam Bass PR)(9-5-2003)
