This weekend, the Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) #43 Ford driven by Aric Almirola will once again showcase the black and ‘Petty blue’ colors of the Smithfield paint scheme designed by longtime Richard Petty super fan Kevin Gates. The scheme, featured earlier this year at the Charlotte Motor Speedway during the All-Star race, will once again be on the track this weekend at Watkins Glen International Speedway. Gates, who has been a Richard Petty devotee for more than 25 years, used his graphic design skills to create an updated paint scheme for the legendary RPM car. On a whim, he sent the sketch to RPM sponsor Smithfield Foods who, in turn, decided to make his vision a reality by updating the scheme to reflect his design. The car then raced at the All-Star race in May at Charlotte. It now returns to the track this weekend and the base scheme will be used for the remainder of the Smithfield-sponsored race events in 2012. The opportunity to see his scheme on the track has been a dream come true for the humble 27-year-old Connecticut native.(RPM), see images of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(8-8-2012)
