Jimmie Johnson will take the track at Darlington Raceway in a #48 Lowe’s Chevy SS that will give NASCAR fans flashbacks to the early days of NASCAR. Johnson’s throwback paint scheme will feature a Lowe’s Home Improvement logo that was used prominently throughout the 1940s and 1950s, shortly after the company’s founding in 1946 and during the same time period that Darlington Raceway first opened in 1950. The retro paint scheme celebrates the long, rich history that Lowe’s has had in NASCAR that began well before its long-standing successful partnership with Jimmie Johnson. Lowe’s was the title sponsor of the Lowe’s 150 race at North Wilkesboro Speedway for decades and worked with Richard Petty as a spokesperson in the mid-1960s to support his “Petty Blue” riding mowers sold at Lowe’s stores. Legendary drivers such as Davey Alison and Harry Gant even made special appearances at Lowe’s store grand openings in the 1980s. One decade later, Lowe’s would appear on the hood of Brett Bodine’s #11 car and Mike Skinner’s #31 Chevyt Monte Carlo before finding its home on Johnson’s #48 Chevy. Johnson has won at Darlington three times, most recently in 2012, and has earned 12 top ten finishes in his 16 starts at the historic track. He’ll be seeking his fourth win at the historic Darlington, South Carolina track in September. (Lowe’s Racing), see an image of the car on the #48 team paint schemes page.(8-16-2015)
