QOTD: What's the Best Racing Livery?

Ever since racers figured out they could trade a bit of real estate on their ride for some sorely needed cash, sponsors have been plastering their names on just about every flat surface of a race car.

Sometimes the results look like a person put a bunch of logos in their mouth and sneezed on the car, but other times — either through careful planning or happy coincidence — a team will create something for the ages.

I started watching NASCAR in 1991 when I was eleven. Why? Well, loud and fast cars tend to have a certain appeal to young kids and — this is the truth — cable television finally became available in our town. Yes, dear reader, I most definitely grew up in the sticks.

Davey Allison’s car grabbed my attention. It was something about the relative simplicity of its style, I guess, with the big logo dominating the Thunderbird’s hood and a company name down its flanks. I’m sure the general badassery of a black, red, and yellow race car with an uncorked V8 didn’t hurt. They all had that, though. Add in the fact that the Thunderbird was the best-looking car on track (GM fielded a quartet of boxes from Chevy, Olds, Pontiac, and Buick) and my eleven-year-old brain had a new Favourite Thing.

I even saved my pennies and bought a scale model to build — only to be crestfallen after opening the thing and discovering it was molded in white. Some black spray paint made quick work of that issue, though no one in our home took kindly to me using the kitchen table for that task and I was quickly banished to the yard.

After Davey was killed in ’93, I started to follow Mark Martin. By chance, he also had a good looking car… at least until the Taurus (an automotive tribute to the noble lungfish) showed up in NASCAR in 1998.

There are plenty of other great liveries in the page of racing history: Gulf, Martini, Silk Cut Jags, the Marlboro McLarens. Which one do you elevate to legendary status?

[Image: carsandracingstuff.com]