A few years ago, the great minds at NASCAR and Darlington Raceway created the now hyper-popular “Throwback Weekend” to celebrate the dynamic heritage found in every corner of motorsports. In years past, our clients at Shell have used iconic paint schemes from the past from NASCAR and the other series they are involved to tell a story and participate in a way only they can.
We are in the middle of planning our latest throwback celebration for 2023, and we thought it would be fun to look back on some of our favorite throwback work over the last couple of years.
2021's edition was particularly was special. It was the first time we put together a surprise for current driver Joey Logano, and it’s safe to say that we made an impression.
It all started with Joey’s regularly scheduled appearance on FOX Sports 1’s Race Hub. Motorsports Legend Mario Andretti dropped in to reveal the scheme to a surprised Logano, who had not seen the car or known about the tie to Andretti beforehand. Watch the full segment below, courtesy of FOX.
The special scheme for this year’s Throwback Weekend at Darlington mimics the Shell-sponsored Ferrari design that Mario drove to his first Formula One win in 1971 at the Kyalami track in South Africa – 50 years ago. Andretti would go on to win 12 total F1 races including the 1978 World Championship.
Andretti, a current Shell multi-retail store owner in California, first crossed paths with Roger Penske at an IndyCar rookie test in the late 1960s. Penske was giving up the driver’s seat to run his team and car business while Andretti’s career was just beginning to take shape.
A few years ago, Mario sent a special message and congratulations to Joey Logano following his 2015 Daytona 500 win and told him “it was about time another Italian won that race!” Mario won the 1967 Daytona 500.
This type of moment can only be executed by celebrating and embracing your brand’s heritage, crafting a unique story that your audience will find valuable and aligning everyone involved to bring it to life.
Stay tuned for our next edition coming up this spring. There is a lot to celebrate!
