Team DuPont to sport new look in 2009

NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 2, 2008) -– During Wednesday's NBC’s TODAY show, Jeff Gordon unveiled Team DuPont’s 2009 “FireStorm” paint scheme which will debut on the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 car during Speedweeks leading up to the Daytona 500 in February. Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports and DuPont are the longest currently running driver/owner/sponsor partnership in NASCAR and after 16 years, the new design marks the third primary paint scheme for the No. 24 team designed by renowned motorsports artist Sam Bass. “I have been most fortunate to have had the opportunity to design the graphics for the DuPont/Hendrick Motorsports/Jeff Gordon race cars since they entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 1992,” Bass said. “Beginning with the revolutionary 'Rainbow Warrior' paint scheme and transitioning into the now iconic 'Fire and Flames' scheme, I knew the 2009 ‘FireStorm’ paint scheme needed to be special. Utilizing DuPont’s state-of-the-art paint mixtures developed specifically for this project, the idea was to present a classic, yet contemporary look to the car. “The blend of yellow to red flames from the front of the car back into the black makes the car appear to be a flaming thunderball rolling out of the dark clouds. It will be incredibly exciting to see this car on the racetrack.” In addition to the new paint scheme on the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Impala, Gordon’s fire suit, pit crew uniforms and equipment will reflect the new identity starting in 2009, and Bass has created a new “DuPont Motorsports” logo. “I’m fired up about our new paint scheme,” Gordon said. “I’ve always loved cars with flames and the current ‘Fire and Flames’ paint scheme has been one of my favorites. But now I think we’ve improved upon that with the ‘FireStorm’ design, and hopefully we’ll be as fast on the track as the paint scheme makes us look.” In addition to the DuPont “oval” corporate logo and the DuPont Performance Coatings that create Gordon’s brilliant paint schemes, a long roster of DuPont brands and company messages appear with varying frequency on the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. The list includes DuPont Tyvek® Home Wrap, Pioneer® Hi-Bred Seed, DuPont Automotive Finishes, DuPont Corian® solid surfaces, DuPont Kevlar® high strength material and many others.