CONCORD, N.C. – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Chevrolet SS rolls out of the hauler at a different racetrack each week.
But before it arrives at its destination, there is a lot that goes into creating the sleek-looking machine.
This week, HendrickMotorsports.com sat down with Kevin McCree, paint and body manager in the Nos. 48 and 88 shop. McCree and his team of five are responsible for bringing Earnhardt’s paint schemes to life.
McCree has been with the organization since 2007 and, prior to joining the team, he worked in his grandfather’s body shop.
Below are five things to know about painting and decaling the No. 88 Chevy:
1) McCree and his team use about eight quarts of paint to create Earnhardt’s primary Nationwide paint scheme.
The three Axalta coatings that are used to create Earnhardt’s Nationwide look are white, blue and clear.
The base of the car is painted in two quarts of white and then two quarts of blue are added. Finally, about four quarts of a clear coat are sprayed on top to seal in the color.
2) The No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS takes less than a day to paint.
Other paint schemes can take a longer or shorter amount of time to complete. For example, painting the Axalta car takes more time due to the complexities of the scheme.
The decaling process takes additional time once the car has dried after being painted.
3) The paint and decal process starts with the bare chassis.
The first step of the paint and decal process is taping up the mounting points. The chassis is then covered in a standard grey color.
The car is put on casters for mobility and then the seams where the pieces have been welded together are grinded down. The body work is done to hide the seams so that the surface of the vehicle is smooth.
Next, the car is primed and sanded in preparation for painting. The base color is the first to coat the car. For Earnhardt’s Nationwide scheme, the base is white.
Once the paint has set, the car is stenciled and taped off. The secondary color, blue for the Nationwide car, is then sprayed on top. When the paint has dried the taping is removed.
A clear coat is then applied to seal the paint. The clear coat is left to dry.
Finally, decals are applied to the car to complete to scheme.
4) There are over 15 decals on each side of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS.
There is no exact template for decal placement.
“You get used to it and you know where it has to go,” McCree said of the decaling process.
To apply the decals the surface of the car must be very clean. McCree and his team will use alcohol or a degreaser to make sure the surface is properly prepared.
5) Bringing a paint scheme to life takes attention to detail, patience and a little bit of artistry.
“We get these sheets of paper that have the picture of the car and the scheme, now we have to take this picture and apply it to the car,” McCree said. “It takes a little bit of artistic ability and that is the fun part.”