Getty Alex Bowman has a new scheme designed by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The No. 48 Ally Racing Chevrolet Camaro has a bright, new look for the NASCAR return to Nashville Superspeedway. Alex Bowman will head to the track in a Music City-themed scheme created in collaboration with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports designer Ryan Williams.
Hendrick Motorsports spent multiple weeks teasing the reveal before finally dropping it on June 13. There was a friendly “race” between the two drivers on a closed course as they attempted to reach the race shop first. They ultimately sprinted through the door in lockstep before gazing at the wrapped stock car.
It’s a race to the finish! Will @Alex_Bowman or @DaleJr get to see the #Ally48 first? And what will the scheme look like?!
Check out the final episode of our Unexpected Allies series to get a first look at our #Ally400 scheme! 💜
The race will feature the return of the purple and grapefruit colors on the No. 48. There will be some special ties to Music City in the design, starting with a guitar’s neck, head, and tuning pegs on the hood. There will also be some guitar picks hidden in the scheme, including Bowman’s name above the windows.
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Earnhardt & Williams Created Fake Designs
Hendrick MotorsportsAlex Bowman’s scheme features ties to Music City.
The reveal on June 13 provides the answer to questions about Bowman’s scheme for the Ally 400. It also caps off a video series on Twitter that previously featured some fake designs created by Earnhardt and Williams.
One specific episode featured four “options” for Bowman to examine ahead of the trip to Nashville Superspeedway. None were real given that Earnhardt specifically requested some “really terrible schemes” for the stock car. One even used the No. 88, which Bowman and Earnhardt both controlled while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.
We can confirm that none of these schemes will be on our #Ally48 machine for the #Ally400… but we did have some fun trying to convince @alex_bowman that they would be! 😆
One of these fake options featured the white scheme that Bowman has used throughout the 2022 Cup Series season. However, the numbers leaned toward the front of the stock car instead of toward the rear. The second was black with yellow and red flames on the front.
The final two schemes were the definition of bright. One featured fluorescent colors and a font more at home at a big-city club. Ally’s teaser video did not fully show the final scheme, but short glimpses showed No. 84 on one side and No. 48 on the other.
Hendrick Motorsports Did Not Have a Competition in 2022
.@Crushboy31 is back to reveal the #Ally400 paint scheme that @Alex_Bowman will drive at @NashvilleSuperS! We all ended up winners with this legendary @JeffGordonWeb and @DaleJr design challenge!
2022 marks the second consecutive season that Earnhardt played a role in creating Bowman’s scheme. There was one big change, however, in that he didn’t take part in a unique competition featuring another Hall of Fame member.
Ally Racing and Hendrick Motorsports celebrated the inaugural Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway in 2021 by holding a special contest. Earnhardt came up with one design while former teammate Jeff Gordon helped create the other.
The announcement video did not reveal which driver designed which scheme. Instead, Ally and Hendrick Motorsports just asked the fans to weigh in and pick their favorite option. Earnhardt may have provided a subtle hint on Twitter by going through and liking the tweets that voted for one specific scheme, but he did not fully reveal his design.
The fans made their voices heard — virtually — as they selected the No. 48 scheme created by Earnhardt. The Neon Lights scheme took over Bowman’s stock car for the trip to Nashville Superspeedway, and the Arizona native used it to secure a 14th-place finish.
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