As birthday boy Paul McCartney once sung, ‘It was 20 years ago today…’ McLaren won Le Mans overall on their debut with a production based car, albeit a very special one
I was very fortunate to have been working at McLaren at the time and through, my employment, previous employer (Grand Prix Design – the design arm of 3001 International) and freelance commissions, I designed the majority of the McLaren F1 GTR liveries.
The easiest and quickest design is arguably one of the most well known….
A few of my clients have recently released cool videos of their race, rally and drift programs. Each carry one of my favourite 2015 liveries! Take a look
HPA Motorsports video features review of the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park rounds of the Pirelli World Challenge as the team get to grips with the new entries and the frustrations when a small dollar clip can take you our of a race. You can view Episode 1 here
The third season of Subaru’s Launch Control series is undersay and episode 2 features the debut of their Wide bodied WRX STi Sedan in Andy Blackmore Design livery.
Finally, Dean Kearney and video guru Stephen Brooks have released this video of their exploits in Round 2 of the Formula Drift series around Turn 10 at Road Atlanta.
Thanks to everyone who downloaded, shared, liked or tweeted the NISMO​ ‪‎LeMans‬ Spotter Guide on sister site, SpotterGuides.com
Easily our most successful download with over 100,000 downloads plus whatever Nissan achieved via their press release. There is normally a small burst after the race (assume people downloading new ‘clean’ copies). In 2014 we had about 15k post race to the end of December!
Thanks to NISMO for their support and partnership of the Le Mans, WEC and ELMS guides. Without their support, there simply ould be no guides.
If you liked the guides, please consider following NISMO on Twitter or visit their new site, NissanLMP1.com
Next up on SpotterGuides.com will be the OFFICIAL guide for TUDOR and Continental series at Watkins Glen and another race in France… Le Tour.
btw 368 days to go
My June 2015 ‘ABD” newsletter has just been released ahead of this weekend’s Le Mans. The newsletter brings you up to date with all my designs from this year, along with some creative art projects for motorsport clients and the popular Spotter Guide series
You can read past issues of the Newsletter HERE and subscribe to future issues HERE. The plan is to only release 2-4 newsletters a year.
Version 2 of the NISMO 2015 24 Heures du Mans Spotter Guide is now available on sister site, SpotterGuides.com as a free download.Barring any driver changes, this will be the final version.
This update follows Scrutineering where a number of liveries made their debut or were adjusted including the Aston Martin Art Car.
In addition, an A4 Portrait version of the guide is also available. Smaller file size and best suited for home printing or cellphone use
The guide has all the information you need, at home, the track or even part of the many commentary teams or marshals who use the guide.
In addition to the usual Car, Driver, Engine and class details, the Le Mans guide adds FIA driver grading, Twitter handles, tyres and even their pit lane Garage location.Page Three of the guide includes a timetable, map and helpful links. Each car has been illustrated in detail, with the assistance of virtually every team.
Version 1 of the NISMO 2015 24 Heures du Mans Spotter Guide is now available as a free download on sister site, SpotterGuides.com
The guide has all the information you need, at home, the track or even part of the many commentary teams or marshals who use the guide.
It’s always great to get a livery commission, but there’s real responsibility in this game, particularly when there’s a brief that involves incorporating an iconic heritage livery.
Earlier this year such an opportunity arose when long standing client, Nissan and their NISMO brand asked me to assist in the design of an homage to the 1990 Nissan R90CK which Mark Blundell drove during his now legendary Pole lap at Le Mans 25 years ago (video below)
Following on from my recent posts featuring my liveries for Subaru Rally Team USA for Rally America and in launch trim, the Global Rallycross Championship, the new 2015 WRX STi will make its debut in the opening round of the Red Bull Global Rallycorss Championship. The new cars have been extensively developed by VermontSportsCar with additional input from Subaru Tecnica International.
2014 X Games Rallycross Silver Medalist, Bucky Lasek will compete in the Orange accented machine, the hue has become his Subaru trademark in recent years….
Thanks to Nissan and NISMO, the 24H Le Mans Spotter Guide returns for 2015 and will be available on SpotterGuides.com from 5th June. Version 2 will be released after Scrutineering.
The guide will feature all 56 cars,driver, team and engine details along with FIA driver grading, Twitter handles, tyres and even which Garage each team will be located in*. In addition the popular third sheet will include a timetable, map and helpful links and is the perfect tool for watching at the circuit or from home. If you have a suggestion for more information, drop me a line.
We WILL be the most up to date visual guide available anywhere. No point having an out of date Spotter Guide.
Huge thanks to Nissan for partnering with the guide. Make sure you follow their Twitter Account @NISMO
More details on the dedicated 2015 Le Mans Spotter Guides Page
Formula Drift winner, Fredric Aasbø, debuted his updated Toyota 86-X at Gatebil in Sweden this past weekend. This vehicle will be used by Fredric extensively in Europe and has been updated for 2015 to match the florescent orange vinyl from his 2014 Formula Drift Scion tC.
As featured here, back in 2014, Toyota Norway originally wanted to retain their corporate colour on the 86-X which was a shame, but after a year of seeing the more vibrant tC in the US, it appears Toyota has relented and the original vibrant vinyl now adorns the coupe.
You can follow Fredric’s exploits in North American, Europe and Asia on his website.
I assisted in the design of the livery for the new Compass 360 Racing livery for their new Audi R8 LMS which will race, later this season, in the GTD class of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.
Developed from my livery design of their Continental Tires SportsCar Challenge entries, the liveries will continue to feature AERO Paint material and feature a design which references Audi’s previous success with the IMSA series and Compass 360 iconic florescent Orange.
Full press release follows….
Two Sportscar Spotter Guides have just been released on sister site, SpotterGuides.com, ahead of this weekend’s action in the US and Belgium.
The NISMO Spotter Guide for the WEC 6hrs of Spa Francorchamps. This guide features full car, team,driver and class details in addition to Twitter handles and the all important ACO/FIA Driver rankings. No other guide is as up to date or features so much detail!
Download the WEC guide here
The Official IMSA Spotter Guide for the Continental Tires Monterey Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca has also been released. This three page guide features all the TUDOR entries along with leading forty Continental Tires SportsCar Challenge entries.
Download the IMSA guide here.
Guides will be updated with any significant changes up until Wednesday afternoon (on vacation after that!!)
Dr Jim Norman is a successful race driver, but more importantly is the most experienced parathyroid surgeon in the world and is considered the “father” of mini-parathyroid surgery. Jim has competed in Grand Am and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship including a class win at the 2013 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
Jim will be adding to his TUDOR GTD endurance race duties by joining the 2015 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series in his all-new ‘Bad Lambo Racing‘ Lamborghini Huracán LP 620-2.
Jim contacted me asking for a livery which would stand out and be visually strong enough to work so that kids would want to put a poster of this car up in their bedroom, just like many of us (older ones!) did in the 70’s and 80’s. These images shared by Jim on his social networks show the car being wrapped.
Run by Bad Lambo Racing in associated with Park Place Motorsports, Jim will be joined in the Huracán by his 21-year-old son, Josh Norman, who is making his IMSA racing debut.
Bad Lambo Racing provides Jim a platform to educate people about the dangers of high blood calcium, an under-diagnosed sign of parathyroid gland tumors.
The Speedhunters ‘Maximum Attack’ Scion FR-S which I designed for Speedhunters and top car builder, Keith Charvonia has been on the show circuit recently but made a quick stop off at Jay Leno’s Garage a couple of weeks ago. Keith was able to present the car in detail and give it a quick run on the outskirts of LA. Pretty cool to see one of my designs on Jay’s internet show.
The Scion Tuner Challenge is an annual competition where three car builders face off to build the ultimate car in 90 days and $15000 with the winner chosen at SEMA. We developed a concept around the theme of a track-day racer, married with the heritage of Japanese tin top racers in North America in the 70’s, paying particular homage to the TRD Toyota Celicas which dominated the GTO and GTU classes of IMSA in the 80’s.
You can follow the design process of the Scion HERE, or hop over to Speedhunters where Keith is posting a multi-post build diary.
HPA Motorsports Inc. are a local VAG Specialist and are well known for their Volkswagen builds. They have previously won SEMA Sony Gran Turismo awards and the first people to bring the original VW Golf R32 and now the Scirocco to North America.
This year, they decided to enter the Pirelli World Challenge in the TC (touring) class. They only had a couple of months to get everything ready, built up, organise and structure a race team.
Quite a tall order….oh and the also had to find someone to do design their team identity, if only there was someone less than 1km away….
As a build and parts business, the idea from the outset was to show-off these parts with a cut-away graphic. Combined with a ripped graphic, pulled from their Corporate Identity, I’m very proud of this one and it was enjoyable to be so hands on. Expertly wrapped by 37inc.ca
Also designed much of their team gear including race-suits and pit crew shirts. Continue Reading
I have been commissioned to produce some new artwork for IMSA merchandise for 2015 following a successful run last year. Here is a quick run down of whats on offer at the track, or at the online store. More items to follow during the year.
The shirt is is my favourite design and something I haven’t illustrated before, a short comic strip. It is as if it a younger fan is imagining racing the GTLM cars in a few years time. Complete with approved IMSA Radio commentary!
You can buy this youth comic strip shirt online HERE
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Been a busy few weeks here at Andy Blackmore Design wrapping up Formula Drift liveries, some graphic and corporate identity projects and no less than four Spotter Guides, three of which you can read about elsewhere, so individual posts and announcements had to be put to one side, so I’ll catch up with a quartet of Formula Drift entries, which I designed for 2015.
I have worked with Tyler for a number of years and we hit upon a design based off the previous owner of the Camaro and the same basic look has remained the same all of the years. Its a dilemma drivers and teams have. Create something fresh for the new season and you have to rebuild recognition and any chance of using previous imagery goes out the window. Retain or develop a design and you build an awareness which is important in advertising.
With the main sponsors using Black and White in their marketing, we decided to stick with the well known look and update elements of the design with Falken’s iconic Blue and Teal. Wrapped in AERO product by The Decal Source.
I also supplied Tyler McQuarrie Racing with various graphics and layouts for branding and team shirts.
2015 see’s Tyler expand his operation, bringing his old Nissan 350Z out of retirement, to be used by Pat Mordaunt. Pat and the Kolab agency came to me after their original announcement and imagery and wanted a different take on the livery original shown.
It was decided from the outset to have a livery based on Tyler’s trademark look and the end result works individually as a livery with Falken coloration and also as a collective next to Tyler’s Camaro. I also designed Pat’s racesuit, using the same base graphic
Pat was pleased, in his pre season press release he remarked “Working with Andy has been phenomenal. His creativity and attention to detail is unrivaled when it comes to car design”.
Nice one, thanks Pat, great working with you!
Charles Ng is another long term client. Many non drifters will recognise his name from the WTCC Where he campaigned an Independent BMW 320. Focus is now with drifting and as a top instructor with Mercedes AMG travelling around the world!
Charles’s design was one of my favourites last year, clean and subtle and small aspects of Orange. For 2015, Charles wanted something vibrant, loud along with significant exposure from Maxxis Tires, his new sponsor.
As it happens, I designed a new ‘global livery’ for Maxxis in 2014 and has already been seen on a couple of cars. We took the Maxxis look and personalised it for Charles, tweaking the design here and there. Was a bit of challenge due to the large number of sponsors Charles’ carries, but without these you don’t have a racing program.
You won’t miss that in the dark!
Final design is a new client, Oracle Client and Irish drifter, Dean Kearney. Dean has campaigned a Viper for a number of years and wanted an all new look this year.
Feedback from previous liveries and more recent proposals were the logos and branding were hard to read, so they wanted a design with maximum contrast and clarity. The brief also called for an aggressive, menacing design using Oracle’s colours (Chrome on a Black base with Orange accents) and oversized logos.
You’ll see Orange and Black is really in fashion this year. I’ve already done four liveries in these hues this year, plus Fredric Aasbo’s livery 2010-2014, so it can be a challenge to make sure each design is different and is fully resolved for the client.
The final design proposal uses a Matte Black base, with some subtle Gloss Black drop shadows with accents of Orange and Chrome flashes to show off the Viper’s lines with branding, largely as before. I also created a suit design for Dean using this coloration and similar flashes of colour. Due to a lack of accurate line drawing and sweeping lines, large parts of this livery was cut on the car by hand by Daley Visual who did a great job bringing this and Pat’s 350Z to life.
In addition, I was also recommissioned to produce the Hankook Tiire Formula Drift Spotter Guide again for 2015. One of the most popular guides in 2014 (only bettered by Le Mans!) the guide features all the Hankook runners in Pro and Pro2 championships. You can download the guide at Spotter Guides.com, or grab a printed version at FD events from the Hankook area, or during the Autograph sessions.
Good luck to all my clients past and present in FD this year.
The 2015 NISMO Spotter Guides for the World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series event at Silverstone are now available to download on our new dedicated WEC and ELMS. This link will remain the same for the season.
The guide is available in PDF and JPG format and will be updated prior to each event.
Thanks to NISMO for their support of the guides. Without their assistance, the guides wouldn’t exist.
SpotterGuides.com also offer a Formula One guide, 2015 Racing Wall Planner and from next week, the Official TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Guide for Long Beach.
Following their successful guide in 2014, Hankook Tires USA recommissioned me to produce a special Hero Card in the style of a Spotter Guide featuring all 10 of their runners in the 2015 Formula Drift Championship. Continue Reading
I was recently commissioned by one of the top custom shops in Canada to create a render of a build which is currently in progress at Stone’s Speed Shop is based in Chilliwack, BC
This cool low riding Chevy C-10 truck is currently in build and just armed with a few Facebook images and a spec, was able to create this rendering which will be shown alongside the in progress build at the British Columbia Classic and Custom Car Show in Abbotsford 17-19 April.
Stone’s Speed Shop owner,Kevin Stone, is also locally known for some amazing metal sculptures (see below), a real artist and craftsman.