Richard Childress Racing and RCR Graphics gear up for NASCAR
| 15 February 2012
NASCAR season opens this weekend in Daytona, and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is ready for show time thanks to the Roland inkjet printing technology in use at the RCR Graphics Center. This is where a team of expert designers and installers are working night and day to wrap RCR’s extensive line-up of cars, trucks and trailers to get them ready for the start of the season.
“We basically take the off-season to give each vehicle a makeover,” says Nick Woodward, graphics manager for the RCR Graphics Center. “With new sponsors this year and new, updated branding elements for our returning sponsors, we have produced hundreds of new graphics and wraps over the last month or two. In preparation for this year’s season, we have already wrapped 37 cars, trucks and trailers, some as long as 53 feet, using more than 8,100 square feet of printed vinyl each week.”
To keep pace with the sport’s demands, RCR Graphics Center relies on four Roland eco-solvent wide-format printers, including a 64-inch VersaCAMM VS-640 metallic inkjet printer/cutter, and three SOLJET models, a 54-inch XC-540 printer/cutter, 64-inch XJ-640 printer, and 54-inch XC-540MT metallic inkjet printer/cutter. According to Nick Woodward, the shop is currently running each of its Roland printers 14 to 16 hours a day, seven days a week.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but the results make it all worthwhile,” he said. “Our flashiest car may be the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet Impala, driven by Kevin Harvick, which features a spectacular metallic wrap. Our No. 27 PEAK Performance Chevrolet, driven by Paul Menard, has an entirely new design and colour scheme as well, featuring bold blues and yellows. All of our cars and trucks have been redesigned and all are absolute show stoppers.”
Take a look behind the scenes at RCR and the RCR Graphics Center with senior partnership manager Jeremy Burleson who talks about the process of approving a paint scheme for Jeff Burton for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
In addition to vehicle graphics and wraps, the RCR Graphics Center is producing a variety of signage and event graphics for pit boxes and other high profile areas around the track. To help meet the demand for signage and labels, the shop recently acquired two Roland VersaUV LED printers, including a 64-inch LEJ-640 hybrid roll-to-roll flatbed printer which prints directly onto boards and other thick media, and a new VersaUV LEC-330 LED inkjet printer/cutter, which supports a vast range of roll media for labels and decals. The LEC is also used to produce wine labels for Childress Vineyards, the organization’s official winery.
NASCAR season opens officially Sat., Feb. 18th with the Budweiser Shootout, which is followed by the first Sprint Cup Series event Feb. 26th, the 54th running of the “Great American Race.” Both events will be held at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
www.rolanddga.com
www.rcrracing.com
But what of those of us simply fancy having an affordable pimped up funky little town car that stands out from the crowd? Well our prayers have been answered by Toyota with its dinky little iQ. What’s more, when you order one of these little bad boys (main picture) you also get to chose to have one of six eye catching body and roof decals that were designed and manufactured by Bromley-based vehicle wrapping specialist company Creative FX.
Now I don’t currently have a printer of my own and as such turned to the services of a trade only wide format print company I know that has a handy web2print system. This makes it a doddle for us freelancers to use. Therefore once the artwork files were clipped, set and uploaded to their w2p system and my credit card shredded to bits (not really, these guys are VERY good value) I was ready to go.
it because looked like a sodding group B rally transit when it turned up, so that cheered me up no end - NOT!
