The Centerfold

As the world of motorsports has evolved, so too has the way that car designs come to life. When US RaceTronics started racing competitively in 1993, their race cars were painted. The process required specialists in clean environments to make sure the finished product was perfect; changes required time and planning. In addition to being a cumbersome method, the paint added additional weight to the cars which could affect performance. While it was the technology available at the time, it wasn’t always efficient.

When the team transitioned to sports cars in 2015, they also introduced a new way of installing the car designs. Wrapping the cars was more cost-effective, could be done at the track and allowed the team to add new sponsors with little lead time before the race weekend or sometimes even between practice and qualifying. The flexibility allowed the team to add new sponsors quickly while still maintaining the integrity of the original design with their existing sponsors.

US RaceTronics was fortunate to acquire talented artist Brandon West in 2022 to lead the way on their current wrap efforts. Before West’s arrival, the race team used third-party vendors such as One11 Ink; a large format digital print company based in Valencia, CA to do the majority of their race car wraps. While the company still does some of the initial wrap installs, due to the number of cars the team

currently runs, West does a couple of initial car wrap installs along with the majority of re-wraps.

“We’re really lucky to have Brandon (West) on our team,” team principal Shane Seneviratne said. “His talent and dedication to getting the wraps done in a timely manner while ensuring that they meet the sponsors’ expectations is a huge bonus for us. I remember back when I first

started working in racing and we had to wait to get our cars repainted if we wanted to do even minor changes. Brandon can update wraps, repair damaged wraps and add sponsor logos right at the track, allowing us way more flexibility than we had in the past. I’m incredibly happy to have him as a member of the Forte Racing team.”

While the team’s IMSA WeatherTech Forte Racing GTD No. 78 Lamborghini GT3 is West’s main focus as that car can need up to a 50 –75% rewrap after the endurance races, there is seldom a race where the majority of the team’s cars do not need at least some of their wrap replaced. There was even a very rare occasion at Road America in 2023 where a full wrap midweekend was needed. Here’s what happened.

The Forte Racing GTD No. 78 Lamborghini GT3 car crashed in practice on Friday with damage to the tub meaning that it was unable to be used again. The team had just purchased a new car, but it hadn’t been race-prepped or wrapped coming into the weekend. As the crew spent the entire night at the track getting the car mechanically ready for qualifying on Saturday, West was also there wrapping the car piece-by-piece so that all of the team’s sponsors would still be represented during the televised race on Sunday. By the start of the race the newly prepped and wrapped car looked just like the car that had rolled off the transporter on Thursday afternoon much to the surprise of the race announcers and many of the others in the paddock.

Typically, a full wrap takes about two days to complete, though it can take longer depending on various factors. For instance, if West is working alone, which often happens, the process may take longer. Given that West managed to complete the Road America full wrap in such a short time, it highlights the accomplishment even more. Absolute precision is needed when wrapping professional race cars as sponsors are very aware of how their logos look; they will notice if their logo is not perfectly placed. Wrapping

at the track can make that challenging. One of the most difficult things about wrapping at the track is weather conditions such as wind and rain. It’s also particularly difficult for West if he’s working on a wrap alone while the crew is working on the car as it requires him to wrap removable panels off the car.

West, who is self-taught, has worked on several different car models with many different liveries but focuses mainly on the team’s many Lamborghinis as well as their Ligier LMP3 race cars. Each car has its own sponsors and the vision for how each car should look is unique. While some cars look like typical race cars, others have themes such as the one that was wrapped to look like it’s made from wood or the one that looked like it was covered in graffiti. West also had the opportunity to change the livery for the Forte Racing 2023 Petit LeMans GTD winning No. 78 at last year’s season finale.

West and the teamwork with different vendors to help bring these unique ideas to life, currently using One11 Ink or Andy Blackmore to help turn ideas into finalized designs. The team is looking to bring the printing component inhouse and expand on their in-house capabilities as they move forward. They hope to eventually design their own liveries and get the proper equipment to be able to print their own wraps. While they do have a plotter, they’ve yet to acquire all the equipment necessary to fully bring this portion of the program in-house.

The team’s wraps mainly use 3M vinyl but can also use Avery and Hexus. Rolls of wrap are stocked on the team’s trailers in the colors needed to maintain the integrity of the designs on each of the cars. Extra sponsor logos are kept on hand at all times in case they need to be replaced due to crash damage or just the normal wear and tear received during races.

“I am very grateful to US RaceTronics team owner Shane Seneviratne for encouraging me to channel my art into this new arena,” West said. “Working with Forte Racing, Shane’s professional race team has given me an opportunity to learn and grow in this new medium and I love it.

Wrap repairs and logo additions, a process that we used to have to send to vendors, can now be done at our own race shop or at the track. I’m able to do car wrap repairs on-site and add new sponsor logos at any time. Sometimes I still have to wait for the carbon guy to finish his repair before I can finish wrapping the car and get it loaded on a trailer, but that’s still way faster than it was before I started.

The team is using my company Brand-On The Car Vinyl for not only their WeatherTech GTD Lamborghini but also many of their customer-owned cars. I’m really proud of what I’m accomplishing here.”

West’s advice to other wrappers is, “Don't be afraid. Just dive in. Try to give yourself more time than you think you need and remember that practice makes perfect.”