DARLINGTON, S.C. – Alex Bowman and Hendrick Motorsports will pay a nod to the late Tim Richmond with their throwback paint scheme for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 1.
Bowman and the No. 88 Chevrolet team announced the news with a video unveil inside the Michigan Int’l Speedway media center ahead of this weekend’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at the two-mile oval.
The scheme, which features Axalta as the primary sponsor, hearkens back to Richmond’s time at Hendrick Motorsports carrying the now-iconic maroon and gold Folgers colors.
Richmond drove for team owner Rick Hendrick during the 1986 and 1987 seasons, collecting nine of his 13 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories and nine of his 14 poles during that span.
One of those wins was the 1986 Southern 500, where Richmond reigned victorious from the pole and led a race-high 168 of 367 laps that afternoon.
Both Bowman and Hendrick noted, on what would have been Richmond’s 64th birthday, that it was “the right time” to pay tribute to the memory of one of NASCAR’s most historic and well-known characters.
“He wanted to have fun in everything he did,” noted Hendrick. “Tim was probably one of the most talented drivers that I’ve ever seen and worked with. Alex reminds me a bit of Tim in the car. He’s fearless and he likes to drive the car a bit out of control. It’s a good fit.”
“Growing up, I was always a big Tim Richmond fan,” added Bowman. “I’ve joked around that I’ve wanted to do a Tim Richmond throwback ever since I came to Hendrick Motorsports, and the red-and-gold Folgers car is one of his most iconic paint schemes. The last time that scheme was in Darlington, it won the race, so hopefully we can replicate that magic late this year and pay tribute to Tim’s memory and legacy in the best way possible.”