The Rainbow Warrior

A design that started as a last-minute idea on the way to work ended up launching one of the most iconic eras in NASCAR history. When Sam Bass drew that now-legendary rainbow arcing over the DuPont logo, he didn’t just create a paint scheme, but defined a generation. Behind the wheel of that car was Jeff Gordon, a 21-year-old kid who went from California quarter-midget champ to the youngest USAC title winner in history. But his destiny wasn’t IndyCar, it was stock car chaos.

• How did Gordon go from crashing out in his debut to dethroning Dale Earnhardt in just two years?
• What role did a dropped roll of duct tape play in altering the 1992 championship?
• Why did NASCAR try to ban Gordon’s fastest car, even though it was perfectly legal?
• And how did a cartoonish paint scheme end up leaving a permanent mark on the sport’s toughest stage?

This video tells the story of a cultural shift in a sport, going from grizzled veterans to fresh-faced prodigies. From that first 1992 debut to his farewell in 2015, Gordon redefined what a NASCAR superstar could be, and if you think it all ended with the rainbow paint? Think again. Gordon opened the door for an entire youth movement that still echoes today.

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