Roush Fenway Racing reveals throwback scheme for Darlington XFINITY race
The throwback theme for the Labor Day weekend NASCAR races is trickling down from the Sprint Cup Series to the XFINITY Series, and that's a good thing.
On Monday, driver Ryan Reed and Roush Fenway Racing unveiled the Bobby Allison-inspired throwback paint scheme that the No. 16 Lilly Diabetes/American Diabetes Association Ford Mustang will carry in the Darlington XFINITY race on Sept. 3.
Reed's No. 16 Ford Mustang will carry a schemed based on Allison's No. 16 stock car from 1975, when he won three races, including one at Darlington Raceway.
"Bobby Allison is a true icon in this sport," said team co-owner Jack Roush. "I'm beyond honored to have one of our cars carry a paint scheme that Bobby ran. I look forward to making him proud at Darlington Raceway later this season."
Allison, who won the 1983 NASCAR Premier Series championship, earned 84 victories, 58 poles and 335 top-five finishes. He also led more than 27,000 laps Allison was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.
"I can't wait for Darlington this year," said Allison. "It will bring back a lot of memories seeing that car out on the race track. I'm just so happy to be a part of this throwback weekend, and I wish Ryan and his Roush Fenway team luck heading into Darlington."
Reed and Allison were at Roush Fenway on Monday to make the announcement, along with Sam Bass, who helped create the throwback adaptation of Allison's 1975 scheme. Like Reed, Bass lives with type 1 diabetes and has been a part of the Drive to Stop Diabetes program since its inception in 2013.
