American WWII bomber pilots often adorned their aircraft with nose art. As they took off from the field, images of busty beauties or gun-toting imps left a lasting, morale-boosting impression. The art itself served as a sort of talisman against bad luck, a charm to calm superstitious flight crews.
Next time you're in a race paddock, check out the drivers' helmets. Most are festooned with all manner of art, from fish to flaming skulls. I had to wonder if racers were superstitious as well.
So I hooked up with Kevin Williams at Troy Lee Design and got a closer look at how a helmet goes from bone stock to brilliant. What I found is a labor-intensive craft contingent on the steady hands of skilled artisans. From conception to the last coat of clear, a well-detailed helmet can take as many as 60 hours to complete and cost slightly upward of $1,200. Blank headgear with names like Jeremy McGrath, Mike Metzger, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmy Vasser, Al Unser Jr., Paul Tracy, Max Papis, Scott Dixon and Danica Patrick lined the shelves at Lee's spacious studio.
He has dozens of pro teams waiting for his magic (including NASCAR, CART and ALMS). I'm guessing the expense for these guys is trivial. They need all the good mojo they can muster, be it a rabbit's foot, lucky rubber band or magic helmet. Troy Lee provides the talisman.
Over the span of three months, I followed Lee's crew as they painted a friend's brain bucket. In our age of automation and mechanized efficiency, this was like stepping back in time. Human hands do 100 percent of the design and labor. No computers or CAD machines here. Hell, I couldn't even find a pocket calculator. That's because a Troy Lee helmet is a work of art, something that's beautiful to look at-and it just might save your life.
The Crew
Prep: Jason Navarette
Paint: Isidro Torres
Clear: Paul Gauvry
Leaf and lettering: Jay Stemska