Smart Race Paint

I've been busy.

2010-06-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

I have been extremely busy in the last 2 month but, I was able to produce this beauty. It was commissioned by Bob Kim of Seattle and he wanted the coolest paint job ever. That's what I tried to achieve and this is the end result. It features:

- Chrome base with candy colors

- Matte/Shiny finish on parts of the helmet

- The flags of 15 different countries painted on the back.

- Bob's name incorporated in the Seattle's Seahawks logo.

One hell-of-a-job that took me too many hours to write here. And now...let's do the next ones.

End of April - 3 new helmets finished.

2010-04-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

These are 3 of the helmets I recently finished in April. I am on a roll, with the month of May coming and the Indy 500, I have more work coming.

And another one.

2010-04-05T18:00:00.001-07:00

And finally, this one if for Jerimy Daniel.

Another March-April.

2010-04-05T17:59:00.001-07:00

This one is for Cameron Pringle.

New helmets for March-April.

2010-04-05T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a few example of the helmets I completed in late March, early April. It is a very busy time right now and I have no time to waste. This first one is for Philippe Gelinas.

Anthony Tolfa's new helmet.

2010-03-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

This is Anthony's second helmet painted here. This time I went for a super metallic yellow that glitters under the sun. His design is greatly influenced by Lewis Hamilton's helmet.

Gianmarco Raimondo's GP6 - RC for Italian F3.

2010-03-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

The name is Italian and the driving style is Italian and now he is in Italy. Gianmarco is to contest the Italian F3 championship in 2010 with this Arai GP6 - RC helmet. Good luck GMO! http://www.gianmarcoraimondo.com/

Bruno Spengler's 2010 helmet - finished.

2010-03-16T10:16:00.000-07:00

Earlier last week I showed you the bare shell for Bruno's 2010 race helmets. They are now finished and here is the finished product. Both helmets are exactly the same, they are finished with a matte clear coat and all logos are painted. You can follow Bruno's season in DTM at http://www.brunospengler.com/.

Dirt car racer returns.

2010-03-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

Seb had a helmet painted in 2007 and needed a new one. He wanted his design to stay pretty much the same but, make it more like 2010. I added a metal flake base for the blue and made both the Quebec and Canadian flag more "speedy". Have a great season Seb!

Jonathan Summerton - 2010 Helmet.

2010-02-24T17:23:00.000-08:00

Continuing on last year's combination of green stripes and American flag, America's F1 hopeful, Jonathan Summerton, wanted to change a bit and go with the tribal theme. I decided to go very mildly with those and use a black base instead of last year's dark blue. Follow Jonathan at http://www.jonathansummerton.com/

Michael Adam's new helmet.

2010-02-23T11:49:00.000-08:00

Daniel De Kort's helmet.

2010-02-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a rare sight,a SIMPSON helmet in my paint shop? And a "new-school" bandit? Yep, Daniel sent this lid from Curacao to get painted and he wanted his helmet to be based on Robert Kubica's 2009 lid. We switched the Polish flag to the Netherland Antilles's flag and added some logos to it.

Karter Hickling's new lid.

2010-02-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

Karter is a new customer from Ontario and will debut this new helmet at the next round of the Florida Winter Tour. Good luck Karter.

Phil Wang's new lid.

2010-01-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

Phil will be sporting this newly painted Bell Dominator for the 2010 season.

Matt Halliday's new lid.

2010-01-15T18:56:00.001-08:00

The Porsche Supercup Rookie of the Year has a new helmet to start the season.

2010 - A new chapter in Alex Tagliani's career.

2010-01-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Alex and I have been working together for the last 4 seasons, 4 seasons of ups and downs but, mostly downs. Through all these years I kept keeping fate in the guy, I knew he was up for something bigger...better.

January 14th, 2010, Montreal, Canada. The International Auto Show is an unusual venue to announce the birth of an IndyCar team. One could think that Indianapolis or Miami or LA would be better suited for the spectacular event surrounding this announcement but, no! The place is perfect if you consider from where the creators are. The FAZZT Race Team is now the only IndyCar team owned by a Canadian, a Montrealer to be exact and it is not a coincidence that the driver of the number 77 car also comes from the Montreal region. Both Andre Azzi and Alex Tagliani knew that the task ahead would be of gigantic proportions and they found the perfect guy to do the job; Jim Freudenberg. The FAZZT Race Team is now alive and well, having done their first shakedown in Homestead Miami on January 7th. The job was completed at an incredible pace, just think about it: they announce their intentions of racing in 2010 only on August 28th 2009. Already, the team has a headquarter in Indy, an office in Montreal and a complete team of engineers, mechanics and office personnel to compete in IndyCar. Kudos to everyone at FAZZT Race Team for the amazing work! I was there to witness the launch, I was impressed and I am proud of being part of it, good luck everyone. You can follow FAZZT at http://www.fazztraceteam.com/

I will be producing 5 different helmets for Alex in 2010, keep an eye on this blog for the scoop on those lids. Here's the first one and photos from the launch.

Been lazy posting but... I am back at it.

2010-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Yeah! I have to admit that I have been lazy lately at posting on this blog. The trip in Las Vegas, the whole Holiday thing going on, it's been quite hectic around here for a while. But, I am back at it. Here's my first helmet posting for 2010, just finished it a couple of days ago. It's a chromed base Arai GP-5 with some cool graphics over. Nice combination of solid and transparent colors. Hope you like it.

This being said, I wish everybody a great 2010. May this new year bring you everything you wish for and more.

New lids for the karting kids.

2009-11-14T19:15:00.001-08:00

Just finished these two and working on more. Leaving for Las Vegas next week for the Supernats. I will have a few photos when I come back. You can check out my Facebook page for updates from Vegas.

Heading to Italy with his new lid.

2009-10-27T17:44:00.001-07:00

Just finished this helmet for Chris Wehrheim and he's bringing it in Italy for the WSK finals in Lonato. He will surely look good with this matte finished lid. Good luck in Italy Chris.

A motorcycle helmet?

2009-10-08T14:57:00.000-07:00

Once in while (that's like every two years) I get to paint a motorcycle helmet. This one is for my buddy Eric from Florida. A flame job with very subtle DUCATI logos in the background. Of course, he's got his race number on each sides as well.

New helmet for Marco DiLeo.

2009-10-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Here is another example of a matte finished helmet. This new finishing technique is really hot right now and I was not surprised that Marco went for it when I suggested it. Good luck in Egypt Marco.

A rare GP-5W with a peak visor.

2009-09-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

I rarely paint those GP-5W with the peak visor. I guess nobody buys them. This one came from Florida. It features a waving American flag and checkered flag. The bottom rear has the Italian flag to show Michael's origin.

Matt Lee new lid. And the first helmet after my vacation.

2009-09-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

I had a great time in Europe but, everything has to finish at one point and I got back in the thick of it very quickly...I had no choice.

One of the first helmet to be completed is Matt Lee's GP-5. I did a helmet for Matt a couple of years ago and he came back. I offered to do the tribal theme and matte clear and he went for it. It's a good thing because this thing rocks.

Chris Green returns to pro racing.

2009-08-31T17:33:00.001-07:00

After being sidelined for a few years, Chris Green was back in a race car last week-end in Montreal. With the help of his sponsors, he was able to race in the Grand-Am GT class in a Pontiac GTO alongside Italian driver, Diego Alessi.

Of course he had to commissioned a new helmet for the occasion and I was there to deliver it in person at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

A new helmet for Jesse Lazare.

2009-08-31T17:31:00.000-07:00

Another lid for Jesse, this one with a chrome base.

NHL defenseman Patrice Brisebois goes racing.

2009-08-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

He started racing Ferrari Challenge a couple of years ago and quickly wanted to move up. The option of trying his hand at stock car came to him and he jumped in. That's why he commissioned a new helmet with bright metal flake and orange kandy. I kept the stars theme on his lid again as a continuity from his previous one. He did his first race in Trois-Rivieres last week-end.

Another chromed based helmet.

2009-08-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Kenneth wanted a chrome base this time and I did it. The first helmet I did for him in '06 had a simple white base. I played around a bit with some graphics in the chrome to create some movement. The bright red and blue complete the job.

Returning customer's new lid.

2009-08-17T16:57:00.001-07:00

I painted a helmet for Gianmarco Raimondo a couple of years ago. The wear and tear of racing Formula BMW's open cockpit cars meant that he needed a new lid this year. We decide to change the colors a bit and this bright metallic yellow was born out of a home mix I did.

Durabond Racing boss - Anthony Rapone.

2009-08-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Anthony loved Giancarlo Fisichella's helmet design and wanted something that looked like it. I came up with this different design and Anthony was excited by it.

Another karting helmet just in time.

2009-08-17T16:53:00.001-07:00

Cory based his helmet design on F1 driver's Robert Kubica's own design. We changed the colors around to create something distinctive for Cory, again just in time for the Nationals.

New customer, Steven Szigeti gets a chromed helmet.

2009-08-17T16:50:00.000-07:00

Steven wanted chrome and that's what he got, that and the Tony Kart colors to go with it. Just in time for the Nationals.

A busy couple of weeks.

2009-08-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been really busy in the last couple of weeks. Many helmets needed to be finished in times for the Canadian National Karting Championship and the Grand-Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Many nights of work were involved and in the end, I was able to pull it off. Now it is back to business as usual which means, more helmets to be painted in the next weeks.

New design for Jonathan Summerton.

2009-07-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Formula Atlantic driver, Jonathan Summerton gets a new design for his lid. Gone is the orange with a floating American flag. It's now bright green with a simpler flag and Jonathan's own logo on top. To follow Jonathan's career, visit www.formulajon.com .

Edmonton Oilers commemorative helmet.

2009-07-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

This helmet was painted for Alex Tagliani. It was commissioned by Alex to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the Edmonton Oilers. The helmet features the special 30th Anniversary logo of the Oilers on the top and the name of all the players who have been team captain since 1979. Alex will be using it in this coming week-end's Indy Car race in Edmonton.

Toronto helmet for Alex Tagliani.

2009-07-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

This Egyptian themed helmet will be part of the package Alex will have on his car next week-end in Toronto. His car is partially sponsored by a King Tut display in Indianapolis.

Long time customer returns to racing with a new lid.

2009-07-07T13:50:00.001-07:00

It has been a long since Benoit Theetge raced and he will be coming back this year sporting this new helmet I just painted. It features a Canadian flag waving on both sides and a beautiful pearl white base.

Last minute helmet for Olivier before he leaves for Jamaica.

2009-06-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just finished this lid for Olivier Sirois who is leaving for a karting race in Jamaica on Monday.

Porsche Supercup driver gets his new helmet.

2009-06-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

Matt Halliday will get his painted helmet later this week. I wonder if I am going to send that one to Beverly Hills, Monaco, Milan or New Zealand? The guy is quite a traveler.

The helmet features a gold metal flake with bright fluorescent yellow and red.

My first customer from Chile.

2009-06-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

South America is a territory I rarely do helmets for and this one is the first for a customer from Chile. It features a bright fluorescent fade from orange to red and a nice pearl blue "shooting stars" on the top and bottom.

Returning customer's new helmet.

2009-06-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

Austin Milwain received his new helmet painted last week. It is Austin's second helmet painted by Smart Race Paint.

New Florida customer.

2009-06-04T17:35:00.000-07:00

New Florida customer Ruben Seibald just received his new lid. It is an evolution of his older design with a representation of his country's flag on the top.

Rookie of the year at Indy for Alex Tagliani.

2009-05-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Tag made me proud last week-end! Starting 33rd and last on the grid, Alex and Conquest Racing finished 11th. A great performance from the small team. The helmet certainly helped :).

Photo: motorsport.com

Two very lucky kids.

2009-05-26T17:44:00.000-07:00

Latest creation.

2009-05-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

I delivered this new lid to Lance Stroll last week-end at Thetford Mine's kart race. He used it to win the feature race on Sunday. The helmet features a chrome base with Lance's own design painted over it.

Indy 500 helmets for Alex Tagliani.

2009-05-20T18:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished these helmets for Alex Tagliani. One will be the race helmet for the Indy 500 and the other is a spare. Although Alex was bumped out of the grid on the last day he will take Bruno Junqueira's place in 30th place on the starting grid for sunday's race. I can't wait to see my helmet on the famous racetrack, this will be a first for me. Good luck Alex.

And two more finished.

2009-05-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks in the shop. And the next few weeks are going to be crazy. Here are two new lids just finished. One feature a chrome base with gold kandy. Do not hesitate to let me know what you think, it could be constructive for my work.

2 new helmets finished.

2009-05-03T17:02:00.003-07:00

I just finished these two and will have a couple more to show in a few days.

Arai GP-6 RC is available in very limited quantity.

2009-04-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

Arai America have a very limited quantity of GP-6 RC for delivery soon. Retail price is $5095 USD. this helmet meets the FIA8860 Advanced Helmet Standard. This standard was developed by the FIA to improve overall helmet performance and safety and is known as the most severe racing helmet standard. This helmet is now mandatory for FIA Touring Car, FIA Formula 3 and FIA Sportscar. Contact us to arrange the reservation now.

2 new helmets just finished and delivered.

2009-04-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished these two helmets. Both helmets features the highly demanded matte-shiny finish. This technique produce a contrasting finish on some parts of the helmet. The end result is stunning.

Finally finished with Bruno Spengler's 2009 lids.

2009-04-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

I just finished both 2009 helmets for Bruno Spengler. His attack on the DTM championship will start on May 17th at Hockenheim. Follow Bruno at http://www.brunospengler.com/ and the whole DTM championship at http://www.dtm.com/ .

Arai GP-6 finished.

2009-04-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

I just finished my first ARAI GP-6 for Jake Rosenzweig. Jake will race in F3 Euroseries in 2009 and this is the mandatory helmet for the F3. The helmet is extremely light and well balanced. Retail price just for the helmet is around $5000 CAD.

For the painting, Jake decided that he wanted to keep some of the carbon fiber showing. Fluorescent red and a pearl blue were added to the mix. It will sure look good on the track.

Follow Jake at www.jwrracing.com

Jonathan Summerton's new lid.

2009-04-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

I changed the US flag design on Jonathan's new lid. He will be using it in the 2009 Indy Light series.

New helmet finished.

2009-04-06T18:24:00.000-07:00

Just finished this one.

New Arai GP-6 RC in the shop.

2009-03-27T08:37:00.000-07:00

Just received it for painting. This new Arai GP-6 RC is only available to a limited number of racers for 2009. Please note that it is not available through us and has to be ordered through Arai helmets directly. This one will contest the Euro F3 Championship. More photos of it when I am done with the painting.

New business cards just in.

2009-03-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

I got my new cards today and I can't wait to hand them over! I am really happy about the matte-shiny finish mix.

Helmet for sale.

2009-03-25T16:42:00.001-07:00

Are you looking to get a painted helmet quickly. I have the solution, I have for sale this HJC HX-10 SNELL 2005 helmet. Size of the helmet is Large to fit a 7 3/8-7 1/2 head size or 59-60 Centimeter. Here are the specs for the helmet:

Super-Lightweight, Full Application, Carbon Fiber Shell Construction.
Meets or exceeds SNELL SA2005.
Plush, removable & washable Nomex Interior.
Double D-ring retention system.
Advanced ACS ventilation system.
HANS® device compatible.

More photos are available upon request. The helmet comes as is, no modifications included.

Retail price for helmet only is $899 USD

This painted helmet: $999 USD

Bruno Spengler's 2009 helmets.

2009-03-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Bruno Spengler's (DTM) new lid are being painted right now and I will have complete photos later this week.

Smart Race Paint now B2Z dealer.

2009-03-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce the availability of the B2Z racing helmets line through Smart Race Paint. I can now offer a range of helmets to satisfy all racers. Including the all new RZ-3 KY Youth Specific helmet, one of the first helmets to pass the New Snell CM 2007 Rating. The smaller shell size and lightweight will reduce fatigue and offer superior protection to younger drivers.

Milwaukee driver gets his new lid.

2009-03-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Joel Jens will be racing in 2009 with this brand new BELL T-6 Interceptor helmet painted by me. The helmet features the now popular matte-shiny finish and metal-flake on the star pattern. Thanks to his mechanic Jason for the design work.

Another Canada theme helmet.

2009-03-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Adam Isman wanted a dominant Canadian flag on his helmet and this is what I gave him.

Last minute painting.

2009-03-11T18:10:00.001-07:00

It's a last minute helmet I just finished for Daniel Di Leo. He needed the helmet for this coming week-end's race in Homestead. The helmet features a mix of shiny and matte clear giving it a really cool look.

My #1 fan just picked-up his helmet.

2009-03-06T13:23:00.000-08:00

He self-proclaimed being the number one fan of my work and he just picked-up his new lid painted this week. Marc-Antoine Cardin will look awesome for the 2009 season. Good luck!

New helmet finished.

2009-02-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

A new lid for returning customer Remy Audette.

Canadian army soldier karting helmet.

2009-02-12T13:44:00.000-08:00

After his round in Afghanistan over the summer, Steven will be able to race his kart with this brand new painted helmet. Good luck and stay safe in Afghanistan Steven.

Canadian flag for Canadian customer.

2009-02-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished this BELL helmet for a true Canadian.

British Formula 3 helmet.

2009-02-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

This BELL HP3, full carbon helmet, will be used by Philip Major in British Formula 3. Philip has been a regular customer in the past and I am happy to continue our relationship in 2009. Good luck for this season.

NASCAR Nationwide Series helmet.

2009-02-03T17:40:00.001-08:00

This new lid will be used by Michael McDowell in the 2009 NNS. It features a matte clear finish. Very trendy. Good luck Mikey!

Ice racing canoe.

2009-01-22T17:01:00.000-08:00

I recently helped paint a logo on a very weird looking machine, a 28 feet long ice racing canoe. This beast will be raced during the annual race of the Winter Carnaval of Quebec by a team of five girls. Good luck guys...euh! Girls!

New addition to my F1 replica collection.

2009-01-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

The latest addition to my F1 collection is a '93 Alain Prost Arai GP-3. Again, I can't paint those commercially, to get one just like that contact Mike Fairholme at http://mikefairholmedesigns.com/ and get it from the master himself.

Newest helmet finished.

2009-01-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

This one is for Saint-Eustache's (North of Montreal) Mathieu Audette. Mat is a returning customer of many years with us.

Daytona 24 Hours's helmet for Michael McDowell.

2009-01-13T17:14:00.001-08:00

A new helmet to tackle the 24 Hours of Daytona at the end of the month for Michael McDowell. This one is a "side-air" version of the Bell Infusion helmet. Michael normally uses a "top-air" to race in NASCAR.

New helmet for Alex Tagliani

2009-01-13T17:13:00.001-08:00

This new helmet will help Alex start the new IRL season, hopefully!

Long time dream.

2008-12-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

I have been a Formula One fan for years and always wanted my own collection of helmets. This one is a replica of a 1992 Nigel Mansell helmet. Don't ask me for a price, I can't copy those commercially. For a replica contact Mike Fairholme at http://mikefairholmedesigns.com/.

Just finished, not sure it's dry yet!

2008-11-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

I just had the time to photograph this new lid for Tommy Beshro before they picked-it up at my shop. He was really enthusiast when he opened the box and saw his new helmet. Good luck in 2009 Tommy!

Fresh paint!!!

2008-11-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

Just finished those two lids for customers. One is a replica of Gilles Villeneuve's design, complete with the sponsors logos.

New helmets just finished.

2008-11-19T16:40:00.001-08:00

I finished those 3 helmets in the last couple of weeks. One motorcycle helmet, which is quite unusual for me! This is Jesse Lazare's third helmet I painted through the years and this one is has a chrome base. The third is for a good customer; Scott Ford, it is Scott's third helmet I paint as well. Hope you enjoy.

My son's new ride.

2008-11-10T17:32:00.001-08:00

For now, he can drive this Ferrari, later he can buy his own.

Helping Canadian GP comeback.

2008-11-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Gianmarco Raimondo though it was a good idea to promote the return of the Canadian GP on the 2009 schedule. He ran a large sticker on the sidepod of his Formula BMW during the Brazilian Grand-Prix last week. Let's hope those initiative will help Montreal regain the GP.

New helmet finished.

2008-10-26T13:12:00.001-07:00

I just finished this new helmet for Michael Di Meo. Michael is a loyal returning customer, this new lid is a modification of his old design I painted a few years ago. Best of luck next season Michael!!

Tag's special helmet brings special money to Children's hospital.

2008-10-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Alex Tagliani is sporting a specially designed Conrad Jupiters themed helmet at this weekend’s Nikon Indy 300.

However, the helmet won’t be his to keep at the end of the weekend as Tagliani auctioned it off at last night’s Indy Gala Ball in order to raise money for the Gold Coast Hospital Foundation Children’s Ward.
The helmet went for $25 000. The design, which is based on Conrad Jupiters’ casino, stemmed from a couple of ideas and was created by the people at artrotondo.com, a motorsport artist based in Montreal . “I first wanted to come up with a new design for my helmet for the race at Surfers Paradise. At the same time, I wanted to do something for the people at Conrad Jupiter because they have always been so nice to me each time that I have stayed there for this race. “Once we came up with the concept, we finally decided that we would auction it off in order to raise money for a local charity,” explained Tagliani who has a long history of being involved with charities, such as the Tide@Wal-Mart Victory Lap charity program in his native Canada.

The helmet, painted by Patrice Harvey of Smart Race Paint, features casino themed imagery such as slot machines, casino chips and a roulette table on the sides.
The back of the helmet has Conrad Jupiter’s slogan, ‘What will you get up to?’ as well as four aces with the name Bronte on one and Tagliani on another. “I wanted Bronte’s name on the cards because I hit the jackpot when I met her!” admitted Tagliani, who met his wife Bronte at Surfers Paradise in 2001. The Nikon Indy 300 continues this afternoon with qualifying. The race goes green tomorrow and can be seen live on ESPN Classic Saturday, October 25 at 10:30 pm eastern time.
The race will also be rebroadcast on ESPN Sunday, October 26 at 11:00 pm eastern.

Cosmic Motors.

2008-10-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of my favorite. The artist is Daniel Simon and his vision for future vehicles is simply stunning. Have a look at his website to understand what I mean.

http://www.cosmic-motors.com/

New website coming soon.

2008-10-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

I will have a new website coming soon. New design, new features it will be completely different and have more information to all your questions Check it soon.

At least, here's some good news.

2008-10-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Read this article: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/71237 are they going to put some sense in Bernie? Or will the Bernie syndrome will have killed the Canadian GP? Still hoping to be back on Ile-Sainte-Helene next summer drinking beers with my buddy Wayne.

Polls are off again!!

2008-10-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

71% of you voted that Ferrari should get rid of their electronic pit exit controller. What will they do next?

Special project.

2008-10-09T12:56:00.000-07:00

I've been helping a friend recently, we built a sign for a local business and I did the painting of it. It has been quite an experience to do this project. First of all: that thing weigh in at around 60 pound (a bit heavier than a helmet!!) so it was hard to move around the shop. Second thing it was my first time painting particle wood. We had to use products I do not normally use on helmets. It was fun though and I will post photos of the finished thing soon.

Canadian GP dropped from schedule.

2008-10-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, he strikes again! Bernie Ecclestone is doing it again, menacing to remove the Canadian GP from the F1 schedule. They did it about 5 times in the past and have always come back. Truth is, the Canadian GP is a good thing for F1 and it's major players. It's a good venue for racing, the stands are always packed and they give, year after year the best TV ratings in Europe. Right now there are negotiations to bring back F1 in the United-States and Bernie, as always, is trying to bluff. Yes, it's expensive to move everyone in North America for only one race and yes, it would make sense to have two races on North American soil to save a few bucks but, I do not believe that. They go in Australia and Brazil year after year without ever mentioning the transport costs. I believe Bernie is trying to get as much money as possible by threatening the Canadian GP organisation and the Canadian Government. He knows that he need Montreal on his calendar and he knows the teams and sponsors want to come back. By announcing the removal of the Canadian race from the schedule he forces everyone (including possible US GP promoter) to beg him for a race. I say: "F$*@ you Bernie!" F@#& you Formula One!" See you next summer in Montreal sucker! And I say, it's about time someone in Montreal start building a proper oval track for NASCAR to come here. Anyone listening in Now-Dead-Montreal-City?

Fall is here! God dam'it!

2008-10-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Took a break from painting this week-end to close the swimming pool and get the summer stuff inside for the winter. There was frost on the ground this morning and I started the heater in the paint shop. Just clear coated a helmet and the clear takes longer to dry and harden. Yep! It's all downhill from here. I will let you know when the snow will cover the place.

Tagliani's helmet finished.

2008-09-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am finally done with the painting of Alex's new helmet for Australia. You can see the final result here and clicking the last helmet on the bottom left. I think it looks pretty good. Let's hope the photographers like it as much as I do!

The polls are off.

2008-09-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

You voted for Brunette and this is not surprising because as one of my friend says: "Blondes have more fun but, brunettes remember it in the morning!". Enough said.

Studio photo shoot.

2008-09-28T18:19:00.001-07:00

I had the chance to have my mug photographed today by a friend of mine Claude Desrochers. Although Claude is not a professional photographer he's got everything to be one. We improvised a small studio in my paint shop and had fun taking photos. It was a new experience for me and I will use Claude's work on my next website.

Demistifying the great helmet painting myth.

2008-09-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

I just been through some forums and I am amazed at all the craps is being vehiculed around concerning helmet painting. I am going to try to clarify a few things here.

-Manufacturer do not recommend painting helmets.

Here's the one you can read the most about out there. If your helmet is good quality, fiberglass, carbon, kevlar helmet, there is absolutely no problem at all at painting it. You just need to follow some rules and be careful about it and the helmet integrity and safety will not be affected. The steps we take as responsible helmet painters will ensure your helmet will remain safe for years to come. Beware of overnight painters and garage airbrushers who say they can do the job. It is a risky thing to play with your head like that.

-Fomula One drivers go through a new helmet every race.

I have no idea about other company but, a company I know well are giving away 8-10 helmets a year to F1 drivers to wear. They may get more painted for sponsors duties or gifts. In the past F1 drivers used to get more helmets but, with the arrival of the $5000 carbon fiber helmets, companies are less willing to give them away.

-F1 helmets are made to measure to the driver's head.

Absolutely false. The helmets needs to pass the homologation tests and one example of each sized helmet used in F1 pass the homologation. If a new driver arrives in F1 and his size of helmet is not yet homologated, the helmet manufacturer has to get it done before he can use it in F1. For a complete list of homologated helmet for formula one, including sizes available, follow the link: http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/87488537EEBCC8D4C125746A00540772/$FILE/L33_Approved_helmet.pdf. Other top series drivers in the world including IndyCar, DTM, Formula 3 drivers, use regular, off the shelf helmets. These may be modified a bit to suit their specific need and head shape.

If you read this and want to add more questionning or have a better answer to those questions, feel free to contact me. I don't know everything there is to know about helmets...

Indy Car in Australia and a new helmet design for Tagliani.

2008-09-22T17:57:00.000-07:00

Indy Car is heading to Australia and so does Alex Tagliani. Alex's car will be supported by a local casino and he asked for a special helmet to be painted. He had Mauro Rotondo of http://www.artorondo.com/ to design a special helmet that I am going to paint in the next week. It is a first for me to paint someone else's design and I'm wondering how everything is going to turn out. Here's a sneak peek at the design. Photos of the helmet to come soon.

A night out with the boys.

2008-09-19T07:33:00.001-07:00

The eyes are tired
The sleep was short
The kid was crying very early this morning
The paint smells worse than ever
The computer screen is moving in front of my weary eyes
This is going to be a long, long day.

Thanks Alex, Daniel and Martin for the great night. Next time, let's do this on a Friday instead.

A1 GP Team Lebanon-Daniel Morad

2008-09-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

I am currently working on a new helmet for the new driver of Team Lebanon in A1 GP, Daniel Morad. While Morad is a Canada native, his family root is in Lebanon and his double nationality will allow him to race for the Lebanese team in 2008. The design of the helmet will share both Daniel's traditional colors and Team Lebanon's unique color combination.

New paintjob just finished.

2008-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Here it is guys, the almost finished work. I can't really say exactly, but I guess it took a good 30-35 hours to complete.

An invitation.

2008-09-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are still wondering where the human species is going, I say: straight in a brick wall. Check out the following blog, it's hillarious.

http://www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com/

Thank you Douchebag 1 for exposing the stupidity of this world to us.

I guess I feel blessed...after all.

2008-09-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

If you have a creative jobs and your work keeps you on the same patterns day after day you tend to loose the will to go outside the boundaries. I might have the chance to create new stuff everyday, but since most of my clients wants the same thing year after year I really have to dig deep when I am being asked for something completely crazy. That's what I spent my day on today, something that pushed me.
This guy called and asked for a crazy monster-with-huge-teeth-and-blood-and-flames and anything that will make him look like the guy your mother warned you about, painted on his lid. At first I was...scared. What am I going to do with that? I asked myself that questions for weeks and pushed that job aside because I had no idea how I was going to come up with something that extreme. Look, I do mostly European style, graphics with fluorescent colors type of painting. What this guy was asking was totally out of my daily routine. And to be honest I though it was a bit too much for a karting helmet. But, being the professional I am I decided to tackle that job with some punch and finesse. First, find a subject; monster...no thank you. I have been around the painting scene too long to know that this is totally 70's-80's and there was no way I was going to put my name on something like that. I needed a scary subject with subtle flare, something that give you shiver but still makes you wonder about...hum mm!
EVIL CLOWN!! That's it! An evil clown with long teeth and blood around the mouth, flames coming out of his head and blood splatters all around the helmet. If that's not scary enough for him, I don't what will do the trick. I will have an update with photos tomorrow. See ya!

Here we go...it's a start.

2008-09-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Big shoes to fill, I guess this is how I feel about starting my blogging experience. Because I am in no mean a writer and topping it with the fact that my main language is French I feel that this adventure is going to be quite an experience. After reading a few blog through the years and discovering some highly talented writers in those blogs I feel like trying to fit my tiny beginner's feet in some huge shoes. Yep! This is going to be quite an adventure, care to join me?
I will be looking to get feed backs from you. This is going to be a new experience for me and I hope you will be part of it. See ya!