One of the most exciting things about attending a motorsports event are the imaginative and beautiful paint schemes that adorn the racing vehicles, transporters and trailers throughout the pit area. Strolling among the mechanized beasts, sometimes it can feel like you're at a car show instead of a race. It doesn't matter what class or the size of the bank account, stunning artwork can be found everywhere and often can become the visual signature of a driver or an entire team.

But paint is not the way that most teams choose to display their colorful creations these days. In the new millennium paint has given way to the lighter and more durable creation of vinyl wrapping. To find out more about it we recently visited Expect A Lot, Inc. at their brand-new 18,000-square-foot headquarters located adjacent to the Ontario Airport in Southern California.

 

 

 

One of the most exciting things about attending a motorsports event are the imaginative and beautiful paint schemes that adorn the racing vehicles, transporters and trailers throughout the pit area. Strolling among the mechanized beasts, sometimes it can feel like you're at a car show instead of a race. It doesn't matter what class or the size of the bank account, stunning artwork can be found everywhere and often can become the visual signature of a driver or an entire team.

But paint is not the way that most teams choose to display their colorful creations these days. In the new millennium paint has given way to the lighter and more durable creation of vinyl wrapping. To find out more about it we recently visited Expect A Lot, Inc. at their brand-new 18,000-square-foot headquarters located adjacent to the Ontario Airport in Southern California.

Expect A Lot is owned and operated by Brian and Tammy Daley, who formed their own sign-painting firm in 1980 called Daley Lettering. "Of course, back then we painted everything by hand," said Tammy.

Brian originally thought he would be in communications because his father and grandfather worked for the phone company. His family moved to California and after his parents divorced he met a gentleman who was a sign painter. One day he took him out on a job and it really opened Brian’s eyes. "I didn't even know there was such a business," he said.  "I said 'Wow, I really like doing this,' and he got me a job where he was working." From there things took off.

Brian went on to spend five or six years as a 'journeyman,' perfecting his hand-lettering skills on trucks and trailers. When Brian started his sign painting business it had nothing to do with racing, it was just a way to make a living. His father also raced boats, and that is where he made his first link to racing. He hooked up with a display company that eventually connected him with Yamaha. "I just felt there was a niche in the industry," Brian said. "Sign painters were notorious for being drunks and alcoholics and drug addicts and everything else and I thought that it didn’t need to be that way. So we've always treated it like a business."

"We've always tried to be the best of the best," Brian said. "Our goals are really up there high and we always strive to meet those goals."

With these values firmly in place, the couple's company evolved into Expect A Lot around 1989, and Brian began hand-lettering Peterbilt trucks.  And just like so many things around us today, eventually computers changed the industry and vinyl vehicle wraps became the norm.

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When computers started working their way into the industry, they were originally used for vinyl cutting; there was no digital printing. "Our first 'computer' was actually a mechanical device that cut letters," Tammy explained. "It had a keyboard to choose the letters and a plotter that cut six at a time, with cartridges acting like a circuit board. It was very limited. The main thing we used it for at first was the legal vehicle numbers that are required on tractor-trailers. For many years Brian hand-painted the names on boats and we would do the CF numbers, which are required by law, in vinyl."

Eventually they adapted to what is called a diga-typing tablet, which is a 20X20-inch square that had sensors in it and the operator would use a mouse to draw the image and it would be cut out with the same mechanical device. "We didn't get our first actual computer until 1991 and neither of us even knew how to use a mouse when we first started classes to learn how to use one," said Tammy.

Moving into the era of computers expanded the Daley's capabilities dramatically. Now they have over 2500 fonts to choose from, which they admit can sometimes be a curse rather than a blessing. Their first job using vinyl was for K&N back in 1998 and same trailer is still out there today. "The vinyl itself changes everyday," explains Tammy. "The medias get better, the inks get better, and printers get better and faster. The laminates get glossier and shinier. One of the issues we've dealt with is how glossy we can make the laminates. It wasn't quite clear; it wasn't quite shiny enough. Ideally what we're trying to do is achieve a paint look. That's the Holy Grail. So that you can look at something and not know if it's painted or if it’s vinyl."    

Tammy noted that one of the best examples of the differences is on the new Monster Funny Car of Kenny Bernstein. "You can see the front half is painted black and it's an incredible paint job, it really catches your eye and it is so glossy. But the print is not so good. It's a really nice print but you can see that the gloss is just not quite there."

Expect a Lot has worked closely with the 3M Company on the issue of glossiness. "They make the best product out there," said Tammy, "everything comes together. There is another company that has more gloss but it doesn't have as good an adhesive, it doesn't stick and they don't have the same guarantees. So you give up something no matter which company you go with. We've chosen to go with 3M because of its durability and guarantee against fading. But until recently we've given up some gloss because of that."

The Daley's actually formulated a custom product that 3M produced just for them. That led to 3M's new version of their media that features a grid on the back so that the air can be released during application. The air is released out of the sides and that eliminates the chances of getting an air bubble under a full wrap on the side of a trailer, which would force you to start over. The product is called 'Comply' and has been available for six or seven years. But the product has one drawback; it gives off a pattern to the front of the vinyl, which takes away from the glossy look. Unsatisfied with this, Brian worked with 3M to create a smaller pattern on the back, dubbed 'Micro Comply'.

When it came to applying vinyl to race cars it was a matter of learning through experimentation. Every car is different with a different layout. Every car that comes to Expect A Lot requires a different application method. "A lot of guys out there can wrap a car in a day," said Brian, "But it's like comparing apples and oranges, there's a good wrap and then there's a wrap you can do in a day. Our wraps are of the highest quality and unless it's absolutely necessary you won't see a seam in our wrap. For example, we will wrap a 53-foot-long trailer with two pieces, maybe three, running the whole length of the trailer. Normally, with a 54-inch standard, everyone does them vertically, using 14 panels."

 

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With a normal workload the installation time for the vinyl wrap of a trailer is approximately two days. A car can be turned around in a day. The accuracy of the scale of the artwork in relation to the vehicle wrap is very important and has improved dramatically with computers as opposed to hand drawn renderings. "A lot of times we'll do a schematic on the trailer and send it to the artist and they will design around that and that usually helps out tremendously," said Brian. "Designers continue to become savvier about what needs to be done to make it work."

Another step that Expect A Lot uses to assure a painted look is the application of a clear vinyl after the wrap of a vehicle is completed. A half-inch strip of clear vinyl is applied on the edges of the wrap on and off the vehicle to prevent any lifting around the edges. While it is a very time-consuming process, it goes a long way towards helping to achieve the sought-after painted look.

The Daley's were smart enough not to put all their eggs into one basket when they began working in motorsports. None of their long list of customers is more than 10 to 12 percent of their entire business. Say for instance, Lucas Oil. They provide all of their racing needs, as well as taking care of their fleet vehicles, which involves the tractors and trailers. "We do a lot of things for Lucas, but the majority of it doesn't involve racing," said Tammy. “In fact, much of their work is generated through fleet vehicles.”

Expect A Lot can wrap just about anything, as evidenced by their work with the Los Angeles Marathon. They completed 21 wraps in 18 days, which included Honda Gold Wing motorcycles, buses, cars and vans. "It was a huge undertaking but we met our deadlines every time," said Brian. With 18,000-square-feet to work with, Expect A Lot also has the ability to do multiple indoor jobs. They can accommodate up to five 53-foot trailers simultaneously.

"If it's a solid color, we can wrap just about anything," says Tammy. "Compound curves are the hardest thing and we quit doing helmets because it's just not cost affective."   

Brian and Tammy rely on word of mouth rather than advertising, noting that a quality wrap job is more likely to draw the attention of fellow competitors and bring them plenty of business. With only about 10 companies offering vinyl wrapping across the country, Expect A Lot's quality work and professionalism has positioned them as a leader in the industry. They currently employ 15 people full time to keep up with the growing demand for their services.

The long list of clients that use Expect A Lot includes: Suzuki, Kawasaki, John Force Racing, Valvoline, Lucas Oil, Torco Race Fuels, Bridgestone, Coors, Inland Kenworth, L.A. Freightliner, Hooker Headers, Jack In The Box, JC Penny, Airborne Express, Lexus, Dodge, Ford, Goodyear, and many more. They augment their work by doing wholesale printing for local sign companies.

"When we started the business we couldn't have possibly envisioned what we are doing today," said Tammy, "Technology didn't allow it. But back in the late '70s when custom vans were popular Brian was doing a lot of this kind of work by hand, airbrushing murals and that sort of thing. We never dreamed of what we are doing now because the technology just didn't exist. But what we always envisioned is a company that was professional and did a good job for everyone, all of the time. A lot of our customers we've had for over twenty years."

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