Motorsports fans and gear nerds can unite this weekend when the number 23 Toyota — driven by Bubba Wallace and sponsored by Columbia Sportswear — blazes laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway in an unmistakably outdoor-themed car.
Harkening back to simpler times with bolder looks, the 510-horsepower Camry will leap from the 39-car field before the green flag even drops. That’s because Wallace’s hot rod will look like it rolled straight out of a 1980s bowling alley arcade, with a purple, teal, and neon pink paint scheme.
And if that color combo sounds familiar, it’s because Columbia helped make it famous when launching the Bugaboo Parka in 1986. Not only did the jacket elevate the interchangeable concept (a 3-in-1 design with fleece and shell that could be worn individually or together), but its color palette also reflected the quintessential ’80s aesthetic.
Tech, Color, Fast Cars
Columbia’s bold and bedazzled paint scheme for Sunday’s Cup Series race may seem like an odd pairing, but the Bugaboo wrap is just the latest in a long line of NASCAR designs from the Portland brand. Columbia actually announced its first motorsports partnership back in 2020.
While the car carried the brand’s name, Columbia made clear it had entered America’s premier motor racing circuit to sponsor Wallace. At age 20, Wallace had become the first Black driver to win in a NASCAR national series in 50 years.
“In addition to his racing talent, Bubba is a charismatic and courageous leader,” Joe Boyle, Columbia brand president, said in a statement. “It is his internal fortitude that most aligns with the Columbia brand and our Tested Tough ethos. Bubba is a Tested Tough trailblazer and we are thrilled to be working with him.”
In the 5 years since, Columbia has produced original paint schemes for the 23 to promote its Omni-Heat tech, PFG apparel, and, most notably, its officially licensed Star Wars collections.
For his part, Wallace acknowledged a hot car is more fun to drive — and maybe faster — than a boring one.
“The Bugaboo jacket is a staple piece in the Columbia Sportswear line, so it’s cool to see that iconic silhouette and turn it into a Toyota Camry,” the 31-year-old driver said. “I’ve always been a firm believer in the saying ‘If you look good, you feel good, you play good.’ Needless to say, these schemes give me and the 23 team motivation to go out there and make the brand proud.”
Before you get your hopes up, Columbia has not unveiled plans to rerelease the iconic ’80s-style Bugaboo. However, Columbia still has several modern evolutions of the Bugaboo in line, and a tech-forward Powderkeg II Interchange Jacket that builds off the original 3-in-1 concept from 40 years ago.
