Some liveries look good in a photo. This one looks good sideways at full lock with smoke pouring off the rear tires. AZRagIPS handled the full design, print, and installation on Josh Ledoux’s S197 Ford Mustang drift build, a Carquest sponsored race car that competes at events across the region including Bowling Green. Here is how the build came together.

The Design: Built for the Track

The livery centers on a black base with electric green and teal accents, sponsor logo placements for Carquest, Hewett Racing, Synergy, and AC Racing, and a graphic treatment that works with the Mustang’s wide body kit rather than against it. The cross-hatch pattern across the hood and door panels creates visual texture without competing with the sponsor blocks on the sides.

Getting sponsor placement right on a competition car requires thinking beyond the shop floor. Logos need to read from trackside, from paddock photos, and from the angles that show up in event coverage. Every placement decision on this car was made with that in mind.

Materials: 3M IJ175 with 8518 Overlaminate

This livery was printed on 3M IJ175cv3 cast film and finished with 3M 8518 overlaminate. The IJ175 is a high-conformability cast vinyl built for complex curves and long-term outdoor exposure. The 8518 overlaminate adds gloss protection and UV resistance — on a competition car that sees track days, pressure washing, and outdoor events through a full season, the overlaminate is not optional.

Calendered film has no place on a competition build. It shrinks under heat cycles and lifts at edges. Cast film with a proper overlaminate is the only right answer for a car that actually races.

Installation on a S197

The S197 Mustang platform introduces panel transitions and edge conditions that a stock-bodied car does not have. The front splitter, side skirts, and rear diffuser all required precise cutting and edge sealing. The livery has to hold through multiple heat cycles per event — which means every edge that could catch air or moisture gets treated during install.

The action shots from Newport Speedway tell you everything you need to know about whether the install held up.

AZ Rag: Design, Print, and Install Under One Roof

This build was handled entirely in-house at AZ Rag — design in Adobe Illustrator, large-format print on our own equipment, and installation by our certified team. Having design and install under the same roof means the people laying out the livery know exactly what the installers will have to work with. That alignment shows in the finished product. See more of our drift car livery work here or browse the full portfolio.