Model: Darrell “Bubba” Wallace’s #43 NASCAR U.S. Air Force sponsored Camaro ZL1 1LE
Line: Lionel NASCAR Authentics, 2019 Wave 11
Ebay Link: NASCAR Bubba Wallace Air Force Camaro
Why it’s in my collection: If there are two paint schemes I won’t pass up, the Petty #43 and shark nose are those schemes. Both liveries are iconic in their own rights, but together? Yes please!
While the 1/64th release is from late 2019, the full-sized scheme debuted on the #43 car during the 2019 summer race at Daytona, and then used two more times, with the latest being the 2020 Daytona 500. The Camaro’s aggressive jawline looked like it was ready to eat Fords and Toyotas at a moments notice.
Lionel has really knocked this version of the #43 Camaro out of the park as it very closely resembles the car that ran in the 500 — even down to the faux aircraft rivet lines on the body. Some of the sponsorship logos change from race to race, so depending on which version is your favorite you’ll have to watch out for the variations. None the less, this is one of the coolest NASCAR liveries in quite some time. 🏁
Snagged that one as soon as I saw it at WM…1/64 scale
Same here – I try and pick up an 1/64th scale #43 cars I see, and I had a special eye out for this one. One of the best looking liveries in some time.