Artist Spotlight: Joe R. Wells

After planting the seed some 24 years ago on NASCAR Thunder 2002, Florida's Joe Wells (aka GB22 Designs) saw his 4-year-old dream recognized with a paint scheme in the new NASCAR 25 game, two iconic throwbacks and one carrying the name of American Racing royalty.

1️⃣ How did you get your start designing?

My traditional "start" in designing happened around three years ago or so when I finally found my way to the iRacing platform. But it has honestly always been something I have been doing unintentionally. I would say I got my "start" 24 years ago while playing NASCAR Thunder 2002. I would spend endless hours on that game, and quite literally every NASCAR Console game since, just designing my own car. While I loved the idea of getting to race as one of my heroes, it was always more special to me to make my own car and get out there under my own name. Half the time I would go out there in my own car and push my favorite drivers to the win. As a kid this made everything feel more realistic. 

One of the biggest things that made me want to design my own liveries was being able to stand out from everyone else. It always bothered me loading into a session to see someone else racing the same car I was. I always wanted to be unique.

Once I found my way onto the iRacing platform, I was hooked because I knew I had unlocked a plethora of customization abilities. This inspired me to work on making my own projects and learn the Adobe platform between Photoshop and Illustrator. 

2️⃣ Where do you turn for inspiration?

I think much like other designers; I love to look at everyone's work and find inspiration through them. I am well aware I have a long road ahead of me to continue to improve my skills, and looking through other creative works is always a must. Just being at the track is also another massive inspiration for me. Whether I am at an IMSA, WEC, IndyCar, or NASCAR event, there is always something catching my eye that I have to take note of.

Another thing is spending hours on Jayski's website. The amount of liveries just available at the touch of a button is amazing, and it really allows you to see how the motorsports livery world has grown. The fact that my schemes are on the website itself now gives me hope that someday a new designer will see something I did, and will use it as inspiration.

A lot of my inspiration comes from my diecast collection as well. I have hundreds of 1/24 scale NASCAR diecasts around my office and PC. So using them as a hands-on source is also something I have found to be extremely helpful. 

3️⃣ What project of yours personally are you most proud of and why?

It feels weird to just pick one project, as I love them all differently. Especially with the Bobby Earnhardt ARCA test happening not too long ago. But I think I would have to say the livery I made for Blaine Perkins in 2024 at Homestead-Miami [Speedway]. While we had just done something amazing the week prior with the team, this design was my first true "original" design on track. I felt that the colors worked so perfectly with the Homestead atmosphere, and I was able to have a lot of my very close friends be a part of the occasion. It is definitely something I will always look back on and remember. 

4️⃣ What's your 'trademark' style that helps you stand out from other designers?

While I am not sure I have a particular "trademark" style, I absolutely love having any chance to do a throwback scheme. Between the Harvick throwback and the Earnhardt throwback I have done already, it is definitely something that gets me extremely excited. I love to see people's reactions online and hearing their stories of what they remember from the original car that we are throwing back to. Other than that, while I am not sure it is my "trademark" style, I love making loud and bold schemes. Something that will make you stop for a second and really take the whole car in. If I got you to stop and look, I succeeded.   

5️⃣ Not many can say they had the honor of designing for an Earnhardt. You crafted the No. 89 for Bobby Dale Earnhardt for his ARCA test, paying tribute to Dale Sr.’s 2001 Rolex 24 entry. How did you end up connecting with Bobby and how did the scheme come to life? 

That particular race in 2001, among a few other things related to it and to me personally, means a lot to me – more than I could realistically explain. So when I saw his concept, I asked for his blessing to bring it to the iRacing world. From there it got quite a few people racing it across multiple NASCAR series within the sim, and even iRacing reposted it.

After that, the owner of Rise Racing, Tim Goulet, had seen it and brought it up to a close friend of mine, Brayton Laster. Brayton immediately put Tim in contact with me and we started to get to work. Knowing Bobby was going to be in the car made this whole project extra special, and we spent countless hours late into the night to get the scheme just how we wanted it, while also making it unique to Bobby. It grew immensely from the initial concept design. Quite a few iterations were created.

It made me feel extremely proud to hear just how much Bobby enjoyed the scheme, and to hear him say "you absolutely nailed honoring my Granddad's legacy" was the cherry on top. To have the slightest connection to the Earnhardt legacy is something I will absolutely never forget. I am truly grateful to have been a part of this project, and to Bobby and Rise Racing for trusting me with such an honor. It is something I will carry with me forever.  

6️⃣ Back in 2024, you had the opportunity to design a throwback for Blaine Perkins, which featured design of the 2003 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick. How were you able to craft the throwback to make it look as close to the original as possible? 

This was a special weekend. In my previous role, we had an opportunity with Blaine to put a car on track for two weekends back to back. I wanted to kick off strong with something recognizable that would get people talking, and I think we did just that. I did a lot of digging to find the appropriate shapes and colors to emulate onto the car and to size it appropriately. With Blaine running the 29 for RSS [Racing] at the time, it felt like a really good opportunity to do a throwback even outside of Darlington weekend. 

 A massive help to me during this time was Ryan Daley Designs. As these were my first professional projects to hit the track, he helped me get everything sorted out and gave me suggestions as I was working on the designs. He helped me understand the process of working with a team and having everything come to life. Having someone as kind as Ryan to help you with a project like this was a blessing, and something I do not take for granted. He is a massive inspiration of mine as well.

7️⃣ Your Trading Paints page features a multitude of designs for different cars of different eras. Which one would you say is your favorite and why? 

I seem to be all over the place when it comes to designing for iRacing/Trading Paints. But a surprising answer to this one would be the Late Model and Super Late Models I made for a close friend of mine. The concept was a "Day and Night" set between the two cars. It was one that surprised myself, as I was very skeptical how the spec mapping would turn out. It ended up turning out great, so much so that my friend had asked me to make it public for everyone to race. While it may not be a super popular scheme that I made, I often find myself looking at it from time to time and just smiling. 

Second, I am always proud of any of the official liveries hosted on my Trading Paints profile. Being able to bring official liveries to the community is something that is extremely special to me, and not something that anyone can just do. Building the trust and relationships with these teams to be asked to put their cars into the sim is extremely rewarding. 

8️⃣ How has the ability to design freely on a platform like iRacing/Trading Paints helped you when it comes to translating that skill to the real world? 

Oh, it is absolutely everything. I would have no skin in the design world if it were not for iRacing and the Trading Paints platform. I would not have had any clue how to get started in this industry if I didn't have access to the services. Truly everything that I have been able to accomplish design-wise has stemmed from the iRacing/Trading Paints platform. The design community within iRacing is something extremely special, and everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand from my experience. By way of these platforms, I have been able to build my skills outside of the motorsport livery world as well, and utilize them in other avenues of my GB22 Designs business.

9️⃣ After having a handful of real world schemes on-track and one in the NASCAR 25 video game, what’s the next step for you in your design journey heading into the new year?

I want to keep building my portfolio and continue getting designs on track wherever opportunities exist, regardless of the series. Any weekend where you get to see your work on track is something you cannot take for granted. I still think about that kid 24 years ago playing NASCAR Thunder 2002, dreaming about having a car with my design on it, and that perspective keeps me grounded.

You never know when the next opportunity in motorsports will come, so I approach every project and every weekend with that mindset. Heading into the new year, my goal is to make 2026 a true breakout year for my motorsports design work. I want to become a familiar and dependable presence, someone teams know they can trust to deliver strong, thoughtful designs and help however needed. Consistency, growth, and being available to support teams are what I am focused on. I want to be someone teams feel comfortable reaching out to, whether they need a full livery, a refresh, or just an extra set of eyes. Being reliable and easy to work with is just as important to me as the design itself. 

🔟 Share a design tip for people just getting started.

It sounds cliché, but don't be afraid to fail. Some of my work that I have done in the past is abysmal. But repetition and continuing to grow yourself is something that I feel everyone needs, not just in the design world. I have had many clients come to me and ask me to go into a different direction, and you should be ok with that. Everyone has different thoughts on what a final end product will look like, so don't take it to heart. Pride yourself on the work that you do, and you will see yourself grow. 

Also, reach out to fellow designers in this community. You will be surprised at how willing a lot of the top designers are to help answer questions you may have or provide direction. It is truly a special community to be a part of, and something I am extremely grateful for. 

For more, follow Joe on Trading Paints and Instagram.