March 21, 2003

VCU graduate student's Winston Cup Car design is a hit

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By Malorie Burkett

Virginia Commonwealth University's Winston Cup Car's design created quite a buzz during the Go Team VA unveiling ceremony this week on the grounds of the State Capitol.

Designed by Susie Dee, a graduate student in the VCU Sports Center, VCU's car stood out as a beauty with its bright gold background peppered with black detailing from the VCU Rams logo on the hood to the rams horns around the front wheel wells and racing stripes, fading to gray, on the rear quarter panels.

"Once we made the decision to participate in Go Team VA, I immediately thought about Susie designing the VCU Rams Winston Cup car," said Dr. Richard L. Sander, VCU's Athletic Director. "Her creativity is remarkable. I am amazed at her ability to turn a car into a charging Ram and make it seem effortless."

From left: B.J. Burton, associate athletic director for marketing and promotions at VCU, Gov. Mark Warner and Hermie Sadler unveil VCU's Winston Car Cup during a ceremony at the State Capitol. Photo by Steve Rose, MotorSports Memories
From left: B.J. Burton, associate athletic director for marketing and promotions at VCU, Gov. Mark Warner and Hermie Sadler unveil VCU's Winston Car Cup during a ceremony at the State Capitol. Photo by Steve Rose, MotorSports Memories

Dee is an artist-athlete who is starting to make a habit of combining her two talents for the benefit of the public. While she was designing the VCU Winston Cup car, she also was organizing the inaugural SPARTshow -- an art auction that

features the work of sports artists as well as the work of athletes who are artists. The SPARTSHOW will be held 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., Thursday, April 3 at VCU's Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond. Proceeds will benefit the VCU Graduate Sports Leadership Program.

Dee graduated Summa Cum Laude from VCU in May 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in communications arts and design. She is a former VCU women's basketball standout who was named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Academic Team in 2002.

The Dee-designed VCU car was unveiled by Gov. Mark Warner and NASCAR Winston Cup driver Hermie Sadler, along with other school-spirited designed cars of the University of Virginia, James Madison University and Virginia Tech.

Go Team VA is a racing partnership between Sadler Motorsports and the four Virginia universities. The two-year program will allow VCU, UVA, JMU and Virginia Tech to compete in a minimum of six NASCAR Winston Cup Series events in 2003 and 2004, and gives college students and supporters the chance to cheer as their own Winston Cup Car races in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series on network television. For more information on GO Team VA, visit www.goteamva.com.