Speed Painter: Daryl Lehn

For one brief weekend in April, Daryl Lehn (Bill Marsh Body & Paint Center) had the chance to live his dream. He was part of a NASCAR race team. He was brought in to paint #09 of the RAB Racing Team driven by rookie NASCAR driver John Wes Townley. Since 1978, working on cars has been a part of Daryl’s life. In a concrete garage near his childhood home on River Road, Lehn tinkered with a 1956 bright yellow Chevy Bellaire at the age of 14. Now, 31-years later, Daryl is tinkering with a bright yellow NASCAR racing car.

Daryl’s 21-year old son, Jake, is a part of the RAB Team and they were in a bind. They needed a body man to make #09 shine like it belonged in a showroom. The NASCAR vehicles are more than just cars; they are the canvas of a work of art that displays valuable advertising space for hundreds of thousands of people to see — and the team needed the work done quickly.

Lehn was fl own down to the RAB garage, started work late on a Friday and by Sunday his work of art was complete. “The stress level of making sure the car was done on time was more than I expected,” says Lehn. “You have no second chances. It had to be done and done right. They are not tolerant of mistakes.”

The experience was eye opening for Daryl. He learned a lot about racing—which has long been a passion of his. “NASCAR is a way of life,” he says. “It’s not just a job. You have to work until the job is done.” And work he did. In just over two days he clocked about 38 hours. The RAB team appeared to be impressed with Daryl’s handiwork. They’ve invited him back because there is one thing for certain about the job he did — in the racing world he knows it will be slammed, gouged and nicked. The job will need to be done again.

He’s willing to help out again, but not for now. You see in addition to his job at Bill Marsh, Daryl runs a cattle farm and is busy tending to his herd. But you can bet he’ll be watching to see how #09 does on the NASCAR circuit. He’s sure to be watching his paint job and watching how his son’s team does. “I would be all about that level of racing,” says Lehn. “My passion has always been in racing, but my way of life is here in Michigan. So my son lives my life.”