Sim-Racing Diaries: A Cue from Bruce Wayne

Shawmut Racing

Shawmut Racing (SR) is a small online race team out of Boston, MA and was founded in 2017 by the enigmatic, Smock Ramen. Mr. Ramen calls Boston home, but was born in 1998 in Syracuse, NY. He quickly established a reputation for logic, Wicca and an affinity for various forms of Japanese pasta. I am lucky enough to know Mr. Ramen personally, and he is a private person and does not readily discuss his dealings. He prefers that I, it's current and lone driver in it's history, and Shawmut Racing partners be "the faces" of the organization. SR participates in iRacing in a variety of race series. 

SR proudly runs the primary colors of DaSilva Red and Black Pappab. These colors have been utilized in all DaSilva family vehicles for over 40 years. These colors represent: power, strength, passion, love, elegance and mystery. Although DaSilva Red and Black Pappab can be approximated digitally, the true hex color number and specific color components are not publicly disclosed and are closely guarded secrets. Other colors that SR run are various shades of grey, which also have been utilized on DaSilva family vehicles over the years to varying degrees. Given our partners' specific brand requirements, it is optional to have DaSilva Red and Black Pappab as primary livery colors. However, it is required that all Shawmut Racing vehicles have DaSilva Red and Black Pappab in the liveries in some fashion; our partners respect this.  

Shawmut Racing iconography is all new and was specifically designed by Mr. Ramen himself. He wished to broadly explore and express the duality of a man through symbolism. He took some inspiration from the storytelling industry in the form of Bruce Wayne via the quote: "As a man I'm flesh and blood. I can be ignored. I can be destroyed. But as a symbol, --as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting." The logo consists of 3 elements: the Common Man, the SR/617 letter and number combination, and the crossed canoe or mishoon paddles. What do these elements mean and intend to represent? The Common Man is a visual representation of Mr. Ramen in that he is both real and imagined. The letters SR both stand for Smock Ramen and Shawmut Racing. Additionally, the Shawmut name is the colonial corruption of the Algonquian word, Mashauwomuk, which describes the area of present day Boston; here are two cultures that are describing the same place. The number 617 is Boston's area code, but also represents the number 5. Five is the number of Lagrange or libration points that exists between two large orbiting bodies and where they balance each other. Lastly, the canoe paddles represents the relevance of the sea and waterways to Boston's history for all time. It is the water that allows for life and it is the water that allows for death. 

To carry the theme of dualism further, the logo itself creates two images. On one hand, the Shawmut Racing logo itself. On the other hand, a representation of the Jolly Roger, which is easier to see at a distance. This representation ties back to nautical themes, admiralty, piracy and Boston's relationship with them (who does not like pirates?). However, which image is the intended image? When we define dualism, are we discussing multiple identities or are we discussing the physical world vs. the spiritual world or both? Therefore, the Shawmut Racing logo is a perfect analogy as it relates to the real world vs. the simulated world and the fluidity that distinguishes the two; and given that it prompts some additional thought, it is the perfect logo to distract other racers from the task at hand when they see SR in their mirrors!

Next time we will discuss the Shawmut Racing partners who again allow us to represent them and offer tons of support. These organizations are Soridas Holding Company, Sacsayhuamán Credit Union, M&S Seafood and Poultry, Granite Man Logistics, AMD Antiques, The Lyons Group, Zaylen Cakes and Donna Power & Light.