A lifelong NASCAR fan, he began working on designing drivers' cars paint schemes with Bobby Allison in 1988.

[1] A year after graduating high school, Bass joined a friend at the 1981 Talladega 500 with the goal of getting his Bobby Allison painting autographed.

[2] In 1984, he was hired by Charlotte Motor Speedway to design programs for the track's races starting with that year's World 600.

[1][4] He was later commissioned by Allison's merchandise team member Hank Jones to create a poster of Allison to sell, followed by doing the same for fellow Miller Brewing Company-sponsored driver Bobby Hillin Jr.[2] In late 1987, Miller requested him to design their entire motorsport schemes for the 1988 season.

Allison went on to win the Daytona 500 in his first race in a Bass-drawn car, and Danny Sullivan won the CART PPG Cup.

[3] Other drivers who raced with schemes drawn by Bass include Dale Earnhardt, Tony Stewart, and Hendrick Motorsports' Nos.

[7] In April's Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway, Joey Gase and MBM Motorsports ran a tribute scheme to Bass on their No.