Have you ever wondered how “Flip the Dolphin” or “Grizz the Bear” from Frontier Airlines hitch a ride on those planes? A gentleman competing in the Super Gas category this past weekend at the Mopar Mile High Nationals held in Morrison, Co., had a pretty good hand in giving these marketable animals their ‘wings’.

Super Gas racer Steve Johnson is the operator of Fineline Graphics. The Lakewood, Colo.-based company began to apply their quality product on every Frontier plane in 1995.

When Steve’s not adorning 737 jets with animal graphics, he keeps busy racing in the NHRA’s Super Gas division.

Have you ever wondered how “Flip the Dolphin” or “Grizz the Bear” from Frontier Airlines hitch a ride on those planes? A gentleman competing in the Super Gas category this past weekend at the Mopar Mile High Nationals held in Morrison, Co., had a pretty good hand in giving these marketable animals their ‘wings’.

Super Gas racer Steve Johnson is the operator of Fineline Graphics. The Lakewood, Colo.-based company began to apply their quality product on every Frontier plane in 1995.

When Steve’s not adorning 737 jets with animal graphics, he keeps busy racing in the NHRA’s Super Gas division.

Johnson, the 2005 NHRA O’Reilly Summer Nationals champion, along with his wife Vicky, campaign a two-car team on the NHRA Division 5 Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.

He drives a 1941 Willys while she pilots a Super Comp dragster.

The Johnsons love their drag racing but nothing makes for a more effective marketing tool than racing alongside of a current and potential customer. 

Johnson credits his father,nd Fineline founder Mark Beatty as major factors in establishing solid personal and business skills. Then there’s one of the quicker and faster businessmen in town, V. Gaines, offering more than a fair share of business tips.

“My dad and V have always allowed me to learn by doing. And not only in business, but in life as well, establishing relationships based on trust is critical to success.”

Success is nothing new to Fineline as their non-racing clientele includes Frontier and the Denver Broncos. It is estimated that he services the graphics needs for 80 percent of the Super class racers who race regularly at Bandimere. 

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