Month: April 2018

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 28, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Sparks Energy Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, but I think that the whole motif is over done. It’s not great, but not awful at the same time. I’ll give it a C+.

Landon Cassill #00 Star Com Fiber Chevy Camaro-The addition of the paint splatter motif doesn’t work that well, but it’s not horrible. It does take a C scheme down to a C-.

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as #42 McDonald’s. B+

Austin Dillon #3 Scooper Cat Litter Chevy Camaro-This is the worst color scheme I’ve seen in a while, and the design, while awful, doesn’t work with color scheme at all. I wish I could give lower than an F for this scheme.

Clint Bowyer #14 Ford NASCAR Hall of Fans Ford Fusion-Black is a great base color for a race car, silver, blue, and white work sell with black. I do think the side designs are over done, but they aren’t horrible. The scheme as a whole earns a .C-

Ross Chastain #15 Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Flavor Vote Toyota Camry-The addition of the three flavors the public can vote on are done well, and the car still has a good look. A

Paul Menard #21 Quaker State Ford Fusion-Green can be a temperamental color to work with on a race car, but Quaker State has a great shade of green. Apparently, they felt the need to compensate for that by having a gaudy white design on the sides. Again, it’s not horrible, but it just doesn’t work. I’ll give it a B-.

Gray Gaulding #23 Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant Toyota Camry-The color scheme is decent, could use a little work. The side designs are a tad over done, and they don’t work with the color scheme. I’m going to give this one a C-

Ryan Newman #31 Childress Vineyard Chevy Camaro-The simplified design and great color scheme work well. I also like the building motif on the sides. I’ll give this scheme the A it deserves.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Superior Logistics Ford Fusion-The white with red and blue stripes is a great looking scheme, and the car has a great look as a direct result. Nothing bad to say about this scheme! A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Food Lion Feeds Chevy Camaro-My only complaint here is that the shade of yellow isn’t great. If it was just blue and white, it would work much better, still it’s a really good scheme, so I’ll give it an A-.

Timothy Peters #92 Advance Auto Parts Ford Fusion-The Ricky Benton Racing motif on sides is awful, and takes what would otherwise be an A scheme down to a B+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Sirius and Ultra Motorsports…A Match That Almost Worked

By David G. Firestone

Founded in 1995, Ultra Motorsports went through different drivers and manufacturers until 2002, when they settled on Dodge. In 2002, they acquired Sirius Satellite Radio as a sponsor, and raced the full season. This sponsorship continued until the end of 2003, during which time, the team fielded a second car. After the 2003 season, they lost the sponsorship, and only raced in 2 races in 2004. The team would get sold to Robby Gordon in 2005.

In 2002, Ultra Motorsports raced a full season with Casey Atwood as the driver. The team didn’t do much that season, and Atwood was replaced with Jason Leffler for the last two races of the season. In 2003, the team raced a full season with Jimmy Spencer for 35 of the 36 races, and Ted Musgrave for a single race. Spencer had 1 top 5 and 4 top 10’s. During that time, one of their crew members wore this Simpson one piece double-layer firesuit.The suit shows decent use, having been worn for two seasons.The collar is a standard collar, with SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO logos on the sides.Inside the cowl is a standard Simpson warranty tag. There is no flags or other indications of any kind present.The right chest features a NASCAR WINSTON CUP SERIES logo, and a small SIMPSON patch present.The left chest features a DODGE logo embroidered into it.The front torso features a large white SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO logo, which shows signs of wear, embroidered into it.The black belt features a white GOODYEAR logo embroidered into it.The black legs feature white SIRIUS logos in television position on the sides. The cuffs show damage, including fire discoloration. The right shoulder is missing its epaulet.The right sleeve features a SIMPSON logo, a SOUTHERN PRIDE TRUCKING logo, and a SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO logo on the top, and SIRIUS at the end of the sleeve in television position. The left shoulder does have its epaulet, and it is embroidered with a SIRIUS logo.The left sleeve features a NASCAR logo, a ULTRA/EVERNHAM MOTORSPORTS logo, and a SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO logo on the top, and SIRIUS at the end of the sleeve in television position. The back of the suit shows wear on the logos.The back of the neck is unadorned.The Sirius dog is embroidered on the back, and there are a number of stains on the logo.Ultra Motorsports was one of those teams that raced full seasons in the Cup series, with no real tangible results. Their time in the Truck Series was much better, with 36 wins from 1995 to 2004, and the 2004 Driver’s Championship with Ted Musgrave. In total, Ultra Motorsports had 36 wins, 157 top 5’s, and 233 top 10’s. They should have just focused on the Truck Series.

Next week, an aspect that all race cars share, but isn’t sold as memorabilia…for the most part.

The Driver Suit Blog-Throwback Thursday-1971 #17 Porsche 917LH

Jo Siffert and Derek Bell 1971 #17 Porsche 917LH

Porsche’s 917LH is a beautiful car, that has a really streamlined look. The Gulf colors make a return, and merge seamlessly with the contours of the 917LH. Add in a nice looking stripe across the sides, and you have an all around beautiful car. This is an A look.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Tracker-April 25, 2018

By David G Firestone

STAR COM RACING #00

Jeffery Earnhardt #00 VRX Racing Simulators Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with silver and blue cutting edge designs. C

Landon Cassill #00 USFRA.ORG/Starcom Fiber Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue with red and silver designs, and red roof. B+

Landon Cassill #00 TW Cable/Superior Essex Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with TW Cable on hood, and Superior Essex on sides. A

Landon Cassill #00 Sparks Energy Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, yellow front, fades to black sides and lightning motif on rear. C+

Landon Cassill #00 Star Com Fiber Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, paint splatter motif on sides has been added. C-

CHIP GANASSI RACING #1

Jamie McMurray #1 GearWrench Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with green stripes and roof. A

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with blue waves on sides. A

Jamie McMurray #1 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, dark blue and white with diagonal stripes. B-

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red and black replaces blue. A

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red with yellow and black stripe, and yellow design on rear quarter panel bottom. A-

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as McDonald’s, but with black, white, and gray. A

Jamie McMurray #1 Clover Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, blue fade with circuit designs across sides. C-

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as #42 McDonald’s. B+

TEAM PENSKE #2

Brad Keselowski #2 Wurth Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, white and red Penske template. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, white with black outline. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion–No change. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion–No Change. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Auto Trader Ford Fusion–No Change. D-

Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Bruce Halle Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, same as discount tire but with Bruce Halle tribute on hood. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Reese/Drawtite Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, Penske Template with blue and black. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Genuine Draft Throwback Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, based on Rusty Wallace’s 1990 MGD Pontiac Grand Prix. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Patriotic Ford Fusion–No change. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #3

Austin Dillon#3 Dow Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black fade to red to black across whole car. A

Austin Dillon #3 AAA Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, all red, with white stripe pattern on sides. A

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, green front, black rear, white and black waves on sides. C-

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Silastic Silicone Elastomers Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with liquid motif on front, and yellow field motif on rear. A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Killz Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, same as Dow but with Killz logo on sides. B+

Austin Dillon #3 Symbicort Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with blue and yellow designs across car. C-

Austin Dillon #3 Realtree Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, yellow and blue tye dye on hood, Realtree camouflage on sides, yellow and black curves separating the two. F

Austin Dillon #3 Scooper Cat Litter Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white, light blue, and light yellow with polka dot motif. F

STEWART-HAAS RACING #4

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Ford Fusion–No change. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion–No change. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy Johns Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black and white reversed. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Plaid Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, dark blue plaid all over car, gold rear. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1/Busch Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, Mobil 1 front, Busch rear quarter panel. B+

ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #6

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black with grey, silver and blue stripes. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion–No change. B-

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare 25th Anniversary Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, same as regular, but with 25th Anniversary logo on hood. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Ford EcoBoost Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black replaces red, more toned down, with white rear. B+

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #7

Danica Patrick #7 GoDaddy/Warriors By Danica Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2018, green with white stripes and black rear. A-

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #8

Daniel Hemric #8 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, green with black stripes and black hood. C+

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #9

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2017, blue with white designs on sides. B+

Chase Elliott #9 Hooters Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, orange back and white front, with Y design across sides. B-

Chase Elliott #9 Sun Energy Chevy Camaro–No change. F

Chase Elliott #9 Kelly Blue Book Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue with white diagonal side and cutting edge design. C

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew Chevy SS–New scheme for 2018, green with small black stripes on bottom. A

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew Baja Bast Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, same as Mountain Dew, but silver replaces gold. A

STEWART-HAAS RACING #10

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Foods Ford Fusion–New sponsor for 2018, black and white with slash patterns on sides. A

Aric Almirola #10 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, silver replaces green. A

Aric Almirola #10 Go Bowling Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, similar to 2017 Stenhouse scheme, wood has replaced red on sides, and design has been toned down. A-

JOE GIBBS RACING #11

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry–No change. B-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry–No change. B-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry–No change. B-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry–No change. B-

TEAM PENSKE #12

Ryan Blaney #12 Duracel/Menard’s Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2017, yellow with narrow stripes. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Dex Imaging Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, Penske template, white front, red rear. A

Ryan Blaney #12 PPG Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, blue front, white rear, horizontal paint drip motif across car. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Peak/Menard’s Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with Peak on hood. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Pennzoil Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, yellow with silver and white wave design on sides. B-

Ryan Blaney #12 Carlisle Tools Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, Penske template with gold and white. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018. white roof and hood, red sides with sublimated triangles with a black stripe near front wheel. B+

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Libman Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with Libman on hood. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template, with Richmond Water Heaters on hood. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Fleetwood RV Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as Red Cross, but with Fleetwood RV on sides. A

GERMAIN RACING #13

Ty Dillon #13 Twisted Tea Chevy Camaro–No change. A

Ty Dillon #13 Geico Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, similar scheme to 2017, but some cutting edge designs replace stripe on sides. C

Ty Dillon #13 Geico Millitary Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, similar scheme t0 2017, but with some changes to the front. F

STEWART-HAAS RACING #14

Clint Bowyer #14 Rush’s Truck Stops Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, yellow front, red stripe, black rear. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas CNC Ford Fusion–No change. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion–No change. A

Clint Bowyer #14 CSU One Cure Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, side stripes are cleaner. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas Demo Days Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, same as Hass, but with Haas Demo Days on hood. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Wix Filters Ford Fusion–New sponsor for 2018, black with sublimated Wix filters logos, with a series of bright yellow stripes on sides. F

Clint Bowyer #14 Ford NASCAR Hall of Fans Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, black, with  white hood and roof, and a series of blue, silver, and white designs on sides. C-

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #15

Ross Chastain #15 Low T Center Chevy Camaro–No change. F

Ross Chastain #15 Championship Machinery Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue, white, and yellow brush stroke motif across car. C-

Ross Chastain #15 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, black, with white and blue letters. A

ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #17

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, blue with white and black diagonal stripes across sides. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fifth-Third Bank Ford Fusion–No change. B-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Ford Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black front, with red and black stripes across sides. F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Sunny D Ford Fusion–No change. F

JOE GIBBS RACING #18

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry–No change. A

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Almond Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, red, white and blue with large stripes on sides. F

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Caramel Toyota Camry–No change. A

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Sweet Heat Toyota Camry–No change. A

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry–No change. F

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Flavor Vote Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, same as M&M’s, but with the choices that can be voted for on quarter panel. A

JOE GIBBS RACING #19

Daniel Suarez #19 Stanley Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2017, yellow with a series of gray and black cutting edge designs on sides. D-

Daniel Suarez #19 Arris Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018, orange replaces silver on quarter panel. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Peak Toyota Camry–No change. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Arris Ruckus Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, solid orange with white and black numbers and letters. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Coca Cola Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2018, red with white Coca Cola stripe across sides. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Stanley Tools Racing For Miracles Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, black and yellow cow motif with tape measure on sides. B-

JOE GIBBS RACING #20

Erik Jones #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry–No change. A

Erik Jones #20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, black with red bottom. A

Erik Jones #20 Circle K Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018, slightly different design, with shorter stripes, and logo adjustments. A

Erik Jones #20 SportClips Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2018, same as 2017 #11. C-

Erik Jones #20 Sirius/XM Toyota Camry–No change. B+

WOOD BROTHER RACING #21

Paul Menard #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion–No change. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as #12. A

Paul Menard #21 OmniCraft Auto Parts Ford Fusion–No change. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Dutch Boy Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with Dutch Boy on the hood. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/FVP Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with FVP. A

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Fusion–No change. A

Paul Menard #21 Quaker State Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, greed with gold and white curve design on sides. B-

TEAM PENSKE #22

Joey Logano #22 AAA Ford Fusion–No change. D

Joey Logano #22 Auto Trader Ford Fusion–No Change. D-

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion–No change. A

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion–No change. D

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion–No change. A

BK RACING #23

Gray Gaulding #23 EarthWater Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018, white replaces black, complex gray, orange, and blue designs on sides. F

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, white with red and black numbers. A

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, black sides, white hood and roof. A

Gray Gaulding #23 Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, white with red and green designs on sides. C-

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24

William Byron #24 Axalta Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2017, blue with flame motif across whole car. A

William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2017, blue with red flames on front. A

William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, white letters replace red ones. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #31

Ryan Newman #31 Granger Chevy Camaro–No change. A

Ryan Newman #31 Caterpillar Chevy Camaro–No change. B-

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, green front, rear and roof, blue sides. F

Ryan Newman #31 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, red top, yellow stripes, black bottom. C-

Ryan Newman #31 Chevy Accessories Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, white with metal designs on sides. A

Ryan Newman #31 eBay Motors Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, fade to blue, wave designs on sides. A

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Patriotic Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, American flag motif with green numbers. A-

Ryan Newman #31 Childress Vineyard Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black, with curve on sides, and sublimated building design on sides. A

GO FAS RACING #32

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2017, red, with slight wave formation across sides. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 The Hurricane Heist Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, dark blue thunderstorm motif. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Can Am/Wholey Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, slight design change, with Wholey logo on quarter panel. F

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Crowdfunded Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, white with a series on logos on the sides. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Plan B Sales Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, white with pink outlines and fan names across car. F

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Superior Logistics Ford Fusion–New sponsor for 2018, white with red and blue diagonal stripes on sides. A

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #34

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops/Speedco Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDowell #34 K-Love Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDoewll #34 K-Love Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDowell #34 A&W Ford Fusion–No change. A

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING #37

Chris Buescher #37 Kleenex Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue with silver and white cutting edge designs. C

Chris Buescher #37 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with red and yellow fire design on sides. A

Chris Buescher #37 Natural Light Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red cutting edge designs have been added. B-

Chris Buescher #37 Scott Towels Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red sides with stripes, white front and rear. B+

Chris Buescher #37 Healthy Choice Power Bowls Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with sublimated leaf designs across car. A

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Best Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, red with white designs on sides. A

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #38

David Ragan #38 Shriner’s Children’s Hospital Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, blue with black and white stripe, and red bottom. A

David Ragan #38 FR8 Auctions Ford Fusion–No change. F

David Ragan#38 MDS Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018 all white with MDS logos on sides and hood. A

David Ragan #38 1000 Bulbs Ford Fusion–No change. D+

David Ragan #38 MDS Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, white roof, blue and orange stripe across bottom. A

David Ragan #38 The Pete Store Ford Fusion–No change. A

STEWART-HAAS RACING #41

Kurt Busch #41 State Water Heaters Ford Fusion-No change. B+

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Ford Fusion–No Change. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas/Monster Ford Fusion–No Change. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, red fade to black. A

Kurt Busch #41 Mobil 1/Haas CNC Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, same as Mobil 1, with silver, and Haas CNC on sides. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Throwback Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, based on Kurt’s sharpie scheme from 2003. A

CHIP GANASSI RACING #42

Kyle Larson #42 Credit One Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue with white and lighter blue stripes. A

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, same design as #1, but with colors reversed. B-

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, blue and white with sunburst motif on sides. D-

Kyle Larson #42 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, similar to #1 but black replaces yellow on quarter panel. B+

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #43

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Click N Close Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2017, dark blue with Click N Close. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Air Force Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, same as 2017, but with black stripe across bottom. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 STP Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red sides, blue hood and roof, with some silver designs on borders. A-

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 NASCAR Racing Experience Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, blue sides, white hood and roof. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, blue rear. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Farmer John Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018 red front and hood, dark blue rear. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Food Lion Feeds Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue sides, white hood and roof, yellow stripes on sides. A-

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING #47

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, white with blue and red stripes on sides. B-

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #48

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with gray outlines. A

RICK WARE RACING #51

Justin Marks #51 Keens Buildings Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with orange, gray, and white designs on sides. D+

Justin Marks #51 Harry’s Razors Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue, orange, and white sunbeam design. C+

Cole Custer #51 Haas CNC Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as #14, but white replaces black. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Davis Roofing Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with red and black vertical stripes. A

Timmy Hill #51 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, red with stripes on hood and roof. A

Timmy Hill #51 Bubba Burger Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with fire motif on sides. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Custom Aircraft Cabinets Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, orange with white designs on sides. D+

Harrison Rhodes #51 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, plain black with white and red numbers. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Industrial Construction Experts Inc. Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with white stripes across hood and roof, yellow and blue lettering, and designs on sides. B-

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #55

Joey Gase #55 Nevada Donor Network Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with orange and blue designs on sides. A-

Reed Sorenson #55 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as Nevada Donor Network, but without logos. A-

JJ Yeley #55 Adirondack Tree Surgeons/Overdose Awareness Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, green with forest motif on sides, black hood. D-

Reed Sorenson #55 VIP Racing Experience Chevy Camaro–No change. A

BEARD MOTORSPORTS #62

Brendan Gaughan #62 Beard Oil/South Point Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, yellow curve, black rear. A

MBM MOTORSPORTS #66

Mark Thompson #66 Phoenix Air Ford Fusion–No change. A

TRI STAR MOTORSPORTS #72

Corey LaJoie #72 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black replaces all white designs. C-

Mark Smith #72 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, black with red and white stripe across bottom. A

Cole Whitt #72 So Cal Chevy Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, same as last year, but with gold stripe across bottom. A

Mark Smith #72 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, black with white stripe across bottom. A

Cole Whitt #72 Rinnai Chevy SS–No change. B+

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Bass Pro Shops/5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018 black with orange designs on sides. C-

Martin Truex Jr. #78 5-Hour Energy/Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018 black with red designs on sides. C-

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Toyota Camry–No change. A

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, large A logo replaces smaller logo on hood. A

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88

Alex Bowman #88 Nationwide Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2017, blue with white designs on sides. B+

Alex Bowman #88 Axalta Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with blue,red,white,and yellow cutting edge designs across sides. F

Alex Bowman #88 Llumar Window Film Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with red and green designs on sides. B+

RICKY BENTON RACING #92

David Gilliland #92 Carquest/Black’s Tire Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, white with black and blue wave on sides, black roof. C-

Timothy Peters #92 Advance Auto Parts Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, red with black roof, and Ricky Benton Racing design on sides. B+

LEAVINE FAMILY RACING #95

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black, white, and orange with cutting edge designs across whole car. F

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as earlier scheme, white and black reversed. F

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore/Habitat for Humanity Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, same as Procore, but with Habitat for Humanity on sides and hood. F

Kasey Kahne #95 WRL Contractors Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue is the primary color, with lighter blue patches on sides. B+

GAUNT BROS RACING #96

DJ Kennington #96 Lordco Toyota Camry–No change. C-

DJ Kennington #96 Northern Provincial Pipelines LTD Toyota Camry–No change. A

DJ Kennington #96 Gordon Brothers Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue wave pattern on sides, and blue roof, white on sides. B-

DJ Kennington #96 Humbolt Broncos Tribute Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, red roof and stripe on sides. white stripe across side, Humboldt Broncos logo on hood, Gaunt Brothers Racing on sides. A

The Driver Suit Blog-My Thoughts on Can vs. Should

By David G. Firestone

Ok, this week, no series sponsor or TV ratings talk. I’m going to write about something much more important. One of the best pieces of advice one needs to learn is: Just because you CAN does not mean that you SHOULD. I say this because the internet, especially YouTube has done a lot to dissuade people from following this rule. For example, I recently watched a guy drink six beers through a pair of goggles, without using his mouth. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

Anyone who follows me on YouTube knows that I do a beer review series. For fun, I try different kinds of beer, and give them grades. I decided to do a spring beer video last weekend, and one of the beers I tired was a gose with coriander, salt, and lactobacillus. According to Wikipedia: Lactobacillus is a genus of Gram-positive, facultative anaerobic or microaerophilic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria.” It was the worst beer I have tried for that video series. I’m not saying the name of the brewery, I’m not giving them any promotion, nobody should drink this beer. But the rule here, again, is just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Now there are some ideas that seemed good at the time, but in retrospect, were terrible ideas. For example, the McDLT from McDonald’s. The premise of the McDLT is that it was sold in a unique package, which separated the meat and bottom bun from the lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickles, sauces, and top bun. The McDLT wasn’t exactly a hit, and was discontinued, in favor of the McLean Deluxe. Once that happened, the McDLT wasn’t such a bad idea, and was reintroduced as the Big N’ Tasty, and was part of the menu for many years.

One of the most infamous moments that falls in this cateogry was New Coke. Coca Cola spent years, and millions of dollars adapting their classice Coca Cola recipe for a new generation. The release was heavily promoted, and the result was a product that was so badly panned, Coke switched back to the original formula after less than three months.

There are hundreds of cautionary tales that just because you can doesn’t mean you should, and they stand as reminders that not all ideas are good.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 21, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 TW Cable/Superior Essex Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth, solid look, with a great color scheme. A scheme like this will always earn an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Realtree Chevy Camaro-To call this scheme an over designed ugly mess would be a masterpiece of understatement. This is the worst scheme I have seen in a while, and that says a lot. This scheme earns an F.

Ryan Blaney #12 Fleetwood RV Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Red Cross, same A grade.

Clint Bowyer #14 Wix Filters Ford Fusion-I hated this scheme last year, and this new version is just as bad. I hate the Wix logos, I hate the yellow stripes, this scheme is a mess, and I’m giving it an F.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Plan B Sales Ford Fusion-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

David Ragan #38 The Pete Store Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #42 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-The yellow on the #1 looks better than the black does here, so the scheme drops from an A- to a B+.

Harrison Rhodes #51 Chevy Camaro-Great look, great color scheme, no problems here!

Harrison Rhodes #51 Industrial Construction Experts Inc. Chevy Camaro-The side designs just don’t work here. It’s a shame, since this would work better and earn an A without them. With the side designs, the grade drops down to a B-.

Reed Sorenson #55 VIP Racing Experience Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chad Finchum #66 Smithbilt Homes Chevy Camaro-It’s not bad, but the diagonal lightning would work better as a horizontal stripe. This current configuration earns a B.

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Toyota Camry-The new hood logo looks great, and the rest of the car looks great too. All in all, it earns an A.

DJ Kennington #96 Humbolt Broncos Tribute Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, red roof and stripe on sides. white stripe across side, Humboldt Broncos logo on hood, Gaunt Brothers Racing on sides. A

The Driver Suit Blog-The Andretti Experience Part 2

By David G. Firestone

As I said last week, the name Andretti is to racing what the names Gretzky, Jordan, Unitas, and Ruth are to hockey, basketball,football, and baseball respectively. It is a name associated with the sport. Mario Andretti is considered to be one of, if not the greatest race car drivers in the world. He has to his record, 33 USAC Champ Car wins, 19 Cart/CCWS wins, 12 Formula One wins, 3 IROC wins, and has also won the 1966 Fuji 500, and won the 1967 Daytona 500.

After his career ended, he opened up his own racing experience, The Mario Andretti Racing Experience, where you can pay to ride in, or even drive an IndyCar. He gives fans a chance to live their dreams. The suits that he uses are simple firesuits that anyone can use, and are designed to be easy to use, such as this one.This Pyrotect SFI 1 rated suit shows a decent amount of wear, with tears and some stains.The collar is unadorned, and is a standard collar.The suit is not Nomex, but is a treated cotton. The Pyrotect tag states that. There is also no warranty label on this suit…which is odd.Both the left and right chests feature small MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logos. The front torso features a large MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logo.The front of the belt has 1-877-RACELAP embroidered into it. There is a tear in the fabric. The suit doesn’t use a zipper, but oddly uses Velcro. The legs have standard cuffs, and have white and black stripes running up the sides.The shoulders have epaulets, but they are almost torn off of the shoulders. The right sleeve has a MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logo embroidered in black on a white background, in television position. The left sleeve has the same MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE as the right sleeve, but the SFI certification is also present. The back of the suit doesn’t show much wear.The back of the neck is unadorned.The upper back torso features a MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logo embroidered into it.The seat area has a little bit of padding added.Mario Andretti joins Rusty Wallace and Richard Petty in opening a racing experience. These have proven to be popular, and I’m wondering if guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr., or Jeff Gordon will start their own experiences. Who wouldn’t want to get racing lessons from guys like these? I certainly would!

Next week, another firesuit, this one worn by a professional.

The Driver Suit Blog-Throwback Thursday-1970 #23 Porsche 917K

Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood 1970 #23 Porsche 917K

The Porsche 917K is a decent looking car, not as polished as the 917L. It has a decent look, but I’m not a fan of the tail design. The shade of red used is not too dark, and not too light, which doesn’t work, since darker would have worked much better. The stripes are decent, maybe a bit over done. I’ll take everything into consideration and give it a B-