The Driver Suit Blog-Ranking The 2018 Throwback Schemes

By David G. Firestone

With the Southern 500 behind us, I decidied that it would be fun to rank all of the throwback schemes run in 2018. This will also serve as the 2018 Paint Schemie for Best Throwback Scheme. Without further ado:

1. Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Throwback Chevy Camaro-Well, this is my favorite throwback of 2018! I loved the Silver Wrench back in 1995, and I love this faithful throwback. This is the 2018 Paint Schemie for Best Throwback Scheme winner. A.

2. Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Genuine Draft Throwback Ford Fusion-Miller Genuine Draft had some great schemes back in the day, and this is a great example. The dark gold works very well, and the scheme as a whole is faithful. I can’t say anything wrong about this scheme. A

3. William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro-This was a great scheme back in the day, and it looks good today. I can’t say anything bad here, so I won’t. A

4. Landon Cassill #00 StarCom Fiber Throwback Chevy Camaro-The metallic gold Miller High Life scheme is a great scheme, and this very faithful representation is a great look! I can’t say anything bad about this scheme. A

5. Matt Kenseth #6 Roush Ford Fusion-I loved the Eagle One scheme back in the day, and I love this faithful replica today. It has a great look, and a great design, and earns an A.

6. Paul Menard #21 Motorcraft Throwback Ford Fusion-You could pretty much put all of the pre 1997 Wood Brothers schemes in a hat, and be guaranteed to pick a good one, and this Cale Yarborough example is one. It’s an amazing look, and it gets an A.

7. Ryan Newman #31 CAT Throwback Chevy Camaro-Another underrated scheme that got a great throwback. This is an amazing look, and it gets the A it deserves.

8. Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a great looking throwback, with a great design, and color scheme. Nothing wrong here! A

9. Clint Bowyer #14 Carolina Dodge Dealers Ford Fusion-Another great throwback, with a great look. Ned Jarrett had some great schemes back in the day, and this is a faithful representation of one of these. A

10. Jeffery Earnhardt #96 Nine Line Apparel Throwback Toyota Camry-This is one of the best throwback schemes this year! It looks amazing, and is faithful to the original. I can’t say anything bad about this, so I won’t. A

11. Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 STP Throwback Chevy Camaro-I’m still not sure as to why the last minute change was made, but this is a great looking scheme! Anything Petty ran is a good look, and this is a great look. A

12. Tomy Drissi #00 GoShare Chevy Camaro-That is a beautiful looking throwback! I really can’t say anything more than that! A

13. Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Throwback Toyota Camry-The best Skittles NASCAR scheme EVER gets a second chance at Darlington. Ernie Irvan’s Skittles scheme was leaps and bounds above the rest of the Skittles schemes. I’m glad to see this scheme get a second chance. A

14. Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Throwback Ford Fusion-Steve Park had a great Pennzoil scheme. This amazing scheme faithfully replicates that scheme, and it looks amazing! A

15. Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Big Mac 50th Anniversary Throwback Chevy Camaro-Metallic gold is a great look, and while this isn’t really a throwback, it still works very well. A

16. Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Throwback Toyota Camry-This is a very well executed throwback, and the scheme looks great. I also like the fact that Denny went with a scheme he raced as a kid, which hasn’t really been done yet. All in all, this gets an A.

17. Joey Gase #23 AgriSupply/Carolina Cooker Toyota Camry-This is a great looking throwback, it’s quite accurate, and it has a great look. I can’t give this less than an A.

18. Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Throwback Ford Fusion-The vintage can design worked for Brad Keselowski last year, and it works for Kevin Harvick this year. The car has a great look with a great color scheme, and earns an A as a result.

19. Corey LaJoie #72 BCT The Blockchain Terminal Toyota Camry-I liked the Fina Oil Chevy back in the day, and I like this now. This is a great look, and I hope it makes another appearance in 2019. A

20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 John Deere Ford Fusion-Yellow and green can be a very difficult scheme to work with on a race car. This scheme worked well in 1997, and this throwback knocks it out of the park. It looks great, and I give it an A.

21. David Ragan #38 DiGard Throwback Ford Fusion-The Citgo throwback works well, though I do think the door numbers should be a tad thinner. It’s still a great scheme that earns an A.

22. Erik Jones #20 SportClips Throwback Toyota Camry-The RE/MAX look from 1997 is a great scheme. It has a great color scheme and design scheme. I also love the 1990’s Upper Deck based logo on the hood. All things considered, this gets an A

23. Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops Throwback Ford Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

24. Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Duracel Throwback Ford Fusion-The scheme is faithful to the original, but the numbers don’t work well here. Still, it works well, and is worth an A-.

25. Kurt Busch #41 Haas Throwback Ford Fusion-I liked this scheme back in 2003, and I like this throwback scheme. It’s faithful, and it looks good. A

26. Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Best Beans Throwback Chevy Camaro-While I don’t always like white as a base color for race cars, but this is well-executed, and I like the door numbers and the lettering here. this looks great, and I give it an A.

27. Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Petty’s Garage Chevy Camaro-STP had some great schemes back in the day, and this is no exception. I love this scheme. A

28. Derrike Cope #99 Bojangles Chevy Camaro-Another great throwback, and this one is very well executed. The color scheme and design scheme work well, and this car has a great look. A

29. Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 STP Throwback Chevy Camaro-Richard Petty’s STP scheme with no red is a great look, and this scheme is faithful to the original. It’s a great throwback, and it earns an A.

30. A.J. Allmendinger #47 Kroger Throwback Chevy Camaro-My only complaint here is that the back logos are too cluttered, but it’s not terrible, so I’ll give it an A-

31. Jimmie Johnson #48 Kobalt Throwback Chevy Camaro-A great scheme is a great scheme. This scheme from 2012 was great then, and is great now. A

32. Kasey Kahne #95 Drumont Jets Chevy Camaro-Another great throwback scheme. Kasey’s Budweiser scheme has always been good, and this faithful replica is no exception. A

33. Kasey Kahne #95 Drumont Jets Throwback Chevy Camaro-The Dodge scheme was a great scheme, and this is a faithful replica of that scheme. This scheme looks great. A

34. JJ Yeley #52 Trading View Throwback Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great design. A

35. Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Throwback Chevy Camaro-Don’t get me wrong, I love Davey’s white to black Havoline scheme. The color changes are jarring, and really don’t work with the design scheme. Still, it’s a decent scheme, so I’ll give it an A-.

36. Ty Dillon #13 Geico Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a throwback that is from 2008. While I liked the Jimmie Johnson’s throwback, I didn’t really like this when it first debuted, but I’ve decided that this is worth a B+.

37. Matt Kenseth #6 Oscar Meyer Throwback Ford Fusion-First off, this is a fauxback, not a throwback, the second part about this is that is that this looks too modern to be a decent throwback. If this was raced during any other race, I would give it a higher grade. As a throwback, this gets a B+.

38. Timmy Hill #66 Rewards.com Throwback Toyota Camry-Full disclosure, I never liked this scheme. I didn’t like it in 2000, and I don’t really like it now. It’s not terrible, I’ve certainly seen worse. All things considered, this gets a B-.

Next week, I discuss a Truck Series suit.