Category: friday feature

By David G. Firestone

Well, all the votes have been counted, and the final Paint Scheme Leaderboard is complete. Without further ado, the final post of 2020:

1-Stewart-Haas Racing# 14 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 21 of 46

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 4.00

2-Rick Ware Racing #28 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

3-B.J. McLeod Motorsports #55 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

4-Beard Motorsports #62 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 1 of 46

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

5-Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 7 of 46

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 3.79

6-Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 18 of 46

Number of Schemes:

GPA: 3.65

7-Hendrick Motorsports #9 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 39 of 46

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 3.61

8-Kaulig Racing #16 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 2 of 46

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 3.60

9-Joe Gibbs Racing #19 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 34 of 46

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 3.55

10-Rick Ware Racing #51 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 29 of 46

Number of Schemes: 4

GPA: 3.50

11-23XI Racing #23 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 19

GPA: 3.49

12-Wood Brothers #21 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 10 of 46

Number of Schemes: 17

GPA: 3.41

13-Front Row Motorsports #34 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 45 of 46

Number of Schemes: 9

GPA: 3.33

14-Richard Childress Racing #3 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 23 of 46

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.31

15-Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 17 of 46

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 3.31

16-Hendrick Motorsports #5 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 39 of 46

Number of Schemes: 9

GPA: 3.29

17-Rick Ware Racing #52 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 5 of 46

Number of Schemes: 24

GPA: 3.28

18-Team Penske #12 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 9 of 46

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.13

19-MBM Motorsports #13 Ford Mustang/Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.00

20-Front Row Motorsports #36 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 27 of 46

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 3.00

21-Team Penske #2 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 24 of 46

Number of Schemes: 16

GPA: 2.98

22-Stewart-Haas Racing# 4 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 14 of 46

Number of Schemes: 19

GPA: 2.92

23-Live Fast Motorsports #78 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 15 of 46

Number of Schemes: 22

GPA: 2.90

24-MBM Motorsports #66 Ford Mustang/Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 40 of 46

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.88

25-Front Row Motorsports #38 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 19 of 46

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 2.85

26-Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 32 of 46

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 2.82

27-Hendrick Motorsports #48 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 35 of 46

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 2.80

28-Rick Ware Racing #15 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 6 of 46

Number of Schemes: 26

GPA: 2.73

29-Rick Ware Racing #53 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 16 of 46

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 2.71

30-Team Penske #33 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 3

GPA: 2.70

31-JTG Daugherty Racing #37 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 38 of 46

Number of Schemes: 27

GPA: 2.69

32-Spire Motorsports #77 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 25 of 46

Number of Schemes: 21

GPA: 2.68

33-StarCom Racing #00 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 31 of 46

Number of Schemes: 19

GPA: 2.68

34-Chip Ganassi Racing #42 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 26 of 46

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.67

35-Stewart-Haas Racing #10 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 22 of 46

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 2.62

36-Roush Fenway Racing #6 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 36 of 46

Number of Schemes: 22

GPA: 2.56

37-Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 11 of 46

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 2.51

38-Stewart-Haas Racing #41 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 46 of 46

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.50

39-Roush Fenway Racing #17 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 44 of 46

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 2.49

40-Chip Ganassi Racing #1 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 13 of 46

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 2.28

41-Spire Motorsports #7 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 20 of 46

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 2.18

42-Richard Childress Racing #8 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 41 of 46

Number of Schemes: 24

GPA: 2.14

43-Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 43 of 46

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.04

44-JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 12 of 46

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 1.77

45-Gaunt Brothers Racing #96 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 28 of 46

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 1.53

46-Trackhouse Racing #99 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 1.26

Next Year, Driver Suit Blog Radio takes over, AND Wheel Reviews returns!

By David G. Firestone

The 2021 Paint Scheme Leaderboard rolls on, this week, it’s the Toyota teams time to shine!

1-Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 3 of 8

Number of Schemes: 15

GPA: 3.65

2-Joe Gibbs Racing #19 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year:6 of 8

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 3.55

3-23XI Racing #23 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 19

GPA: 3.49

4-MBM Motorsports #13 Ford Mustang/Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.00

5-MBM Motorsports #66 Ford Mustang/Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 8 of 8

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.88

6-Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 5 of 8

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 2.82

7-Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 2 of 8

Number of Schemes: 11

GPA: 2.51

8-Gaunt Brothers Racing #96 Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: 4 of 8

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 1.53

Next week, the Grand Finale!

By David G. Firestone

This week, the 2021 Paint Scheme Leaderboard shifts focus to the blue oval. Ford’s rankings are up for this week.

1-Stewart-Haas Racing# 14 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: of 14 of 18

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 4.00

2-Rick Ware Racing #28 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

3-B.J. McLeod Motorsports #55 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA:

4-Rick Ware Racing #51 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 12 of 18

Number of Schemes: 4

GPA: 3.50

5-Wood Brothers #21 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 4 of 18

Number of Schemes: 17

GPA: 3.41

6-Front Row Motorsports #34 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 17 of 18

Number of Schemes: 9

GPA: 3.33

7-Rick Ware Racing #52 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 2 of 18

Number of Schemes: 24

GPA: 3.28

8-Team Penske #12 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 3 of 18

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.13

9-MBM Motorsports #13 Ford Mustang/Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 3.00

10-Front Row Motorsports #36 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 11 of 18

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 3.00

11-Team Penske #2 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 10 of 18

Number of Schemes: 16

GPA: 2.98

12-Stewart-Haas Racing# 4 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 5 of 18

Number of Schemes: 19

GPA: 2.92

13-Live Fast Motorsports #78 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 22

GPA: 2.90

14-MBM Motorsports #66 Ford Mustang/Toyota Camry

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.88

15-Front Row Motorsports #38 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 7 of 18

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 2.85

16-Rick Ware Racing #15 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 26

GPA: 2.73

17-Rick Ware Racing #53 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 6 of 18

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 2.71

18-Team Penske #33 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 3

GPA: 2.70

19-Stewart-Haas Racing# 10 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 9 of 18

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 2.62

20-Roush Fenway Racing #6 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 14 of 18

Number of Schemes: 22

GPA: 2.56

21-Stewart-Haas Racing #41 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 9 of 18

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.50

22-Roush Fenway Racing #17 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 16 of 18

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 2.49

23-Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 15 of 18

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 2.04

Next week, the Toyota Leaderboard

By David G. Firestone

Thanksgiving has passed, holiday music and decorations are abound, and the 2021 Paint Scheme Leaderboard is here! Here’s how the process works. I will rank all of the Cup Series teams by their paint scheme GPA. I will rank them by manufacturer, then all of them in one final list. There is no committee this year, as Zoe chose to skip the proceedings. Here is the Chevy list:

1-Beard Motorsports #62 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 1 of 23

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 4.00

2-Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 5 of 23

Number of Schemes: 8

GPA: 3.79

3-Hendrick Motorsports #9 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 21 of 23

Number of Schemes: 7

GPA: 3.61

4-Kaulig Racing #16 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: of 23

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 3.60

5-Rick Ware Racing #51 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: of 23

Number of Schemes: 4

GPA: 3.50

6-Richard Childress Racing #3 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 13 of 23

Number of Schemes: 18

GPA: 3.31

7-Richard Petty Motorsports #43 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 11 of 23

Number of Schemes: 13

GPA: 3.31

8-Hendrick Motorsports #5 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 9

GPA: 3.29

9-Rick Ware Racing #52 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 3 of 23

Number of Schemes: 24

GPA: 3.28

10-Hendrick Motorsports #48 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 3 of 23

Number of Schemes: 5

GPA: 2.80

11-Rick Ware Racing #15 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 26

GPA: 2.73

12-Rick Ware Racing #53 Chevy Camaro/Ford Mustang

Rank Last Year: 10 of 23

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 2.71

13-JTG Daugherty Racing #37 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 20 of 23

Number of Schemes: 27

GPA: 2.69

14-Spire Motorsports #77 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 14 of 23

Number of Schemes: 21

GPA: 2.68

15-StarCom Racing #00 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 18 of 23

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 2.68

16-Chip Ganassi Racing #42 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 15 of 23

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 2.67

17-Chip Ganassi Racing #1 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 8 of 23

Number of Schemes: 6

GPA: 2.28

18-Spire Motorsports #7 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 12 of 23

Number of Schemes: 1

GPA: 2.18

19-Richard Childress Racing #8 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 22 of 23

Number of Schemes: 24

GPA: 2.14

20-JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: 7 of 23

Number of Schemes: 25

GPA: 1.77

21-Trackhouse Racing #99 Chevy Camaro

Rank Last Year: N/A

Number of Schemes: 10

GPA: 1.26

Next week, the Ford Leaderboard.

By David G. Firestone

Well, it’s that time again! We have the annual Paint Schemie Awards for the 2021 season. As per the usual, every year, I pick the best and worst paint schemes and award them the Paint Schemie. This was done using the Driver Suit Blog executive committee for paint scheme analysis and consists of me and Driver Suit Blog assistant, my cat Zoe, and uses the following standards:

*Color Scheme:How the colors look, and how they work with each other.

*Overall Design:How good the design itself looks, is there too much, or not enough.

*Primary Sponsor Logos: How the primary sponsor logos look on the car

*Originality: How original is the scheme.

All of the above can work for or against a scheme, and all will be taken into consideration.

Let’s get the bad Paint Scheme Awards out of the way…

First, the Paint Schemie Award for Worst Regular Season Single Paint Scheme.

The nominees are:

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Military Degree Equivalency Chevy Camaro

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light #Hunt4Busch Ford Mustang

Corey LaJoie #7 Built Bar Chevy Camaro

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry

Christopher Bell #20 DEWALT Salute First Responders Toyota Camry

Ryan Preece #37 Natural Light Vodka Chevy Camaro

Anthony Alfredo #38 Bence Motor Sales Ford Mustang

BJ McLeod #78 Traxion.gg/Motorsport Games Ford Mustang

Ty Dillon #96 Bass Pro Shops/Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota Camry

The 2021 Paint Schemie Award for Worst Regular Season Single Paint Scheme goes to:

Ryan Preece #37 Natural Light Vodka Chevy Camaro

The next Paint Schemie Award is for Exhibition or Throwback Paint Schemes. This category is a little different, as the Schemie will go to the best and worst throwback. For this category, all exhibition race and throwback paint schemes qualify automatically.

The 2021 Paint Schemie Award for Worst Exhibition or Throwback Paint Scheme goes to…

Austin Cindric #33 Pirtek Ford Mustang

The next award of 2021 is the Paint Schemie for Worst Paint Scheme Set of 2021. This is based on the total GPA of the individual grades for paint schemes. The nominees are:

Richard Childress Racing #8 Chevy Camaro

Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota Camry

Roush Fenway Racing #17 Ford Mustang

Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota Camry

Team Penske #22 Ford Mustang

Stewart-Haas Racing #41 Ford Mustang

JTG Daugherty Racing #47 Chevy Camaro

Gaunt Brothers Racing #96 Toyota Camry

Trackhouse Racing #99 Chevy Camaro

The 2021 Paint Schemie Award for for Worst Paint Scheme Set goes to…

Trackhouse Racing #99 Chevy Camaro

Now after talking about the bad, we discuss the good. Here are the winners in the best category…

First, the Paint Schemie Award for Best Regular Season Single Paint Scheme.

The nominees for the 2021 Paint Schemie Award for for Best Regular Season Single Paint Scheme are:

Quin Houff #00 Mount-N-Lock Chevy Camaro

Kurt Busch #1 Monster Energy Chevy Camaro

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang

Chase Briscoe #14 Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry

Christopher Bell #20 Stanley Toyota Camry

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Motorcraft Ford Mustang

Parker Kligerman #96 Fast Checkout Toyota Camry

Daniel Suarez #99 Good Sam/Autism Awareness Chevy Camaro

The 2021 Paint Schemie Award for for Best Regular Season Single Paint Scheme goes to…

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry

The next category is Paint Schemie Award is for Best Exhibition or Throwback Paint Schemes, and it should come as no surprise that the competition was strong this year.

The 2021 winner for best throwback is:

Joey Gase #28 Register Me Ford Mustang

The final award of 2021 is the Paint Schemie for Best Paint Scheme Set. Like the Worst Set, this is based on the total GPA of the individual grades for paint schemes. The nominees are:

Hendrick Motorsports #9 Chevy Camaro

Stewart-Haas Racing# 14 Ford Mustang

Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Toyota Camry

Joe Gibbs Racing #19 Toyota Camry

23XI Racing #23 Toyota Camry

Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevy Camaro

Rick Ware Racing #28 Ford Mustang

B.J. McLeod Motorsports #55 Ford Mustang

Beard Motorsports #62 Chevy Camaro

The 2021 Paint Schemie Award for for Best Paint Scheme Set goes to…

Stewart-Haas Racing# 14 Ford Mustang

That’s it for the Schemies, next week, the Paint Scheme Leaderboard begins with Chevy!

By David G. Firestone

This is kind of an odd moment for me. I’m sad and excited at the same time. When I wrote a column for Uni-Watch back in 2013, I never thought I would end up creating The Driver Suit Blog. I never thought I would be able to keep this project going for eight years. I never thought I would be able to interview Funny Car drivers Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon, Alexis DeJoria, and Del Worsham. I also never thought that this would be the last traditional Friday Feature column I would ever do. For the last few years, I’ve been thinking of ending The Driver Suit Blog, and I always find a way to save it. Starting next year, Friday Features will be replaced with Driver Suit Blog Radio, a podcast. Everything is ready to go, and I will start on the first Friday of January. With that, on to the column.

It can be said that a lot of drivers who had success in the Xfinity and Truck Series, didn’t have that same success in the Cup Series. One such example is Robert Pressley. While he only had 5 top 5’s and 11 top 10’s in the Cup Series in 205 races between 1995 and 2002, his Xfinity and Truck careers are different. In the Xfinity Series, he has 10 wins, 38 top 5’s, 76 top 10’s, and 6 poles in 244 starts. In the Truck Series, he has 2 wins, 11 top 5’s and 27 top 10’s in 69 starts.

From 2002 to 2005, Robert Pressley raced in the Truck Series. During that time, while raced for Bobby Hamilton in 2002, and James Harris from 2003-2005. During that time, he was constantly sponsored by Harris Trucking. As mentioned before, he has 2 wins, 11 top 5’s and 27 top 10’s in 69 starts. He raced in this Simpson firesuit at some point during that time. The suit doesn’t really show any use.The black collar is unadorned, and doesn’t have any closures.The cowl has a standard Simpson warranty label.The right chest features a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES logo and a DUCK HEAD FOOTWEAR logos embroidered.The left chest features HARRIS TRUCKING, MOOG CHASSIS PARTS, and STARLINE logos embroidered, and a SIMPSON patch sewn into it.The red front torso is unadorned.The red belt has ROBERT PRESSLEY embroidered in white.The red legs are boot cut, and have black vertical stripes.The black shoulder epaulets have GOODYEAR embroidered in white. The right sleeve has a HARRIS TRUCKING logo on the upper sleeve, and an SFI 3-2/A 5 certification patch, and a SIMPSON logo sewn into the end of the sleeve.. The left sleeve has a SIMPSON logo and a HARRIS TRUCKING logo embroidered, and nothing at the end. The back of the suit doesn’t have any wear.The back of the neck is unadorned.There is an additional set of fabric on the belt area of the back of the suit.I still can’t believe that this is my final traditional Friday Feature. I’m sad, but excited for the future as well. I will do the traditional Paint Scheme Awards and Rankings starting in two weeks.

By David G. Firestone

Sometimes in life, you have to part with something. Very rarely does it ever come back. This Stevie Reeves 1997 suit was one such example. I had to sell some of my stuff for reasons not worth getting into. Then, recently, as I browsed through eBay listings, I saw this suit, and was able to buy it back. I never actually featured this on The Driver Suit Blog before.

While his career as a spotter is his current occupation, having spotted for Paul Menard, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. during his 2004 Daytona 500 win, Stevie Reeves was also a driver. He raced a few races in Indycar, namely the 1998 VisionAire 500K at Charlotte, where he scored a top 10, and the 2000 Midas 500 Classic, Belterra Resort Indy 300, and Excite 500 at Alanta, Kentucky, and Texas, respectively.

1997 was his standout year in the Xfinity Series. That season, he raced in the #96 Big A Auto Parts Ford Thunderbird for Donald Laird. In 1997, he raced in 28 of the 30 races, and even scored a top 10 at the 1997 Food City 250, where he finished 7th. The rest of the season was rather unremarkable. During that season, he wore this Simpson firesuit. The suit shows light wear.The dual colored collar does not have a Velcro strap, and while there is a FORD logo embroidered on the left side, the right side is unadorned.There is a Simpson warranty label sewn into the cowl.On the right chest, there is a NASCAR logo embroidered, and two SIMPSON patches sewn into it. This suit was from an era where the placement of logos was just started to be enforced, so this was one suit that didn’t have proper logo placement.The left chest features a YOUR LIFE VITAMINS logo, and a BUSCH logo embroidered into the red material.The front torso features a large BIG A AUTO PARTS logo embroidered.The suit has a blue and red belt with STEVIE REEVES embroidered in white.The legs are in red and blue material with a white stripe up the side. There was clearly a lot of effort put in this suit.The right shoulder epaulet is blue on white with GOODYEAR embroidered.

The right sleeve has white, blue, and red material. There is a CURB RECORDS logo embroidered on the upper white material, and there is nothing in television position. The left shoulder epaulet is blue on red with GOODYEAR embroidered.The left sleeve has blue, and red material. There is a SIMPSON patch sewn on the upper red material, and there is nothing in television position, and a red cuff. The back of the suit doesn’t show wear.While the back of the neck is unadorned, just below it is FUTURE SUIT 2 1943 embroidered in white. What exactly “Future Suit” means is still unclear, though it might be an inventory code.The back torso features a large BIG A AUTO PARTS logo embroidered.Next week, on the final traditional Friday Feature, I will discuss a Robert Pressley driver suit.

By David G. Firestone

Some race car drivers stand the test of time and are respected until the end of time. Some drivers have a small impact, but aren’t as well-known. Some drivers race for a few years, and have no real impact outside of a small area. Tom Eastham is in the third category.

Finding information on Tom Eastham as a driver is very difficult. He’s not listed on Racing Reference at all, and his Driver DB profile only lists two races. Through the fine folks at Ultimate Racing History, I was able to find a profile with quite a few races. From this, I can deduce the following:

Tom Eastham was a driver who was active from 1979 to 1982 in the SCCA and IMSA. He primarily raced a Chevy Camaro on the West Coast of America and Canada. He did not really do much with his career, and has faded into obscurity since. During his career, he raced in this vintage Hinchman suit. The suit shows its age, and has a decent amount of wear.The collar has a Velcro closure, and there is a small wash tag in the cowl. The right chest features a CRC Chemicals Trans-Am Championship patch, which dates the suit to 1980 to 1982.The left chest features TOM EASHTAM sewn into the chest in chain-stitching. There is evidence of two patches that have been removed from the suit present.The front torso features a yellow and blue striped design on the cream Nomex.There is an unadorned belt present on the suit.The legs have blue stripes on the cream Nomex, and they have standard cuffs.The shoulders have blue stripes on the yellow Nomex. The right sleeve has a blue stripe and a HINCHMAN NOMEX logo sewn into it. The left sleeve has a blue stripe sewn into it. The back of the suit shows some wear on the fabric.The back of the neck is unadorned though there are some light stains.The back of the torso shows some wear in scuffs.Next Friday Feature, a NASCAR driver suit!