paint scheme grades – Page 3 – DGF2099-Main Page

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-June 7, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Country Chevy Camaro-Good design, but the color scheme doesn’t really work with the design scheme. C

Austin Dillon #3 Toys for Tots Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-Camo does NOT look good on a race car, and light camo looks even worse. F

Justin Haley #7 Garner Trucking Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Oikos Ford Mustang-Numbers are still too large, but this is a major improvement from last year. D

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry-The contrasting styles do not work with each other, and this is not a good look at all. F

William Byron #24 RAPTOR High Heat Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Zane Smith #38 Mystik Lubricants Ford Mustang-There are way too many designs, and the color scheme could do without black, green or blue would work better. F

Cole Custer #41 Texas A&M University Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 DriveValue.com Toyota Camry-I like the dark blue, but the pastel yellow isn’t good, and the fade is ruined by the over use of designs. C

JJ Yeley #44 Western States Flooring Ford Mustang-Not great, but an improvement from last year. D

Tyler Reddick #45 Pinnacle Toyota Camry-Would work better as a fade, but this is still good. A

Ty Gibbs #54 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Trimble Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, they cancel each other out, this gets a C.

Josh Bilicki #66 ZERO Prostate Cancer Ford Mustang-Good design, not over done, this gets an A.

Chad Finchum #66 Aires/Truan Ford Mustang-Too over done, too many stripes, this is hurting my eyes. F

Corey Heim #67 Chief’s Toyota Camry-Not a bad look, I like the stitching motif, and this is a good look. A

Daniel Suarez #99 Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge Chevy Camaro-Horrible. Just horrible. F

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 31, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey x Folds of Honor Chevy Camaro-The cutting edge designs aren’t good, and take an A scheme down to a C.

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not great, but holy hell is this better than camo! C

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-It’s not bad, but it is a downgrade from the regular scheme. Changing the colors to red, white, and blue while keeping the design would have been better. B+

Kyle Larson #5 HendrickCars.com H1100 Chevy Camaro-IndyCar schemes do not transfer well to NASCAR, and vice versa. However, this isn’t bad, though I could do without the orange and black. B

Brad Keselowski #6 BuildSubmarines.com Patriotic Ford Mustang-A good look, not over designed, and it looks amazing! A

Justin Haley #7 Gainbridge Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This new color scheme is much better, and the car gets an A as a result.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Patriotic Chevy Camaro-A very slight improvement, but camo still looks awful, and this gets an F.

Ty Dillon #10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Chill Ford Mustang-Too many colors, and too many designs. F

AJ Allmendinger #16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, just the same. B+

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford Mustang-Black good, camo bad, both together equal out to a C.

Chase Briscoe #19 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Patriotic Toyota Camry-I might have graded this lower, however this is a big improvement over the last scheme. B

Christopher Bell #20 Rheem Patriotic Toyota Camry-Not better, not worse, just the same. C

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ultra Premium Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #35, same F grade.

William Byron #24 Axalta Patriotic Chevy Camaro-A great look, white works well as a primary color, this gets an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Patriotic Toyota Camry-Scaling down, or even eliminating the red stripes would work much better, but this gets a B+, since it isn’t that bad.

Erik Jones #43 Advent Heal t h Toyota Camry-Replacing white with another color would work much better. B

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 FunPops Chevy Camaro-Calling this car an ugly, over designed mess is an understatement. This gets an F.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Another example of a scheme rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Last year’s scheme was bad, and so is this scheme. F

Cody Ware #51 Jacob Construction/Evel Knievel Ford Mustang-It’s a good look, not over done, and I like this look a lot. A

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Irish Spring Pa t riotic Ford Mustang-Camo is bad enough, but the white on the front really makes it so much worse. F

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life/Veterans 1001 Chevy Camaro-A bit of a downgrade, since the car is more over designed, even with a better color scheme. D+

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Patriotic Toyota Camry-While the overall design would get a C, the addition of yellow and blue door numbers is very garish. It clashes with the rest of the scheme, and would have been better with red on white, or white on red. This gets a D as a result, since there are worse entries.

Daniel Suarez #99 Freeway Insurance Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Too many designs. The car is way too over designed, and this gets an F.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 24, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Fan Vote Chevy Camaro-Even though I like the color scheme, this is still an F scheme because of how awful it is.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Camo just doesn’t work on race cars, and this is another example. F

Brad Keselowski #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-By itself, this would get a C, because of how over designed it is, but when compared to previous schemes, it gets taken down to a D.

Kyle Busch #8 Senix Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Wrangler Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Cody Ware #15 Schluter Systems Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Tylenol Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Josh Berry #21 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang-I am so nostalgic for this scheme, and I’m stunned it hasn’t been used yet. I love this and it gets an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Logitech Toyota Camry-My main issue with this scheme is the series of small stripes under the numbers. It’s not a good look, and while the rest of the scheme is mediocre, the stripes take it down to a D-.

Todd Gilliland #34 Overplay Ford Mustang-Get rid of the green, and this will be a solid A, but with the green, this is an A-.

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-I normally don’t talk about this, but the adding of Petty blue to the door numbers does NOT work here. It really clashes with the rest of the scheme. This look goes from an A to a C.

Tyler Reddick #45 SiriusXM Toyota Camry-Reversing the colors doesn’t really affect the scheme. C

Harrison Burton #51 Morton Buildings Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, but it’s a little too over designed, so it gets a C.

Ty Gibbs #54 SiriusXM Toy o ta Camry-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Boston Common Golf Ford Mustang-Another good fade, I love the color scheme, and this gets an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Gainbridge/WNBA All Star ’25 Chevy Camaro-Too many colors, and the car is too over designed. F

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 17, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Austin Cindric #2 Menards/Atlas Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Austin Dillon #3 BetMGM Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Kroger/Allegra Ford Mustang-This is giving me Dale Earnhardt 2000 Peter Max vibes, and this gets an F.

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Kleenex Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Riley Herbst #35 Tree Top Toyota Camry-Reversing the colors would be a massive improvement, and this is still an upgrade from last year. B

Zane Smith #38 Horizon Hobby Ford Mustang-This isn’t bad, but the black hood is a downgrade from last year’s scheme. B

Cody Ware #51 Parts Plus Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Preece #60 B ody Guard Ford Mustang-Reversing the colors works well, and this gets an A.

Corey Heim #67 Robinhood Toyota Camry-I think the black designs are a tad over done. I do like this shade of yellow, so this gets a B+

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 10, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevy Camaro-I like the look, the purple neon flames look good, this gets an A.

Justin Haley #7 Katz Coffee Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme, the design is a little too over designed, this gets a C.

Kyle Busch #8 7-Eleven Chevy Camaro-It’s well-known that 7-Eleven has had some great paint schemes over the years, but this is over done. I hate the stripes on the front. This gets a C.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA 100 Chevy Camaro-Metallic gold is an underused color in racing, and I love this look! The blue works well, and the car looks great! A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Knauf Ford Mustang-Light blue doesn’t work nearly as well as black with the Menard’s template. This goes from an A to a C.

AJ Allmendinger #16 LeafFilter Gutter P rotection Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Josh Berry #21 Würth Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #12, same A grade.

Joey Logano #22 AAA Insurance Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Riley Herbst #35 BeatBox Toyota Camry-Too many colors, too many designs, this gets an F.

Cole Custer #41 Red Baron Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

JJ Yeley #44 Barnett Southern Corporation Chevy Camaro-I loves me a good fade, and this is a good fade! This gets an A!

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-This is too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Sara Lee/Kraft Singles Ford Mustang-A red to white to yellow fade would work much better here. The stripe isn’t needed. This isn’t bad, so this gets a B.

Jesse Love #62 C4 Ultimate Energy Solutions Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Chad Finchum #66 Hart HVAC & Electric Ford Mustang-I like the shade of red, but that’s the only good thing I can say here. D-

Daniel Suarez #99 Kubota Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 3, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey Chevy Camaro-It’s a good look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Austin Cindric #2 Menard’s/Quaker State Ford Mustang–Kyle Busch #8 Nicokick Chevy Camaro-Pastel is NOT a good look for race cars, and the design really doesn’t help. F

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Jack Link’s/Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-When done right, plaid can work well, as exampled here. A

Erik Jones #43 Massey Motor Freight Toyota Camry-Not a bad look, but a downgrade from last year. B

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 NOS Energy Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Cody Ware #51 Arby’s/AC Barbecue Sauce Ford Mustang-Black and smoke works, the red roof works, all of this works. A

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Celsius Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Anthony Alfredo #62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevy Camaro-These changes really don’t improve or detract in any way, so it’s still a B.

Michael McDowell #71 GUNK Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

BJ McLeod #78 Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevy Camaro-There are too many designs and too many colors for this to be anywhere near good, so this gets an F.

Daniel Suarez #99 Wendy’s Frosty Chevy Camaro-This scheme is in the running for worst scheme of the year. It’s going to take a lot to beat this one. Too many colors, and too many stripes and designs. F

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Grades Tracker-April 19, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Corey LaJoie #01 Schluter Systems Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Flannel Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Cindric #2 Snap On Ford Mustang-Not bad, but last year’s scheme is better. A-

Noah Gragson #4 Rural King Ford Mustang-Nothing really wrong here. A

Brad Keselowski #6 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Rustik Oven Ford Mustang-The color works, the design works, this scheme looks great. A

Justin Haley #7 NationsGuard Chevy Camaro-The gray is pointless, and the car is a bit over design. C

Ty Dillon #10 Okuma Chevy Camaro-The blue is a tad over designed, but otherwise it looks great. A-

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Richmond Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy Camaro-This is a good, solid look, nothing wrong here. A

Jesse Love #33 C4 Energy Chevy Camaro-Get rid of the snowflakes, and this would be perfect. A-

Zane Smith #38 Aaron’s Ford Mustang-I love this scheme, as it reminds me of the old Michael Waltrip Racing Aaron’s scheme. A

Ryan Preece #60 Boost by Kroger Ford Mustang-Pink is an awful color for a race car, and this shade of pink is the worst. F

Josh Bilicki #66 Manscaped Ford Mustang-The blue camo is just awful, and the car looks hideous as a result. F

Carson Hocevar #77 Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #7, same A grade.

Shane van Gisbergen #88 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro-Last year’s scheme was bad, this is just as bad. Too over designed, with too many colors. F

By David G. FirestoneCorey
LaJoie #01 Schluter Systems Ford Mustang–New
scheme for 2025, black with orange shapes. AA smooth look with a great color scheme
will always earn an A.Ross
Chastain #1 Busch Light Flannel Chevy Camaro–No
change. ASame scheme as last year, same A grade.Austin
Cindric #2 Snap On Ford Mustang–New
scheme for 2025, white with red and black designs. A-Not bad, but last year’s scheme is
better. A-Noah
Gragson #4 Rural King Ford Mustang-New sponsor for 2025, red with
white and green stripes. ANothing really wrong here. ABrad
Keselowski #6 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Rustik Oven Ford Mustang–New
scheme for 2025, red and black. AThe color works, the design works, this
scheme looks great. AJustin
Haley #7 NationsGuard Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2025, white
with black and green, with gray designs. CThe gray is pointless, and the car is a
bit over design. CTy
Dillon #10 Okuma Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2025, black with
white and blue cutting edge designs. A-The blue is a tad over designed, but
otherwise it looks great. A-Ryan
Blaney #12 Menard’s/Richmond Ford Mustang–No
change. ASame scheme as last year, same A grade.AJ
Allmendinger #16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy Camaro-New scheme
for 2025, same as #10 but green replaces red. AThis is a good, solid look, nothing
wrong here. AJesse
Love #33 C4 Energy Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2025, black with
red stripe and snowflakes. A-Get rid of the snowflakes, and this
would be perfect. A-Zane
Smith #38 Aaron’s Ford Mustang-New scheme for 2025, blue with
white stripes, and logos. AI love this scheme, as it reminds me of
the old Michael Waltrip Racing Aaron’s scheme. ARyan
Preece #60 Boost by Kroger Ford Mustang-New sponsor for 2025,
pink with white. FPink is an awful color for a race car,
and this shade of pink is the worst. FJosh
Bilicki #66 Manscaped Ford Mustang-New sponsor for 2025, black
with blue camo. FThe blue camo is just awful, and the
car looks hideous as a result. FCarson
Hocevar #77 Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Chevy Camaro-New scheme
for 2025, same as #7. ASame scheme as #7, same A grade.Shane
van Gisbergen #88 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro–New
scheme for 2025, lighter blue, some design changes. FLast year’s scheme was bad, this is
just as bad. Too over designed, with too many colors. F
Schluter Systems,Busch Light
Flannel,Snap On,Rural King,Oscar Mayer,Rustik
Oven,NationsGuard,Okuma,Jesse Love,C4 Energy,Boost by Kroger,Josh
Bilicki,Manscaped,Safety Culture,
Corey LaJoie,Ross Chastain,Austin
Cindric,Noah Gragson,Brad Keselowski,Kroger,Justin Haley,Ty
Dillon,Ryan Blaney,Menard’s,Richmond,AJ Allmendinger,Grizzly
Nicotine Patches,Zane Smith,Aaron’s,Ryan Preece,Carson
Hocevar,Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente,Shane van Gisbergen,NASCAR Cup
Series,NASCAR Cup,NASCAR,Chevy Camaro,Chevy,Camaro,Ford
Mustang,Ford,Mustang,Toyota Camry,Toyota,Camry,

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 12, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Fishing Chevy Camaro-I like the fishing motif, and the car looks great! A

Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner Throwback Ford Mustang-If I had a favorite non-Goodwrench Dale Sr scheme, it would be this one. No disrespect for Wrangler, but this is so much better! Unless something better comes along, this is my pick for Throwback of the Year! A

Noah Gragson #4 Beef-a-Roo Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, and I think Mom ‘n’ Pops should make a NASCAR comeback. A

Kyle Larson #5 HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevy Camaro-I can’t really knock this scheme, but I have too much love for the 1990’s Kellogg’s scheme. This is great, so this gets an A.

Brad Keselowski #6 Castrol Seven Critical Areas Ford Mustang-As much as I like the concept, I think the oil on the posts just looks odd. I’d also love to see a car colored like fresh motor oil. This gets a B, but with work, it would get an A.

Chase Elliott #9 UniFirst Chevy Throwback Camaro-As a scheme it’s fine, but as a throwback it falls flat. It’s too different from the original. I’ll give this a C.

Ty Dillon #10 Beaver Street Fisheries Throwback Chevy Camaro-I love the look, it’s a very faithful throwback, and I love the CHEVY on the hood! A

Denny Hamlin #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Throwback Toyota Camry-A good, faithful throwback, and the look works well. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Dutch Boy Throwback Ford Mustang-A little too different from the original scheme, in terms of colors and design. It’s not bad, but far from perfect. B

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Outdoors Throwback Ford Mustang-A little too different from the original scheme, in terms of colors and design. It’s not bad, but far from perfect. B

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Throwback Ford Mustang-Another amazing throwback, this one an Indy 500 winner that transfers well to NASCAR. A

Joey Logano #22 Shell Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang-This is a scheme that doesn’t get a lot of love, but boy do I love this! A

William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro-As much as I liked the original scheme, I, like a lot of fans, felt that Jeff should have raced the original rainbow warriors scheme. Still, this is really good. A

Austin Hill #33 United Rentals Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, just awful. F

Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedebusch Throwback Ford Mustang-It’s obscure, but it’s faithful, and it looks good. A

Zane Smith #38 Long John Silver’s Throwback Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Cole Custer will drive the No. 41 Haas Automation Throwback Ford Mustang-I never really liked the Spencer Target schemes, they used a bit too much white for my taste. That said, it’s still a decent look, so it gets a B.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Throwback Toyota Camry-This is a scheme where the new colors work so much better than the old ones! I like the old colors, but the new colors are better. A

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Throwback Toyota Camry-Even though I think there are better Petty STP schemes, this is a faithful replica, so this gets an A.

Tyler Reddick #45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-The bun works so much better than the fries. The car looks better. A

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Throwback Chevy Camaro-It’s simple, but effective, and faithful, so this gets an A.

Burt Myers #50 C3 Chevy Camaro-It has the potential to be good, but there is a little too much going on. It’s not awful, but not good. C

Cody Ware #51 Jacob Construction Throwback Ford Mustang-Cat schemes can be hit or miss, but this is a hit. A

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Country Crock Ford Mustang-It’s simple, it’s bold, it’s unique, and it looks good. A

Casey Mears #66 HitchGo Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life C h evy Camaro-Not better, not worse, just meh. C-

Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, just meh. C

The Driver Suit Blog-Ranking The 2025 Throwbacks Schemes So Far…

By David G. Firestone

Well, the throwback race is behind us, and, as pre the usual, I will rank the throwback schemes from best to worst. Let’s go!

1-Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Dale Earnhart’s 1979 Daytona 500 Rod Osterlund Racing #2 Buick. A

If I had a favorite non-Goodwrench Dale Sr scheme, it would be this one. No disrespect for Wrangler, but this is so much better! Unless something better comes along, this is my pick for Throwback of the Year! A

2-Kyle Larson #5 HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2025, based on Terry Labonte’s 2001 #5 Kellogg’s Chevy. A

I can’t really knock this scheme, but I have too much love for the 1990’s Kellogg’s scheme. This is great, so this gets an A.

3-JJ Yeley #44 Wawa Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2025, based on Bill Elliot’s 1989 Coors Ford Thunderbird. A

A good look, very faithful, this gets an A.

4-Ty Dillon #10 Beaver Street Fisheries Throwback Chevy Camaro–New sponsor for 2025, based on Patty Moise’s 1989 Daytona #45 Beaver Street Foods Buick. A

I love the look, it’s a very faithful throwback, and I love the CHEVY on the hood! A

5-Noah Gragson #4 Beef-a-Roo Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, Based on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 1996 #31 Mom ‘n’ Pops Chevy. A

I like the look, and I think Mom ‘n’ Pops should make a NASCAR comeback. A

6-Joey Logano #22 Shell Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Cale Yarborough’s #11 Holly Farms Poultry Oldsmobile. A

This is a scheme that doesn’t get a lot of love, but boy do I love this! A

7-Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Jim Clark’s 1965 Indianapolis 500 winning #82 Lotus powered by Ford. A

Another amazing throwback, this one an Indy 500 winner that transfers well to NASCAR. A

8-Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedebusch Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Based on Ray Fox’s #3 Royal Dodge Dodge Charger. A

It’s obscure, but it’s faithful, and it looks good. A

9-John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2025, based on Joe Nemechek’s 1997-1998 #42 Bell South Mobility Chevy. A

This is a scheme where the new colors work so much better than the old ones! I like the old colors, but the new colors are better. A

10-Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2025, based on John Andretti’s 1998 STP scheme. A

Even though I think there are better Petty STP schemes, this is a faithful replica, so this gets an A.

11-William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2025, based on Jeff Gordon’s final race #24 Chevy. A

As much as I liked the original scheme, I, like a lot of fans, felt that Jeff should have raced the original rainbow warriors scheme. Still, this is really good. A

12-Cody Ware #51 Jacob Construction Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Ward Burton’s 1999-2003 Caterpillar schemes. A

Cat schemes can be hit or miss, but this is a hit. A

13-Denny Hamlin #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2025, based on Carl Edwards’ #99 Office Depot Ford. A

A good, faithful throwback, and the look works well. A

14-Alex Bowman #48 Ally Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2025, based on Jimmie Johnson’s 2012 Southern 500 winning #48 Lowe’s Chevy. A

It’s simple, but effective, and faithful, so this gets an A.

15-Zane Smith #38 Long John Silver’s Throwback Ford Mustang–No change. A

Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

16-Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Outdoors Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Rick Ferkel’s #0 sprint car. B

A little too different from the original scheme, in terms of colors and design. It’s not bad, but far from perfect. B

17-Cole Custer will drive the No. 41 Haas Automation Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Jimmy Spencer’s 2001 #41 Target Dodge. B

I never really liked the Spencer Target schemes, they used a bit too much white for my taste. That said, it’s still a decent look, so it gets a B.

18-Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Dutch Boy Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2025, based on Dave Blaney’s 2006 Dollar General 300 winning #32 Haas Avocados Chevy. B

A little too different from the original scheme, in terms of colors and design. It’s not bad, but far from perfect. B

19-Chase Elliott #9 UniFirst Chevy Throwback Camaro–New scheme for 2025, based on Ken Schrader’s 1994 #25 Kodiak Chevy. C

As a scheme it’s fine, but as a throwback it falls flat. It’s too different from the original. I’ll give this a C.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 5, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Choice Privileges Chevy Camaro-They took a bad scheme, and made it worse. F

Austin Cindric #2 Menard’s/Jack Links Beef Jerky Ford Mustang–Noah Gragson #4 A&W Root Beer Ford Mustang-The new design isn’t as good as last years, less is more, so this goes from an A to a B.

Ty Dillon #10 Mark III Employee Benefits Chevy Camaro-A good look. Good color scheme, and the car isn’t over designed. A

AJ Allmendinger #16 Black’s Tire Chevy Camaro-The fade works, the tire tread and white aren’t needed. It’s not terrible, so it gets a B.

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Old El Paso Ford Mustang-A good look, not over done, and it has a great color scheme. A

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Outdoors Toyota Camry-The grass motif looks odd with this scheme, and it looks forced. It takes an A scheme down to a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Colortech Ford Mustang-Not better, not worse, just meh. C

Riley Herbst #35 Lucy Breakers Toyota Camry-Whatever is going on near the numbers is hard to see, the text is way too small, and the black is very off putting, as compared to the rest of the scheme. C

Zane Smith #38 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

JJ Yeley #44 PCNY Chevy Camaro-Pink is not a good color for race cars, and add to the fact that the car is somewhat over designed, and this gets an F.

Casey Mears #66 Coble Enterprises Ford Mustang-Not only is this a great scheme by itself, but it so much better than last year’s scheme, so this gets an A.

Michael McDowell #71 Rockingham Speedway Chevy Camaro-As much as I like this, I do think the mountains are a tad over designed. A-