Category: paint scheme grades

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 4, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Home Town Lenders Chevy Camaro-This is a smooth, clean look. It has a great color scheme, and the car as a whole looks great. I can’t give this scheme less than an A.

Brad Keselowski #2 Snap On Ford Mustang-The overall design is great, but I don’t get the hood design. Why is there a red triangle? Why is Snap On only on one side? Who designed this, and why? This look is not great. All aspects averaged, this gets a C.

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Meyer Patriotic Ford Mustang-The Patriotic elements look forced here, and the overall design suffers as a result. If it kept the same design, but with Patriotic colors, it would work much better. Still, this isn’t terrible, so I give it a B+.

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew/Little Ceaser’s Chevy Camaro-A smooth, clean look, with a good color scheme will always earn an A.

Clint Bowyer #14 Toco Warranty Ford Mustang-Problem number one, there are too many colors. Problem number two, the car is a tad over designed. Now, while it isn’t awful, it isn’t great, so I’ll give it a B-.

Ross Chastain #15 Low T Center Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Erik Jones #20 Stanley Toyota Camry-While the car has a decent color scheme, the design scheme is pointlessly over designed. It doesn’t look good at all. This should be a reversal of the DeWalt scheme. Still, it could be much worse, so I’ll give it a C.

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Matt Tift #36 Surface Suncreen/Tunity Ford Mustang-The gray is pointless, and the side design could be toned down a bit. It’s still a decent scheme, so it gets a B+.

Chris Buescher #37 Tide Pods Chevy Camaro-Calling this scheme pointlessly over designed is a masterpiece of understatement. Too many designs, and contrasting colors is too much for me, so this gets an F.

David Ragan #38 Mystik Lubricants Ford Mustang-Toning down the designs could help this scheme, but it’s not terrible. I’d like the black on the front toned down a bit. It’s not awful so it gets a B+.

David Ragan #38 Shriners Hospitals for Children Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Daniel Suarez #41 Orange Vanilla Coca Cola Ford Mustang-This is a great scheme with a great color scheme, and the design scheme works well. I can’t complain about this scheme, so I won’t. A

Stanton Barrett #52 HUSKI Chocolate Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, check. Good design scheme, check. A grade, check.

Justin Haley #77 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Jeffrey Earnhardt #81 iK9/Xtreme Concepts Toyota Camry-The black star motif works well, and the car as a whole looks great. A

Parker Kligerman #96 TRD 40th Anniversary Toyota Camry-Toyota seems to take pride in over designing their schemes. This example isn’t as bad as some schemes I’ve seen. It looks decent, though it could be toned down a bit, like changing the hood and roof colors. Still, it looks decent, so I’ll give it a B.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 20, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Plaid Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Newman #6 Roush Performance/Acorns Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Get Grilling America Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Maytag Ford Mustang-Darker colors work well with the new Menard’s template, and this is a good example. The dark blue works well here, so I give this an A.

Matt Tift #36 The Pete Store Ford Mustang-It’s a great color scheme, but it is very over designed. I don’t like the design, but it does work with the color scheme. I’ll give this a B-.

Bayley Currey #52 Steakhouse Elite Chevy Camaro-The two changes to the new scheme made a huge improvement. The new scheme looks cleaner, and smoother, and is a great look. I’ll give this an A

Joey Gase #66 Sam Bass Tribute Toyota Camry-Normally, I’d give this an F. But because this is to honor the greatest NASCAR artists of all time, I’ll give this a C. It’s still over designed, but it is a fitting tribute.

Matt DiBenedetto #95 Thank You Toyota Toyota Camry-This color scheme and design scheme aren’t amazing. They are also not awful. They are directly in the middle. So, since they are in the middle, this gets a C.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 13, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Jacob White Construction Chevy Camaro-I like the StarCom color scheme, but I think that the design is over done.

Landon Cassill #00 Superior Essex Chevy Camaro-If the color scheme were reversed, I would like it more. I think the white should be the primary color, and black should be the inner. This still looks good, so I’ll give it a B+.

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Throwback Chevy Camaro-Black and gold works well, especially on a throwback. This is a great scheme, with a great color scheme, and I can’t give this less than an A.

Daniel Hemric #8 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy Camaro-If the primary color was either black or orange, I would like it more. This scheme, however, isn’t great. In fact, this is awful. Darker colors work better sometimes and this is one of those times. I do like the color scheme, so I’ll give it a D.

Daniel Hemric #8 Caterpillar Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a great scheme, not just because it looks awesome, but because I like how throwbacks are evolving in NASCAR. It used to be that throwbacks were either old schemes, or based on old schemes. Nowadays, everything from cans to trucks are being used. This example is based on an old Caterpillar tractor from the 1920’s. This looks amazing! A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas Automation Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that earns an A.

Erik Jones #20 Craftsman “Racing for a Miracle” Toyota Camry-Yes, it is designed by sick children, but it works very well. It’s not over designed, there is a balance of design and color, and it works very well. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Sylvania Ford Mustang– The new Menard’s template is more finicky than the 2018 version. That said, black works very well with it, and the car looks great as a direct result. It looks great, so I’ll give it an A.

Joey Logano #22 Auto Trader Ford Mustang-This new design still looks awful, but in a different way. It’s not great, so I’ll give it a D+.

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

Corey LaJoie #32 Dude Wipes Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Best Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Blue-Emu Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look. The color scheme works. It’s a bold look, that isn’t over designed, and it looks great. A

Bayley Currey #52 Belmont Classic Cars Chevy Camaro-Another great look that works very well. I can’t say anything bad about this, so I can’t. A

Timmy Hill #66 Toyota Camry-It’s a great shade of blue, and there isn’t anything else that needs to be said. A

Quin Houff #77 FALCI Adaptive Motorsports Chevy Camaro-Another great look that works very well. I can’t say anything bad about this, so I can’t. A

Matt DiBenedetto #95 NASCAR Pro Heat/LFR Pro League Toyota Camry-The sunburst design works very well, and the black helps accentuate it. It’s a great look, it looks awesome so it gets an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 6, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 USFRA Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade. 

Austin Dillon #3 Realtree Chevy Camaro-Last year’s design was bad, this is worse!  At least the white made sense a little bit, the green and black curves make no sense!  This is not a great look, at all. F

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Ford Mustang-Same scheme as Mobil 1, same A grade

Daniel Hemric #8 Bulwark FR/Wayne Workwear Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the blue and toning down the curve could get this scheme into the A range, but with the current amount of designs, this gets a B-

Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford Mustang-Red and yellow is a great look on race cars, and this is no exception.  This new template is a little finicky, but this looks great.  I can’t give this anything less than an A, so I won’t.

Clint Bowyer #14 Rush Truck Stops/Cummins Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Reed Sorenson #27 Solomon Plumbing Chevy Camaro-The curves look good, but this does get a demerit, based on the 2018 scheme.  It’s only an A- from an A.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 World Wide Technology Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade

Timmy Hill #66 American Valor Foundation/CrashClaimsR.Us Toyota Camry-Same scheme as NV Donor, same B- grade

Garrett Smithley #77 Trophy Tractor Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always get an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 30, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 CGS Imaging Chevy Camaro-The color scheme is good, and the stripes look good too. Nothing wrong here! A

Kurt Busch #1 Gearwrench/Monster Energy Chevy Camaro-What kind of grade do you get when the front looks horrific, and the back looks awesome? You get a solid C.

Brad Keselowski #2 Reese/Drawtite Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Symbicort Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #31, same C- grade.

Daniel Hemric #8 Bass Pro Shops Chevy Camaro-Orange is finicky, especially this shade of orange. Add in the fact that too much orange was used with a bad design scheme, and you have a bad scheme. It’s not the worst scheme, but it’s worth a C-.

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield/Shazam Ford Mustang-The Shazam motif is overdone. The dark color works, but the overall scheme is overdone, and mediocre. I’ll give this a B-.

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Libman Ford Mustang-A definite downgrade from the awesomeness of the 2018 Menard’s template, but this is a decent scheme, so I’ll give it a B.

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1/Rush Truck Stops Ford Mustang-Black with red flames looks awesome, and the car as a whole looks awesome. This gets an A.

Martin Truex Jr. #19 Sirius XM Toyota Camry-Too many designs here. Just because you can add designs does not mean you should. It’s not horrifically bad, but it’s not great. All things considered, this gets a B-.

Michael McDowell #34 A&W Ford Mustang-The wood barrel motif works, as does the creamy foam motif. The two work well together, and the result is an amazing looking A scheme.

Chris Buescher #37 Kroger Speed Up Your Cleanup Chevy Camaro-The color scheme is good, and the stripes look good too. Nothing wrong here! A

David Ragan #38 MDS Ford Mustang-Replacing white with blue doesn’t add or subtract from the B+ this scheme got.

Jeb Burton #52 Muzzy Bowfishing Chevy Camaro-A bad color scheme mixed with a pointlessly over designed car will ALWAYS result in an F.

D.J. Kennington #77 Go-Part Chevy Camaro-The side designs are a little too over designed. Really, that’s my only complaint. Toning down the side designs could bring this scheme up to an A, but this is worth a B+.

Matt DiBenedetto #95 Toyota Express Maintenance Toyota Camry-This color scheme and design scheme aren’t amazing. They are also not awful. They are directly in the middle. So, since they are in the middle, this gets a C.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 23, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Wurth Ford Mustang-It’s the same great Wurth color scheme, but with a new design that works well with the color scheme. This is a great look, and it earns an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Killz Coatings Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last Dow, same B+ grade.

Daniel Hemric #8 CAT Next Generation Mini Excavators Chevy Camaro-I like the metallic gold here, but the excavator design is over done. It just doesn’t look good. I do still like the gold, so I’ll give it a C+.

Aric Almirola #10 Farmer John Ford Mustang-It’s the same design as Smithfield, but with a good color scheme, so I’ll give this an A.

Ross Chastain #15 So Cal Chevy Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Erik Jones #20 Craftsman Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Corey LaJoie #32 The Hartford Group Ford Mustang-Solid gold works very well as a color, and the design scheme is great, so this earns an A.

David Ragan #38 MDS Ford Mustang-While I do like this, it is a downgrade from the whole plain white scheme from last year. It’s still a good scheme, but the stripes don’t work well. This gets a B+.

Garrett Smithley #77 CDF Firefighters Benevolent Foundation Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Alex Bowman #88 Nationwide Pet Insurance Chevy Camaro-Much better design than the Nationwide scheme, and the color scheme looks great, so this scheme gets an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 16, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Iron Mountain Data Centers Chevy Camaro-It’s a solid, smooth look, I love the use of blues, and the stripes are well done, so this gets an A.

Kurt Busch #1 Global Poker Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Monster, same A grade.

Brad Keselowski #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Mayer Bacon Ford Mustang-The bacon motif works well, and the color scheme is great too. Nothing wrong here!A

Daniel Hemric #8 Okuma Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same D+ grade.

Clint Bowyer #14 IT Savvy Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ross Chastain #15 Chevy Camaro-I like this look, but I do think that the stripes are over done. A-

Erik Jones #20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Paul Menard #21 Quaker State Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B- grade.

Michael McDowell #34 Dockside Logistics Ford Mustang-I don’t like this new design as much as I like the Front Row template. I think the new side designs are over done. Still, it has a great color scheme, and the side designs aren’t as bad as they could be. I’ll give it a B+.

Chris Buescher #37 Kroger Flavor Fill Up Chevy Camaro-This scheme is horribly over designed. There are several elements, none of which work with each other. It just doesn’t look good. The only saving grace is that the color scheme is good, so I’ll give it a D-

Daniel Suarez #41 Arris Ruckus Ford Mustang-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Quin Houff #77 Rim Ryderz Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #15/27, same A- grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March, 9, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Manscaped Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth, simple look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Kurt Busch #1 Gear Wrench Chevy Camaro-I like the new design scheme here, and the color scheme works well too. It’s a great scheme, and that earns an A.

Kurt Busch #1 Star Nursery Throwback Chevy Camaro-My only complaint is the forced black spot for the Monster Energy logo. Other than that, this is a really great throwback. A-

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Silastic Silicone Elastomers Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Daniel Hemric #8 Red Kap Chevy Camaro-Great color scheme here, but the curved stripes are over done. Getting rid of one would work much better. Still, it’s a decent scheme, so I’ll give it a B+.

Daniel Hemric #8 Cessna Chevy Camaro-Great color scheme here, but the cutting edge designs are over done. Getting rid of one would work much better. Still, it’s a decent scheme, so I’ll give it a B+.

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

Clint Bowyer #14 CSU One Cure Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Sunny D Ford Mustang-Another example of a new scheme not improving at all. I can’t say this gets worse, but it doesn’t get better. As such, this scheme gets the F the Sunny D scheme got last year.

Corey LaJoie #32 Prospr Parts Ford Mustang-I love a good fade, and this is a great fade, black to red. The stripes work well too. I can’t say anything bad about this scheme, so it gets an A.

Chris Buescher #37 Natural Light Naturdays Chevy Camaro-The color scheme is horrid, and while it does have a fade, the color scheme makes it look awful. I can’t give this scheme anything else but an F.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Transportation Impact Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

BJ McLeod #52 MTEL-ONE Chevy Camaro-The orange doesn’t really add or subtract from the Jacob Companies scheme, so I’ll give it the same B grade that Jacob Companies got.

Joey Gase #66 www.NVDonor.org Toyota Camry-While the side design has a mediocre color scheme, it also has a mediocre color scheme. All things considered, I’ll give it a B-.

Reed Sorenson #77 Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth, simple look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Tanner Berryhill #97 II:WAVE Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth, simple look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 2, 2019

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 StarCom Fiber Chevy Camaro-This new version of the scheme is still bad, but it’s not as bad as it was. That said, it’s awful, so I’ll give it in D+.

Kurt Busch #1 ComSurv Chevy Camaro-Good look, great color scheme, no complaints here. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas CNC Ford Mustang-This is a great new look. It’s smooth, and has a great color scheme. This gets an A.

Ross Chastain #15 Rim Ryderz Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #27, same A- grade.

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Creamy Toyota Camry-The Snickers brown is a great color, and the creamy motif works very well here. All things considered, this scheme is worth an A.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Moen Ford Mustang-The new Menard’s template is a downgrade. It’s too over done. That said, the Moen look is a decent look. The purple works well here. I’d say this is worth a B+.

Michael McDowell #34 Fr8 Auctions Ford Mustang-This is a major upgrade from the 2018 Fr8 Auctions scheme. There is room for improvement here, I would tone down the designs a bit. It’s still a decent scheme, so I’ll give it a B+.

Chris Buescher #37 Scott Comfort Plus Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

David Ragan #38 Fireade Ford Mustang-This is a really over designed scheme, but it has a good color scheme. Just because you can design a certain scheme, does not mean you should. C-

Daniel Suarrez #41 Aaris Ford Mustang-The shade of orange works well, the black pairs well with it, the stripe looks good. Nothing wrong with this one! A

Kyle Larson #42 McDonald’s Team Classic Chevy Camaro-The over sized golden arches work very well, and the plain red works very well too. This scheme works very well, and gets an A.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 McDonald’s Team Bacon Chevy Camaro-If it was a plain white version of the above scheme, I would give it an A. However, the addition of the red square under the door numbers, and hood look odd, and the roof is just perplexing. It’s not terrible, but it looks odd. I’ll give it a B+.

BJ McLeod #52 Trick Shot Chevy Camaro-It’s an over designed mess, it has a bad color scheme, and the color scheme doesn’t work with the design scheme. F

Garrett Smithley #77 HeroBox, Harrell’s and Precision Turf Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #95 Procore Chevy Toyota Camry-The toned down design is a major upgrade, and I do like the motif on the sides. It’s still somewhat over designed, but it’s a good scheme, so I’ll give it a B+.

Parker Kligerman #96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-February 23, 2019

By David G. Firestone.

Brad Keselowski #2 Auto Trader Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Peak Ford Mustang-As with the Knauff scheme, this is a downgrade from last year, but it’s still a decent look, albeit a tad over designed. I’ll give it a B+.

Ryan Blaney #12 Money Lion Ford Mustang-The Penske template is finicky as a template. Not every color scheme works well. In this case, it’s not great, but not terrible, it’s middle of the road. As such, I’ll give it a C.

Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Clint Bowyer #14 DeKalb Ford Mustang Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ross Chastain #15 Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Casey Mears #27 Rim Ryderz Chevy Camaro-My only complaint is that I don’t like the stripes at the front. Still, it’s a solid design, so I’ll give it an A-.

Tyler Reddick #31 Symbicort Chevy Camaro-Another instance of a new scheme neither improving, nor going backward. It’s a C- scheme, just a different C- scheme from last year.

Matt Tift #36 Surface Sunscreen Ford Mustang-The overall color is decent, not great. I think the sublimated designs, and the faces on the bottom are over done. It’s a decent look, but there is a lot of room for improvement. All things considered, this scheme gets a B+.

David Ragan #38 Citgard Ford Mustang-The color scheme is great, but I think that the design is over done. Stripes can work well, these stripes need improvement. Still, it’s not terrible, so I’ll give it a B+.

Jamie McMurray #40 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Brendan Gaughan #62 Beard Oil/South Point Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Joey Gase #66 AgriSupply Toyota Camry-Take a decent concept, add too many colors, and too many stripes, and you have an A scheme taken down to a C scheme.

Parker Kligerman #96 Toyota: Proud Sponsor of Team USA Toyota Camry-Great look, great color scheme, nice design scheme, this gets an A.