Category: paint scheme grades

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 5, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Snap-On Ford Fusion-I love red and black as a color scheme, and the relativly simple design works very well. I like this scheme, and I’ll give it an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Coca-Cola Chevy Camaro-Coca Cola has a great shade of red, and the American flag motif used here works very well. It’s a great scheme, and it earns an A.

Matt Kenseth #6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Fusion-The sky and cloud motif works well, and the shade of blue works perfectly with the design. All in all, it’s a great scheme. A

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-.

Erik Jones #20 XYO Network Toyota Camry-Dark blue with geometric designs could be great or horrible. This is great. The contrasting blue stripe on the bottom works well. All things considered, I’ll give it an A.

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil/Autotrader Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Shell/Pennzoil, same D grade.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion-Very faithful throwback, and the numbers not only work well with the scheme, but are an improvement over the original. This scheme is getting the A it deserves.

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops/Roller Bites Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Degree Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, but the design scheme is very over done, and it just looks awful. This isn’t great, but not horrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

David Ragan #38 Bad Boy Mowers Ford Fusion-Replacing white with black doesn’t really do anything to help this scheme. It’s still awful, just awful in a different way. Since it hasn’t improved, this scheme stays at an F.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Petty’s Garage Chevy Camaro-Richard Petty’s vintage schemes always look amazing, and this scheme is no exception. It has a great look, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

Timmy Hill #51 Keen Buildings/Race to Erase Opioids Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Keen Buildings, same D+ grade.

Reed Sorenson #55 TCL Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a good color scheme will always earn an A.

Cole Whitt #72 1950 Clothing Company Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a good color scheme will always earn an A.

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore Safety Qualified Chevy Camaro-Procore’s scheme works well in just black. This is a great looking scheme, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

DJ Kennington #96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota Camry-Same scheme as Humboldt Broncos, same A grade.

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-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-Paint Scheme Grades-April 14, 2018

By David G. Firestone

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

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Patriotic Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Symbicort Chevy Camaro-Too many light colors, and the designs are a bit over done. Using a darker blue would have worked much better. C-

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1/Busch Ford Fusion-If the front half of the car was Mobil 1, and the back half was Busch, I would like it better. This design isn’t bad, but could be better. B+

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew Baja Bast Chevy Camaro-Silver works just as well as gold with this scheme, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

Aric Almirola #10 Go Bowling Ford Fusion-My only complaint here is that the wood on the side is curved. If it were straight, like a bowling alley, it would work better. Still, it’s a great scheme, and I’ll give it an A-

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Fusion-This is no longer one of the best templates in NASCAR history, it IS the best template in NASCAR history. Nothing bad can be said about this template, and this is no exception. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Stanley Tools Racing For Miracles Toyota Camry-The cow motif doesn’t work with black and yellow. I think it would work better with white and black. Still, it’s not horrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

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

William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-While the old scheme works well, I like this a little better, because the door numbers are more pronounced. I can’t go higher than an A.

Cole Whitt #72 Rinnai Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 31, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 USFRA.ORG/Starcom Fiber Chevy Camaro-If the red and silver designs would be toned down a bit, it could be a better scheme, but it has a good color scheme, and the designs aren’t over done, so I’ll give it a B+.

Jamie McMurray #1 Clover Chevy Camaro-It has a good color scheme, and while I norally like fades, this looks awful. The circuit board motif doesn’t exactly help either. Toning down the various aspects could be better, but this scheme gets the C- it deserves.

Brad Keselowski #2 Reese/Drawtite Ford Fusion-Light blue works with the Penske template, and this scheme earns an A.

Daniel Hemric #8 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevy Camaro-The black roof contrasts with the rest of the car, and the stripes are bad. It does have a great color scheme, and the stripes aren’t as bad as they could be. All things considered, it’s worth a C+.

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Libman Ford Fusion-Another example of the Penske template working well, and the green works well here. A

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

Ross Chastain #15 Championship Machinery Chevy Camaro-Another example of a new scheme rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. They replaced the bad parts of the old scheme with different bad parts of a new design. It does have a good color scheme, but that doesn’t really help. C-

Ryan Newman #31 eBay Motors Chevy Camaro-Bold but not over designed with a great color scheme will ALWAYS earn an A.

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Patriotic Chevy Camaro-My only complaint here is that the green numbers would work better if replaced by red numbers. Other than that, this is a great scheme. A-

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

David Ragan #38 MDS Ford Fusion-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and I can’t say anything bad about this scheme. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Custom Aircraft Cabinets Chevy Camaro-Bad color scheme, over designed to the sake of ridiculousness, and the only thing I like here is the Camaro stripes on the hood. D+

JJ Yeley #55 Adirondack Tree Surgeons/Overdose Awareness Chevy Camaro-It’s over designed, with the hood and black front contrasting with the rest of the car. While I do like the forest motif, the neon yellow and neon green doesn’t work with the design. I’ll give it a D-.

Mark Smith #72 Chevy Camaro-Smooth look with a great color scheme! Nothing bad about this scheme! A

DJ Kennington #96 Gordon Brothers Chevy Camaro-It could be a little less cluttered, and the color could be tweaked a little bit, but it’s not terrible, and I give it a B-.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 24, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Killz Chevy Camaro-I don’t like the white stripe across the side, it takes away from a great scheme. That white stripe takes the A scheme down to a B+

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Erik Jones #20 Sirius/XM Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/FVP Ford Fusion-Another great use of the new Menard’s template! A

Ryan Newman #31 Chevy Accessories Chevy Camaro-I like the white and metal motif. The scheme works, and it looks great. A

Chris Buescher #37 Healthy Choice Power Bowls Chevy Camaro-The black sublimated leaf design works well, and it looks good. Nothing bad about this scheme. A

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Best Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth, simple design with a great color scheme, and it works very well. A

David Ragan #38 1000 Bulbs Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same D+ grade.

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

Timmy Hill #51 Bubba Burger Chevy Camaro-Verticlal fire on the sides is a unique look, and it works very well here. The color scheme is great too, and the whole car has a great look. A

Reed Sorenson #55 Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Nevada Donor Network, same A- grade.

Cole Whitt #72 So Cal Chevy Chevy Camaro-The gold stripe works well, and the car has a great look as a whole. A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 17, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Plaid Ford Fusion-The plaid look is a great look, and the color scheme is good. It’s an all around great scheme. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Carlisle Tools Ford Fusion-The Penske template works well or horribly dependng pn the color scheme. Gold and white works well. This scheme is a good look, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Fusion-If the black stripe were removed, and the triangles toned down, I would be more willing to give this a higher grade, but all things considered, it gets a B+.

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Sunny D Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Sweet Heat Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Dutch Boy Ford Fusion-I’m beginning to think that this new Menard’s template is the best template in NASCAR history. I’ve yet to see a bad scheme using this template. This is another example of a great Menard’s scheme. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Crowdfunded Ford Fusion-It’s a smooth, simple look, and the sponsorship was acquired through crowdfunding. All in all, I’ll give it an A.

Michael McDoewll #34 K-Love Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Scott Towels Chevy Camaro-It’s a decent color scheme, but the side designs look somewhat over designed, but it’s not horrible. It’s a decent look, and I’ll give it a B+.

David Ragan#38 MDS Ford Fusion-A smooth, simple look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Kurt Busch #41 Mobil 1/Haas CNC Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Farmer John Chevy Camaro-It’s a good color scheme, and it’s unique, and it is a good look. A

Timmy Hill #51 Chevy Camaro-That’s an old school scheme, with a great color scheme. I can’t give this scheme anything less than an A.

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

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 10, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/DC Solar Chevy Camaro-The color scheme works very well with this design scheme, and the car looks great. A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Silastic Silicone Elastomers Chevy Camaro-The white motif works, and the design is a good look. No complaints here. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Ford EcoBoost Ford Fusion-New Ford EcoBoost schemes could best be described as “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” There is nothing wrong and nothing right with this scheme. B+

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion-Silver works well, especially with his scheme. It’s a really great scheme. A

Clint Boyer #14 CSU One Cure Ford Fusion-The new cleaner look is an upgrade. The color scheme works well too. It’s a nice new look! A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Pennzoil Ford Fusion-Plain yellow would work much better. Pennzoil has a great shade of yellow. The silver and white design is gaudy, and it takes away from what could have been a great scheme. Still, it’s not terrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Caramel Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Daniel Suarez #19 Coca Cola Toyota Camry-Coca Cola has a really great shade of red, and the simple, smooth design works very well. No complaints here. A

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

Chris Buescher #37 Natural Light Chevy Camaro-The 2018 Natural Light scheme is a downgrade. Last year’s scheme was a great look. This is over designed. It went from an A down to a B-.

Kurt Busch #41 State Water Heaters Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Haas/Monster Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion-Red to black fade works well, and the smooth and simple design works very well. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevy Camaro-The shade of blue is really good, and the design works well. It’s a great scheme. A

Joey Gase #55 Nevada Donor Network Chevy Camaro-If the orange and blue side designs were toned down, this scheme would earn a solid A, but they aren’t, so this scheme gets an A-.

Kasey Kahne #95 WRL Contractors Chevy Camaro-The dark blue works well, but the light blue patches are pointless, and don’t look good. It’s still a decent scheme, so I’ll give it a B+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 3, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-The design could be tweaked just a little, the yellow on the quarter panels needs to go. Other than that, it’s a great scheme. A-

Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Bruce Halle Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Discount Tire, same A grade.

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

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

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Ford Ford Fusion-Ford really takes pride in over designing their paint schemes, and this is another example. There is too much going on here, and it just looks like a mess. I’ll give it an F.

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Almond Toyota Camry-It’s a horribly over designed scheme, that looks non nonsensical. It just looks horrible, and I can’t give it anything but an F

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Moen Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Menard’s, same A grade.

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Can Am/Wholey Ford Fusion-The new scheme is just as big of a mess as the old scheme, and the Wholey logo on the sides does nothing to help the scheme. It is just awful, and I give it an F.

Chris Buescher #37 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevy Camaro-Black with red and yellow fire works very well as a paint scheme, and this car looks good. A

David Ragan #38 FR8 Auctions Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Clover/First Data Chevy Camaro-Why they got rid of the fade isn’t known, but this new scheme is not great. It is a definitive downgrade, and this new scheme went from an A down to a B-.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 NASCAR Racing Experience Ford Fusion-It’s a nice throwback inspired scheme, with a great color scheme, and I can’t say anything bad about it, it earns an A.

Cole Custer #51 Haas CNC Ford Fusion-Switching the primary colors can work well, or it can be a disaster. This scheme is a great look, and it gets an A.

Harrison Rhodes #51 Davis Roofing Chevy Camaro-Vertical stripes can work well, and this is a perfect example. The color scheme works well, and the design is not over done. It’s a great look. A

Mark Smith #72 Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Alex Bowman #88 Llumar Window Film Chevy Camaro-The green and red designs are decent, but if it was just a solid color it would work well. That’s really my only complaint. I’ll give it a B+

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore/Habitat for Humanity Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Procore, same F grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-February 24, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy Camaro-Replacing blue with black works well, and this scheme works well. This is a great looking scheme. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare 25th Anniversary Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Advocare, same A grade.

Ryan Blaney #12 Peak/Menard’s Ford Fusion-The 2018 Menard’s template works well, and this scheme looks good. This shade of yellow is also good. No complaints here! A

Paul Menard #21 OmniCraft Auto Parts Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

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

Gray Gaulding #23 EarthWater Toyota Camry-A new over designed mess for 2018. The color scheme doesn’t work, and the car is over designed, and it looks awful. F

Justin Marks #51 Harry’s Razors Chevy Camaro-While the color scheme is decent, and the design is decent, they don’t work with each other. They aren’t bad by themselves, but as a combo, it doesn’t look good. C+

Corey LaJoie #72 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro-I still hate the waffle board scheme, but replacing the white side designs with a solid black works better, and takes a D- up to a C-.