Category: paint scheme grades

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 29, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Detroit Genuine Parts Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Austin Dillon #3 New Era Cap Chevy SS-Were it not for the large New Era logo on the side, I would grade this an A. It has every ingredient, but that big logo next to the door number takes it from an A to a B+.

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Bucks Chevy SS-I like the scheme overall, the cash motif looks good, but I don’t like the white door numbers on the side. They blend in too much with the background. The yellow number on the roof works much better. That detail takes the A down to a B+.

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Annual Protection Chevy SS-Same scheme as #41, same A grade.

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas Demo Days Chevy SS-Same scheme Haas, same A grade.

Matt Kenseth #20 Circle K Toyota Camry-It’ a good look, the color scheme is good, and the design scheme looks good too. Nothing wrong with this scheme! A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Libman Chevy SS-This might be the first template that works well with any color scheme. The color scheme works well, as does the design scheme. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Demo Day/Menard’s Chevy SS-Same scheme as Haas/Monster, same A grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowes/AO Smith Chevy SS-Same scheme as Lowes, same F grade.

Timmy Hill #51 SleepFresh Matress Chevy SS-White usually works well as a background color, and the contrast between the dark red and the light blue stripes works well too. It’s a smooth look with a good color scheme. A

Erik Jones #77 SportClips Toyota Camry-Apparently, SportClips is sponsoring two different cars, and as a direct result decided that they need two different schemes. Rather than use the same scheme that the #11, or design a brand new scheme, they decided to rehash the 2016 #11 scheme, albeit with some slight changes. I’m not impressed, and I’m giving it the same C- that the 2016 scheme got.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Mountain Dew-S-A Chevy SS-Why can’t Mountain Dew get a patriotic scheme right? Are they so desparate to make themselves look cool that they don’t get how the flag of the United States looks. The design scheme is bad, but the color scheme is worse. I like the red and white used, but the blue is too light. The design is over done. I’ll give it a C-, since it isn’t as bad as last year…but that isn’t saying much.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 22, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Sherwin Williams/3M Pro Chevy SS-While it has the same basic design as last year’s Sherwin Williams Emerald, but I don’t like the addition of the diamond plate. It takes a C design to a C-

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Genuine Draft Ford Fusion-Our first Bristol throwback is one of my favortes, the Rusty Wallace Miller Genuine Draft design. It worked well a few years ago, it stil works well. I give it an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Energy and Water Chevy SS-The blue water motif works well, the black outline…not so much. Get rid of the black outline, and just have the water motif. It’s not a terrible scheme, and it deserves a C.

JJ Yeley #7 Accell Construction Chevy SS-Same scheme as 2015, but with a black hood, and the black hood is an upgrade, and takes the scheme from a C- to a C.

Reed Sorenson #15 Xchange of America Chevy SS-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme. It earns an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Ford EcoBoost Ford Fusion-While I like the fact the design has been toned down, it’s still over designed, just less over designed. Good color scheme, but that can’t save this scheme from earning a D-.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.#17 Go Bowling Ford Fusion-Definitly a downgrade, from red, white, and blue to black, red and white. The design scheme could be better if it were a bowling lane motif. Still, it’s not terrible, and I give this a B-.

Matt Kenseth #20 Toyota Toyota Camry-The color scheme could work it it was either gray or white, but the combination just doesn’t work. Add a design that doesn’t work well with the color scheme, and you have an F scheme.

Chase Elliott #24 Little Ceasers/Mountain Dew Chevy SS-The orange scheme works well, I like the fact that the door number matches the orange. Add in a good design scheme, and you have an A scheme.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Dutch Boy Chevy SS-This might be one of the only templates that works with every color. The blue works well with the template. I also like that the chipped paint motif is gone. A

Chris Buescher #37 Scott Products/Kingsford Chevy SS-Same scheme as Cottonelle, same A grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s/Hitachi Chevy-Same scheme as Lowe’s, same F grade.

Timmy Hill #51 Fenton Motors Chevy SS-Same scheme as Bubba Burgers, same A grade.

Derrike Cope #55 Low T Center Toyota Camry-Black, red, and green, with black as the primary color is an iffy choice, and the polka dot motif doesn’t work well here. It’s just not a good scheme. F

Cole Whitt #72 RTIC Coolers Chevy SS-I like the lighter blue, and the carbon fiber hood works very well too. Even the #72 works well with this scheme. I give it an A.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Axalta/Philadelphia Eagles Chevy SS-The color scheme isn’t great, the black doesn’t work. The design is unoriginal, and doesn’t work with the color scheme, but it’s not horrible. I will give it a C-.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 8, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Okuma Chevy SS-It’s the same basic scheme as AAA, but the color change doesn’t do anything to improve or detract from the D+ grade, so it stays a D+.

Joey Logano #22 Duralast Brakes Ford Fusion-I like this design, the black checkered pattern works very well.  The yellow is understated, and works well, and the modified Penske template works very well.  It’s a solid A scheme.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Duracell Chevy SS-Black and gold works well for the new Menard’s template.  This scheme works well too.  It’s worth an A.

Ryan Newman #31 Kalahari Resorts Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Ryan Newman #31 Chevrolet Chevy SS-Metallic gold is an underused color on race cars, and the smooth look and great color scheme create an A scheme.

Landon Cassill #34 FR8 Auctions Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same D+ grade.

Timmy Hill #51 Go Parts Chevy SS–Same basic scheme as the black Spoonful, same A grade.

Cole Whitt #72 Bad Boy Mowers Chevy SS-Bad number design, bad design scheme, decent design scheme.  All in all, it’s worth an F.

Corey LaJoie #83 RMC Events Toyota Camry-The blue is a little light for my tastes, but the color as a whole scheme isn’t terrible, and the designs scheme is decent.  So I’ll give it a B+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 1, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s All American Games Chevy SS-Same scheme as McDonald’s, same A grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 SportClips Toyota Camry–Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Clint Bowyer #14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Fusion-It’s a great look!  The color scheme works well with the design scheme, and the white hood, roof, and decklid work well too.  All in all, it’s an A scheme for sure!

Reed Sorenson #15 VIP Racing Experience Toyota Camry-It’s a clean smooth look with a great color scheme.  It’s worth an A.

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

Daniel Suarez #19 Subway Toyota Camry-I like the removal of the white from the sides.  It gives the car a much cleaner and smoother look.  It’s still a little overdone, but it’s worth an A-.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Jack Links Beef Jerkey Chevy SS-It’s not a bad scheme overall, but the dark red doesn’t work as well with the bright yellow.  It looks good, but if the red was a little brighter, the scheme would earn a little more than a B-.

Jeffery Earnhardt #33 Superior Logistics Services Chevy SS–Same scheme as Starter, same A grade.

Jeffery Earnhardt #33 Nice Ride Apparel Chevy SS–Same scheme as Starter, same A grade.

Jeffery Earnhardt #33 Detail 2U/K1 Speed Chevy SS–Same scheme as Starter, same A grade.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Ralph’s/Checklist/Oscar Meyer Chevy SS–Same scheme as Kroger, same A grade.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Fry’s/Checklist/Velveta Chevy SS–Same scheme as Kroger, same A grade.

Timmy Hill #51 Bubba Burger Chevy SS-Thought the blue could be a little darker, the overall scheme looks good.  I like the cutting edge design, and the color works well with the scheme.  It earns an A.

Reed Sorenson #55 Toyota Camry–It’s a clean smooth look with a great color scheme.  It’s worth an A.

Cole Whitt #72 SoCal Chevy Chevy SS-I REALLY hate that door numbers.  Normally this scheme would earn an A, but with the overly distracting #72, it ends up scoring just a B+.

Erik Jones #77 Toyota Service Centers Toyota Camry–Same scheme as 5-Hour Energy, same C- grade.

Corey LaJoie #83 Bubba Burger Toyota Camry-The black flame motif is simple, and it works!  It’s a bold look that isn’t overdone!  This is one of my favorite schemes so far this year.  I give it the A it deserves!

Michael McDowell #95 Leavine Family Surfboards Chevy SS-Designing cars to look like vintage classics can be hit or miss, and this is a hit!  The Woody design works well, and the light blue front works well too. A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 25, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/World Water Day Chevy SS-New scheme for 2017, black front, water motif with a curve in front of the door number.D-

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Toyota Camry–No change.A

Gray Gaulding #23 SunFrog.com Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2017, green front, black and green middle to rear.C+

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/FVP Chevy SS–New scheme for 2017 Menard’s template with FVP colors, black replaces silver.A

Landon Cassill #34 Starkey Hearing Foundation Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2017, Front Row template has been revamped, with blue and white color scheme.A

Cole Whitt #72 Standard Plumbing Supply Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2017, black with white and red letters and logos.B+

Corey LaJoie #83 BK Racing Graphics Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2017, black with red and silver stripes across sides.B-

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 18, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Credit One/Cessna Chevy SS-The color change works well, and the design looks good.  I give it an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Lucas Oil Chevy SS-The curve stripe doesn’t look good on the middle of the car.  Had it been on the bottom, it would be better.  It’s still not a bad scheme, and it’s worth a B+.

Matt Kenseth #20 PEAK Antifreeze Toyota Camry-Peak always has great schemes, and this is another example,  The more pronounced spikes make the car look good, and it’s a great A scheme.

Matt Kenseth #20 Blue Def Toyota Camry-For some schemes, reversing the colors can be a disaster, this scheme is great!  It works quite well, and has a great look.  A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Valvoline Chevy SS-The new Menard’s template works very well, and the Valvoline scheme is a great look.  It works very well with the template, and the scheme is an A scheme.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Keen Parts Ford Fusion-Keen Parts has had some awful schemes up until recently.  This is an example of how well they have advanced as a sponsor with their schemes.  This is a great scheme with a great color scheme.  It works well, and it looks good.  A

Chris Buescher #37 Natural Light Chevy SS-This is something that annoys me to no end, if you are going to do patriotic schemes, USE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE, Dark blue, light blue, and white, doesn’t work as a patriotic scheme.  That said, dumb color scheme aside, the car does have a good look, and the color scheme, while not patriotic, is still good, so I’ll give it a B+.

David Ragan #38 Juice Battery Ford Fusion-This is the worst color scheme I’ve seen in a while, and the car is so over designed, it just looks awful.  I’m going to be generous, and give this scheme an F.

Timmy Hill #51 Dashub Chevy SS-The cutting edge design can work, but with the odd color scheme, it looks off.  It doesn’t look bad, but it looks odd.  It’s a good color scheme, and a good design scheme, but they don’t work together.  It’s a B- scheme.

Derrike Cope #55 Chevy SS-Great color and a smooth design scheme will always earn an A.

Corey LaJoie #83 JAS Trucking Toyota Camry-The police motif doesn’t work here, and the stripes don’t work.  I thought when I first saw this scheme that it was a police sponsor, but it’s a trucking sponsor.  The color scheme is decent, but the design scheme doesn’t work as a scheme.  I’ll give it a D-.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 11, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas Automotion Ford Fusion-Gray is out, red is in! The new color scheme works well, and I do like the white stripes at the bottom. It’s an A scheme!

Reed Sorenson #15 Chevy SS-Black with white numbers is always a good look, and this scheme is a good look. I can’t say anything bad about it, and I give it an A.

Reed Sorenson #15 The Maids Chevy SS-This is a unique situation, let me explain. Sorenson was expected to race the black with white numbers above. However, on Saturday, The Maids agreed to sponsor the team for one race, and the car was re-decaled overnight. It’s a good color scheme, a great shade of yellow, and a good shade of blue, and a smooth look, and it’s worth an A.

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Crispier Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same B- grade.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Cosmo Motors Ford Fusion-That stupid door design has been removed, and the car has gone from a C- to a B-. The look has improved, and the car has a smoother look as a result.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Can Am/Kappa Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Jeffery Earnhardt #33 Chevy SS-Same scheme as Starter, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Baked Beans Chevy SS–Same scheme as 2016 #47, same B+ grade.

Cody Ware #51 Spoonful Music Foundation Chevy SS-Reversing the color scheme can be hit or miss. In this case, it’s a hit. The black design works very well, and the design scheme works well too. This scheme gets the A it deserves.

Derrike Cope #55 Wade Tractor/adrenalinpwr.com Chevy SS-It’s a simple, smooth look, with a good color scheme, and it earns an A.

Cole Whitt #72 Rinnai Chevy SS-This would normally be an A scheme, but there is an issue that I almost never discuss when grading paint schemes. The door numbers do not look good with this color scheme. The 72 looks awful here, and the car loses as a result. If the door numbers were just one color, I would give it an A. But the three color design doesn’t work on the white background. If it were plain black or red, I’d be able to work with it. But it’s not horrible, aside from the numbers, so I give it a B+.

Erik Jone #77 Sirius/XM Toyota Camry-It’s a needlessly over designed mess. Too much is going on, and the car looks awful as a direct result. I’m giving this scheme the F it deserves.

Michael McDowell #95 WRL Contractors Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 4, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/Quikrete Chevy SS-Same scheme as Dow, same A- grade.

Elliott Sadler #7 Golden Corral Chevy SS-Same scheme as 2017, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Chevy SS-Same scheme as 2017, same A grade.

Brendan Gaughan #75 Beard Oil Chevy SS-It’s a smooth simple clean look, with a great color scheme. I give it an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-February 25, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/McDonald’s Chevy SS-It’s a better scheme, much more toned down, great color scheme, and an overall great look. A

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Grand Mac Chevy SS-I’m not a fan of green on race cars, but this works very well. The design scheme looks good, and it’s a really good scheme. I give it an A.

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy SS–It’s a better scheme, much more toned down, great color scheme, and an overall great look. A

Danica Patrick #10 Aspen Dental Ford Fusion-For the switch to Ford, Aspen Dental redesigned their car, and at best it can be described as “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” The changes did nothing to improve the overall look of the car. It’s not a good scheme, and I give it an F.

Danica Patrick #10 TaxAct Ford Fusion-For the switch to Ford, TaxAct redesigned their car. The changes did not change the grade of the car. It’s still a great looking car, and the bigger stripes are an improvement. It is an A scheme for sure.

Michael Waltrip #15 Aaron’s Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2017, blue photo motif across car, white hood, yellow door numbers. D-

Matt Kenseth #20 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as 2016 #18, same F grade.

Matt Kenseth #20 Tide Pods Toyota Camry-Talk about a downgrade! The 2016 throwback scheme was one of the best. Tide has always had great schemes, but this new scheme is a disaster! I hate the orange/blue separation, the subtle designs, and the overall look. Even a great color scheme can’t save this from an F grade.

Jeffery Earnhardt #33 Starter Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

David Ragan #38 Camping World/Good Sam Ford Fusion-I’m not big on the design scheme. I think the old Front Row template would have worked better. I do like the color scheme, and the design isn;t horrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

David Ragan #38 Jacob Companies Ford Fusion–It’s a bad design with a mediocre color scheme, and the two don’t work with each other. Taking everything into account, this is a C-scheme.

Timmy Hill #51 Spoonful Music Foundation Chevy SS-Good design, great color scheme, and a great look will always earn an A.

Martin Truex Jr. #78 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #77 same C- grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-February 18, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Brad Keselowski #2 SKF Ford Fusion–Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ty Dillon #13 Twisted Tea Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion–It’s the same basic scheme from last year, with some light changes in the white stripes. It still looks good, and I give it an A.

Joey Gase #23 Schluter Systems Toyota Camry-The basic scheme, which is horrible, returns, but the new stripes add nothing, and the car is still a D- scheme.

Joey Gase #23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry– The new side stripes don’t look good at all, and they take an A scheme down to a B+.

Ryan Newman #31 Granger Chevy SS-Red as a primary color works, and the black stripe on the bottom works well. It’s a great scheme, and earns an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 EJ Wade Foundation Ford Fusion-It’s not a great color scheme, and the ribbon design doesn’t look good. It’s a true F scheme.

Chris Buescher #37 Kroger Checklist Chevy SS-Same scheme as Kroger same B+ grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Mobil 1 Annual Protection Chevy SS-Same scheme as other SHR Mobil 1 schemes, but with gold trim, same A grade.

Cole Whitt #72 Florida Lottery Ford Fusion-The black doesn’t work at all with the orange and teal color scheme, and the scheme looks forced. The only thing I like about this scheme is the door numbers. I’ll give it a D-.

Corey LaJoie #83 Dustless Blasting Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same B- grade.