paint scheme grades – Page 45

The Driver Suit Blog-The 3rd Annual Paint Scheme Awards!

By David G. Firestone

For the end of the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season, the Paint Schemies have returned! The Schemies will reveal the best,and worst paint schemes of 2015. I’ve eliminated the exhibition and improved categories for 2015, with exhibition replaced by throwback paint scheme.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 Alejandro, 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 Bass Pro Shops Chevy SS

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Lyons Financial Ford Fusion

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Voodoo Grills Toyota Camry

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

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Lyons Financial Ford Fusion

The next award is for Worst Paint Scheme Set, meaning the team that is running consistently bad schemes all year. The nominees are:

GERMAIN RACING #13 CHEVY SS

TEAM PENSKE #22 FORD FUSION

BK RACING #26 TOYOTA CAMRY

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #66

The The winner of the Award For Worst Scheme Set of 2015 goes to…

GERMAIN RACING #13 CHEVY SS

The next Paint Schemie Award is for Throwback Paint Schemes. This category is a little different, as the Schemies will go to the best and worst throwback. For 2015, the nominees for Worst Throwback Paint Scheme are…

Chase Elliott #25 NAPA Fauxback Chevy SS

Denny Hamlin #11 Sport Clips Throwback Toyota Camry

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Winn Dixie Throwback Ford Fusion

The Schemie for Worst Throwback Paint Scheme of 2015 goes to…

Chase Elliott #25 NAPA Fauxback Chevy SS

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.

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/McDonald’s Chevy SS

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Toyota Camry

Matt Kenseth #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft/Quicklane Ford Fusion

Jeff Gordon #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SS

David Ragan #34 CSX Ford Fusion

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Windows 10 Chevy SS

And the winner of the Paint Schemie Award for Best Regular Season Single Paint Scheme is…

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft/Quicklane Ford Fusion

The next category is best throwback, and it should come as no surprise that the competition was strong this year.

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Genuine Draft Ford Fusion

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Mark Martin Throwback Ford Fusion

Clint Bowyer #15 Buddy Baker Throwback Toyota Camry

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Cargil David Pearson Throwback Ford Fusion

Jeb Burton #23 Estes Cat Throwback Toyota Camry

Jeff Gordon #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy SS

Josh Wise #32 Beer Frost/Corvetteparts.com Tide Throwback Ford Fusion

Mike Bliss #33 Harry Gant Throwback Chevy SS

Kyle Larson #42 Mello Yello Chevy SS

Aric Almirola #43 STP 1972 Throwback Ford Fusion

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Valvoline Buddy Baker Throwback Chevy SS

The Schemie for Best Throwback of 2015 goes to…

Clint Bowyer #15 Buddy Baker Throwback Toyota Camry

The final award of 2014 is the Paint Schemie for Best Paint Scheme Set of 2015. The nominees are:

TEAM PENSKE #2 FORD FUSION

JOE GIBBS RACING #11 TOYOTA CAMRY

MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING #15 TOYOTA CAMRY

JOE GIBBS RACING #20 TOYOTA CAMRY

WOOD BROTHERS RACING #21 FORD FUSION

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24 CHEVY SS

RAB RACING #29 TOYOTA CAMRY

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #35 FORD FUSION

JTG DAUGHTERY RACING #47 CHEVY SS

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78 CHEVY SS

PHIL PARSONS RACING/PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #98

The Schemie goes to…

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78 CHEVY SS

Now for my annual top 10 list, this year, we are looking at the 10 worst paint schemes of all time…

10. Tony Stewart 2011 #14 El Monterey/Office Depot Chevy Impala-Dark red, Petty blue, and gold do not work as a color scheme.

9.Jimmie Johnson 2013 #48 Yellow Lowe’s Chevy SS-As awful as this scheme is, at least he didn’t wear a yellow uniform, or he would look like a peep, though I do like the chrome helmet.

8. AJ Allmendinger 2003 #51 Neil Bonnett Tribute Chevy SS-This scheme worked in 1994, and really should have stayed there. Also, you couldn’t have used throwback door numbers?

7. Marty Robbins 1978 #42 Marty Robbins Dodge-As deomnstrated above, pink and yellow is NOT a good color scheme.

6. Any paint scheme run by Travis Pastrana in NASCAR-This is just a representation, but anything Travis Pastrana has driven in NASCAR is awful.

5. Brian Keselowsk 2014 #52 Support Millitary Toyota Camry-There is a reason this scheme won the Worst Single Scheme Schemie for two years in a row.

4. Jeff Green 2003 #43 Yu-Gi-Oh Cheerios Dodge Avenger-”Hey! NASCAR fans really like Yu-Gi-Oh, so we should advertise to them” said no one ever.

3. Various Teams 2007 57 Chevy Monte Carlo-To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the 1957 Chevy, one of the most beautiful cars ever made, Chevy convinced NASCAR to run one of the ugliest paint schemes ever run.

2. Kenny Irwin 1997 #27 Tonka/Winner’s Circle Ford Thunderbird-I really think, given the sponsor, a 9 year old helped design this car.

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2000 #3 Peter Max Chevy Monte Carlo-I was a die hard Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan since watching my first race, the 1990 Twin 125’s. I loved that black #3 with the silver stripe on the bottom. For what would be his last race, Dale raced this car, which looks like a clown threw up all over it. I have yet to find a Dale Sr. fan who will defend this scheme. At least he didn’t wear a matching driver suit.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-November 21, 2015

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips Tribute Chevy SS-It’s amazing how changing the door number makes this scheme look much better. The yellow door number works with this scheme and it looks better, and earns a C+

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Go Bowling/Gigablast Ford Fusion-Same as Medallion Bank, same B+ grade.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Cheney Brothers Ford Fusion-The curve around the door number is unnessicary, and it looks awful. Adding part of the paint scheme around it makes it look even worse. I can’t give this scheme a passing grade if my life depended on it. F

Greg Biffle #16 Bleacher Report Ford Fusion-It’s a solid design, though the color scheme could use some work. Still, it’s work a B+.

JJ Yeley #26 Overture Toyota Camry-Same as #23 Overture, same F grade.

Brett Moffitt #34 Fr8 Auctions Ford Fusion-The color scheme is great, can’t find fault with it, and the design is great as well, I like the flames. All in all, I give it an A+.

Cole Whitt #35 Speed Stick Ford Fusion-The color scheme works well with the design, which is simple and smooth. I like this scheme. A+

Cole Whitt #35 Ferguson Enterprises Ford Fusion-Simple design with a great color scheme will always earn an A+.

Landon Cassill #40 Interstate Moving/Precon Chevy SS-Get rid of those spikes at the bottom, and this would be a solid A scheme, but those ugly spikes take it down to a B+.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Tribute Chevy SS-It’s amazing how changing the door number makes this scheme look much better. The yellow door number works with this scheme and it looks better, and earns a B-

Brendan Gaughn #62 Prairie Auto Credit Chevy SS-Nothing wrong with this scheme! A+

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Tribute Chevy SS-If this was Diet Mountain Dew, the yellow numbers would work quite well, but with Nationwide, it clashes, and takes it down to a C+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-November 14, 2015

We have a 2016 paint scheme…

Danica Patrick #10 TaxAct Chevy SS-This is a good look, I like the large X behind the door numbers, and the color scheme is really good too. A+

Casey Mears #13 Geico Chevy SS-Much improved design from 2015, much smoother and simpler look. I give it an A+.

Casey Mears #13 Geico Millitary Chevy SS-While I support the troops, I grade tribute schemes on the same scale as any other scheme. In this case, this does not look good. It’s the Geico design, but with a black and camo motif. It looks forced, and awkward. F

Now on to the 2015 schemes…

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Plastic Additives Chevy SS-I like the design here. The plastic particle design does look good, and combined with a great color scheme earns an A+.

Austin Dillon #3 Bad Boy Buggies Chevy SS– Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Danica Patrick #10 GoDaddy Tribute Chevy SS-It’s a decent tribute, but a tribute based on an F scheme.

Greg Biffle #16 Jardiance Ford Fusion-Yellow, white, and teal doesn’t work, and the design is over done. As a result, it earns an F.

JJ Yeley #23 Overture Toyota Camry-I HATE ORANGE AND BLUE! I will scream that from the mountains! The design might work if it were a fade, then I could give it a C, but the zigzag design is horrible, and I can’t give it better than an F.

Jeff Gordon #24 Axalta/Service King Chevy SS-Same as Axalta, same A+ grade.

Ryan Newman #31 CAT Command Chevy SS-This is one of the few designs that works perfectly. I love the look, it’s unique, and the circular design on the rear wheel is great. I give it an A+.

Kyle Fowler #32 Corvette Parts Pink Ford Fusion-Pinkwashing is an automatic F. Thank God October is over!

Joey Gase #32 Zak Ford Fusion-Great color and design schemes will always earn an A.+

Joey Gase #32 R Factor 2 Ford Fusion-Not even a great color scheme can save this over designed mess of a paint scheme from a passing grade. F

Brett Moffitt #34 Visit Dallas Ford Fusion-Great color and design schemes will always earn an A.

Cole Whitt #35 Moen Ford Fusion-One of the few schemes where it has a great color scheme and a great design scheme, but for some reason, they don’t work together. Still, I will give it a B+.

Landon Cassill #40 Fiberlock Chevy SS-Too many contrasting shades of green, the shamrock motif is awful, and the whole car is overdone. I can’t give this scheme anything but an F.

Landon Cassill #40 Chevy SS-The color scheme is good, but the side design is a bit overdone. I’ll give it a B+.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Fry’s Chevy SS-Same scheme as Kroger, same A+ grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowes Patriotic Chevy SS-A tad overdone, but a really good patriotic scheme. B+

Justin Allgaier #51 Texas Lottery Chevy SS-This was a bit of a bold attempt, and it worked quite well. I like the stripe design on the sides, it’s bold, and the color scheme works well too. I give it an A+

Michael McDowell #95 TWD Ford Fusion–The design is bit overdone, nothing really bad, and the color scheme works well too. I give it a B+.

Ryan Preece #98 Xyience Energy Ford Fusion-Green, silver, and orange don’t work as a color scheme, and the car is so over designed, it is just hideous. F

Ryan Preece #98 Vydrox Plus Ford Fusion-Same scheme as #62, same A grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-October 17, 2015

By David G. Firestone

First we start with some 2016 paint schemes…

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy John’s Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Kevin Harvick #4 Outback Chevy SS-As much as I like the color scheme, the new mountain design looks kinda forced, and the face that it eminates from the brake duct doesn’t do it any favors. B+

Kevin Harvick #4 Ditech Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Chevy SS-A brand new design, the old Amp Energy scheme but with Nationwide colors, and I have to say…it works very well. I can’t say anything bad about this scheme. A+

Now on to the 2015 schemes..

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s All Day Breakfast Chevy SS-Black doesn’t work with McDonald’s, red or yellow would work. The design doesn’t remind of McDonald’s either. Nothing works, so I’ll give it an F.

Jamie McMurray #1 HALO 5 Chevy SS-Calling this car over designed would be an understatement. The color scheme doesn’t really fit the design. It earns an F.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Great Stuff Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same B- grade.

Alex Bowman #7 Pink Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Alex Bowman #7 Accell Pink Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Sonic Ford Fusion-Another case of design elements on the side, all of which would work by themselves, but look horrible together. The color scheme is good, but the design kills the color scheme, and earns an F.

Tony Stewart #14 Rush Truck Stops/Arctic Cat Chevy SS-New scheme for 2015, same as Rush’s but with Artic Cat on quarter panels. A+

Alex Kennedy #33 Little Joe’s Auto Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Cole Whitt #35 Rich Logistics Ford Fusion-Overall, I like the design, but the grid pattern looks forced. Get rid of that, and it would be a solid A scheme with a great color scheme. The grid takes it down to a B+

David Gilliland #38 Love’s/Tire Pass Ford Fusion-Same as Love’s, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Dark Plaid Chevy SS-The dark plaid design works very well, and the black and red color scheme fits the design perfectly. A+

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plaid Chevy SS-It reminds me of an old Cincinatti Red uniform, and while the Reds uniform looked great, this looks…the word “meh” comes to mind. The stripes are way too thin to look good. Still the color scheme is good, and I’ll give it a C-.

Michael Annett #46 TMC Transportation Chevy SS-The Dale Jr. Style lettering works well in yellow, and the black background works well too. I give it an A+

AJ Allmendinger #47 Dillon’s Chevy SS-Same as Kroger’s, same A+ grade

Timmy Hill #62 Becker Autos Chevy SS-Simple design, great color scheme, no complaints, A+.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 HALO 5 Chevy SS-Calling this car over designed would be an understatement. While the color scheme does fit the design, the color scheme can’t save the scheme. It earns an F.

Reed Sorenson #98 VIP Racing Experience Ford Fusion-Simple design, great color scheme, no complaints, A+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-October 10, 2015

By David G. Firestone

First we have four new 2016 schemes…

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Chevy SS-A mainstay of NASCAR sponsorship, Busch makes its return in 2016, along with Busch Light as the primary sponsor of Kevin Harvick’s car. This design, based on a throwback can is great, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A+

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light Chevy SS-Based on a Busch Light can, everything I like about Busch also applies here. A+

Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry–N o change A+

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 TaxSlayer Chevy SS-The colors scheme is really good, and the design works well. I like the gold designs and door numbers too. A+

Now on to the 2015 schemes…

Jamie McMurray #1 Naturemade Gummies Chevy SS-No. Redeeming. Features. At. All. F

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Pink Ford Fusion-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Walmart/SlimFast Ford Fusion-Same as Walmart scheme, same B- grade.

Greg Biffle #16 Roush Performance Parts Pink Ford Fusion-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Kyle Busch #18 Halloween M&M’s Toyota Camry-M&M’s always has top notch M&M’s Halloween schemes, and this scheme is no exception. The color and design work very well, and earn an A+.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Pink Toyota Camry-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Ryan Blaney #21 PPG Automotive Finishes Ford Fusion-Great color scheme, the blue works well, and the paint streaks to the white rear looks really good. A+

Jeb Burton #23 Dr. Pepper Pink Toyota Camry-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Brett Moffitt #34 Dockside Logistics Ford Fusion-Great color scheme and great design scheme earns an A+.

Landon Cassill #40 Cars For Sale Pink Chevy SS-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plaid Chevy SS-Plaid does not look good on race cars, no matter what. D-

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Red Vest Chevy SS-When I first heard about this scheme I thought the red would improve the scheme, but it actually takes a B- scheme down to a C-.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.#88 Nationwide/Plenti Chevy SS-I’m not sure if the Plenti designs are meant to be confetti, butterflies, birds, or what, but they take a B+ scheme down to a C+.

Michael McDowell #95 Thrivent Financial/Habitat For Humanity Ford Fusion-The use of gray can be a minefield, but this works well, and the overall design looks good too. A+

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The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-September 26, 2015

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy SS-Same as Daytona scheme, but reversed, same A+ grade.

Jamie McMurray #1 FlirMPX Chevy SS-Bit of a stretch with the color scheme, however, the great design scheme works well, and the scheme as a whole is great. A+

Alex Bowman #7 Road Rippers Chevy SS-Same as Toy State scheme, same D- grade.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Lowes Foods Ford Fusion-I’m not a fan of most shades of green used on race cars these days, but the darker the better. This is a shade of green that works quite well, and the scheme is good too, so it earns an A+

Danica Patrick #10 GoDaddy Pink Chevy SS-It’s that time of year again, pinkwashing time. The whole idea of putting pink on everything during the month of October has run its course, so I will continue to fail any scheme that follows, like this scheme. F

Jeff Gordon #24 Ride With Jeff Chevy SS-557 people paid $124 to have their name put on the hood of Jeff’s car and this solid A+ scheme is the result.

Jeff Gordon #24 Axalta Final Race Chevy SS-I’m glad Axalta decided to do something unique for Jeff Gordon’s final full-time race at Homestead. Originally, it was going to be the same Axalta scheme he ran all season, but this one works well too. I have to give it an A+

Josh Wise #32 Beer Frost/Skuttle Tight Ford Fusion-This is a nod to the Tide Ride throwback, and I hope they don’t change it! That is a great shade of orange, the numbers look great, and the scheme earns an A+.

Cole Whitt #35 Taco Bell Ford Fusion-The Taco Bell scheme worked well on the #34 last year, and it works well on the #35 this year. A+

Kyle Larson #42 Linksys Plaid Chevy SS-Target is going all in on plaid this year, since apparently, it’s the next big thing in fashion. That said, this car needs work. The tan plaid is too light, and the design is mediocre at best. I like the color scheme, so I’ll give it a B-.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Food For Less Chevy SS-Same scheme as Kroger, same A+ grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowes/Hitachi Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, same as Lowe’s. B-

David Ragan #55 Aaron’s Partners Of The Year Toyota Camry-Same scheme as Aaron’s, but with their partners of the year on the hood. A+

Ryan Preece #98 Chevy SS-Now if I really have to explain why this is a great scheme, you probably haven’t been paying attention. This is as perfect a throwback as can be! A+

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-September 19, 2015

Kevin Harvick #4 Budweiser Make It Home Chevy SS-I’m considering this a throwback, since it reminds me of Kenny Schrader’s scheme from his Hendrick days. It looks great, and earns an A+.

Alex Bowman #7 Jewel-Osco Chevy SS-The color scheme is good, the design is good, but those stripes on the door number kill an A+ scheme. They serve no purpose, and are not part of Jewel-Osco’s color scheme, and take the scheme down to a B-.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Go Bowling/Draft Kings Ford Fusion-Same as Medallion Bank, same B+ grade.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Walmart Ford Fusion-Not a bad scheme, color is great, but the design needs some work, as it looks forced, and doesn’t work. B-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Cargil Ford Fusion-See Walmart Above. B+

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s/American Hertiage Toyota Camry-Same as M&M’s Crispy same B- grade.

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Beer Frost/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion-Same as Corvette Parts, same F grade.

Mike Bliss #33 Harry Gant Throwback Chevy SS– Based on Harry Gant’s Skoal Bandit scheme he raced through much of his career, I couldn’t say anything bad about this scheme with a gun to my head. A+

David Gilliland #38 Love’s Truck Stops/Children’s Miracle Network Ford Fusion-Same as Love’s Truck Stops, same A grade.

Aric Almirola #43 Waffle House Ford Fusion– Same scheme as last year, same B- grade,

Timmy Hill #62 Champion Machinery Chevy SS-The plain scheme with Champion Machienry decasl looks good, and earns an A+.

Michael McDowell #95 WRL Contractors Ford Fusion– It’s amazing how much better this scheme looks without the Larry the Lobster crap on it. It takes the scheme up to an A+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades- September 5, 2015

Kasey Kahne #5 Hendrick Ride Along Chevy SS-I was thinking it would be a Terry Labonte or Ricky Rudd throwback, but this Geoff Bodine scheme from 1983 is a good scheme, the door number looks good, the designs are great, and the color scheme is great. A+

Alex Bowman #7 “Tiger” Tom Baldwin Throwback Chevy SS-New scheme for 2015, pays tribute to “Tiger” Tom Baldwin’s modified car. It’s a great look, and the bars on the side, and air filter decal is unique, but it works very well. A+

Ryan Blaney #21 SKF Manufacturing Day Ford Fusion-It’s a redesign of a good scheme, and I really can’t find fault with it.A+

Joey Logano #22 Shell Pennzoil Mario Andretti Throwback Ford Fusion-I had no idea what Shell had planned, but I didn’t think that it would be based on Mario Andretti’s 1988 24 Hours of LeMans Porsche. That being said, it is a great throwback scheme, with a bold look that is better than their current scheme! I want this to be the Shell/Pennzoil scheme! A+

JJ Yeley #23 Beds For Kids Toyota Camry-Not a throwback per se, but more of a fauxback scheme. The color scheme looks good, I like the removal of the Dr Pepper number circle, but that stripe just looks forced and awkward. If it wasn’t looping over the tires, I might like it better, but it takes an A+ scheme down to a B-

Justin Allgaier #51 Brandt Throwback Chevy SS-Already a fauxback design, they redesign the numbers, giving them a Rowdy Burns style look, and make EST 1953 more prominent. It was a great look, and it’s still a great look. A+

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Chevy SS-I was really wondering what Furniture Row Racing would do here. They do have some classic schemes, but they don’t look that good. Instead, they turned their logos and number teal to create awareness for ovarian cancer. It is a smart move that earns an A+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 29, 2015

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Mark Martin Throwback Ford Fusion-Not my favorite Mark Martin throwback scheme, but it works with the V’s replace by A’s. I’ll give it an A+.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Winn Dixie Throwback Ford Fusion-Based on a later Mark Martin throwback scheme, the modern numbers and logos take an A+ scheme to a B-.

Clint Bowyer #15 Buddy Baker Throwback Toyota Camry-I rarely hand out the second + to an A+ scheme but for this throwback to Buddy Baker’s 1974 scheme because the team went the extra mile and hand painted it. The extra plus is worth one 1/3 of a letter grade in the final ratings. A++

Greg Biffle #16 Ortho Throwback Ford Fusion-Great design, great color scheme, bonus points for vintage contingency decals. A+

Jeb Burton #23 Estes Cat Throwback Toyota Camry-I’ll be honest, when I heard of the throwback race, I thought Ryan Newman would use this scheme. That said, it is still a great scheme based on Ward Burton’s 2002 Daytona 500 winning scheme. A+

JJ Yeley #23 Voodoo Grills Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #83, same F grade.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s Throwback Chevy SS-Vintage logos, a unique vintage look, and vintage door numbers all add up to an A+.

Josh Wise #32 Beer Frost/Corvetteparts.com Tide Throwback Ford Fusion-You can NEVER go wrong with a Tide Ride scheme. A+

Aric Almirola #43 STP 1972 Throwback Ford Fusion-STP throwbacks are, without exception, always great. A+

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J Throwback Chevy SS– A good color scheme and decent design, ruined by modern logos. The vintage Pilot logo is good but can’t keep the grade above a C+.

Matt DiBenedetto #83 James Madison University Toyota Camry-Blue, black and gold is a good color scheme, but it doesn’t transfer well to this paint scheme. It looks forced. I think that if the blue and gold were reversed it might help. The design and logos are good, so I’ll give it a B+

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Valvoline Buddy Baker Throwback Chevy SS– The only bad thing I can say is that the Dale Jr. number design is present on this throwback scheme, but it’s too good of a scheme for me to complain, and I give it an A+.

Timmy Hill #98 Big Daddy RV’s Ford Fusion-The logo may be a bit gaudy, but the paint scheme is good, and I’ll give in an A+.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 22, 2015

By David G. Firestone

We have our first 2016 paint scheme, and I will grade it as normal. I know that the scheme might change.

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, and for the first new scheme, it looks much better than anything I have seen on Danica’s car thus far. However, since this may not be the final scheme for 2016, I will take it with a grain of salt. I will give in an A+.\

Now on to the 2015 schemes…

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite/Luke Bryan Ford Fusion-Same as Miller Lite, but with Luke Bryan on the hood, I’ll give it an A+.

Alex Bowman #7 APC Chevy SS-The scheme looks decent, but if the black were replaced by white, it would look better. The APC color scheme would look better with a white background. Still, it’s a decent scheme, but it has a B- look to it.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Transportation Impact Ford Fusion-Transportation Impact’s attempt to use the Petty C around the numbers as part of the design scheme look awful, and the whole scheme is much awkward. If that lightning bolt was removed, it would be an A scheme, but because of the bad design, it earns a C-.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Blue Emu Ford Fusion-Another attempt to use the Petty C in the scheme, but this works much better. It’s much smoother, and it works. Sadly, the front nose design looks odd, and the red C near the door number doesn’t fit with the whole scheme. I’ll give it a B+.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Cargil David Pearson Throwback Ford Fusion– A very accurate throwback from David Pearson’s Holman-Moody days. Bonus point to Cargil for adding the vintage lettering on the sides. You can’t give this scheme anything lower than an A+.

Jeb Burton #26 Rocky Ridge Toyota Camry-Leave it to BK Racing to completely miss the point of the THROWBACK RACE at Darlington! The color scheme is good, but it can’t save this scheme, which shouldn’t be running at a throwback race. I give it an F.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Knauf Chevy SS-Some templates don’t work with certain color schemes, and this is a perfect example. The sky blue/neon yellow color scheme is awful, and the design is keeping it afloat. I give it a D-

Josh Wise #32 Tom Siple Foundation Ford Fusion-The Tom Siple Foundation was created in 2008 after Tom Siple died of cancer. The foundation exists to give terminally ill and severely disabled individuals a chance to hunt before their time comes. It’s a great charity, and they have a great paint scheme, earning an A+.

Travis Kvapil #33 Chevy SS-Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.

Brett Moffitt #34 No Escape Ford Fusion-If the lettering and door numbers weren’t so bright I would be able to give it a better grade, but I can’t give this anything better than a C-.

Cole Whitt #35 Dockside Logistics Chevy SS-Same as #34 Dockside scheme, same A+ grade.

David Gilliland #38 Cash Crash Ford Fusion-The Front Row template can work very well with the right color scheme, but this isn’t the right color scheme. The green is too bright, the red clashes with it, and the hood design is awful. I’ll be kind and give it a C+.

Landon Cassill #40 Hillman Automotive Chevy SS–Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.

Kyle Larson #42 Clorox Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same D-grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Target/Cartwheel Chevy SS-Not only is this a great design and color scheme, I would love to see it reversed and made the primary scheme. An A+ scheme for sure.

Kyle Larson #42 Mello Yello Chevy SS-I love a good, accurate throwback, and this is a perfect example of one. It looks just as good now as it did then, I give it an A+.

Aric Almirola #43 Armour Ford Fusion– The yellow roof numbers have been going on too long, they look awful, and it takes an A+ down to an A-.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Throwback Chevy SS-If the cream was replaced by white, I would give it an A+ but because is isn’t it takes it down to a B-.

David Ragan #55 Aaron’s Ken Ragan Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2015, throwback to David’s father Ken’s 1990’s car. -This is a scheme that throws back to Ken Ragan’s old scheme. I love a good, accurate throwback, and this is a perfect example of one. It looks just as good now as it did then, I give it an A+.

Reed Sorenson #62 Chevy SS–Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Cosmo Motors Toyota Camry-The only good thing I can say about this scheme is that it has a decent color scheme. C-

Timmy Hill #98 Ford Fusion-Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.