For the 11th Season Premier of Introduction to Sports Memorabilia, we examine a Derrike Cope 1998 Gumout Helmet, which he has autographed twice.. From here on out, I will upload new videos on Mondays.
The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades and Clarification of a Term
By David G. Firestone
I have been neglecting the Paint Scheme grades for the last few weeks, so after this brief post, we will focus on those this week. I want to clarify a term that I use regularly. I use the word “overdesigned” and what it basically means is that the paint scheme has design for design sake. The scheme has design that serves no real purpose, and was just added needlessly. Most things we own are, to a certain extent, over designed, mainly to prevent damage from regular use. But when a car uses needless design in a paint scheme, more often than not, it looks awful.
The other news items I wanted to get to are from Formula 1. I’m not an F1 fan per se, but I felt that these deserved some time on the DSB. First there was a major shift in how cars are numbered in F1. It used to be that were ever the driver finished in the previous season is what his car number was. Now the change has been made and instead it is that the drivers pick a number and then use that for their entire careers. Sky Sports covered the driver’s number choices in full, and I’m now a Daniel Ricardo fan! The 2014 F1 helmet designs have been released and the designs speak for themselves. This last item is about the man who is in charge of painting Lewis Hamilton’s Silver Arrow for the German-based Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team, my favorite team appearance wise in F1. Now we move on to…
Paint Scheme Reviews
Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Chevy SS For many years, green was considered an unlucky color in auto racing. That said, this is a decent scheme. The green used is very good, and the overall design is good. The green around the vent on the side is needless, but this scheme still works. A-
Austin Dillon #3 Bad Boy Buggies/Realtree Chevy SS I’m seriously considering giving any camo paint scheme an automatic F because not one that I have seen in the last 5 years looks good at all. This scheme is just awful. The white/camo scheme is hideous and I’m embarrassed to have to grade it. F
Greg Biffle #16 Red Cross Give Blood/3M Ford Fusion One of Greg’s best schemes he has ever run. I can’t say anything bad. It has a simple yet attractive design, and a great color scheme. A+
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Zest Ford Fusion Same scheme as last year, same F grade.
Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry Same scheme as last year, same B Grade
Jeff Gordon #24 Texas A&M Engineering Chevy SS Decent color scheme, but the side design is odd. It has a little too much design. The crooked Texas A&M logo looks odd here too. Still it is a decent design and earns a C+
Paul Menard #27 Menards/Quaker State Chevy SS Quaker State has a great shade of green, and it should be the dominant color of the car. The yellow base with green accents looks awkward. I’ll give it a C
Parker Kligerman #30 Swan Racing Toyota Camry Simple design and a great color scheme earns an A+
Parker Kligerman #30 Swan Racing Toyota Camry Simple design and a great color scheme earns an A+
Travis Kvapil #32 Ask More Get More Ford Fusion Yellow, white and black is a great color scheme. Overall design is great and the car has a great look to it. A+
Travis Kvapil #32 Ask More Get More Ford Fusion Two different schemes in two weeks is unusual and for whatever reason, the new car was a bit over designed. It still has a decent look and earns a B+
Timmy Hill #33 Circle Sport Chevy SS Simple design and a great color scheme earns an A+
David Ragan #34 Taco Bell Ford Fusion Overall design and color schemes are good, and the only complaint is that the Taco Bell logo should be in color as opposed to black and white. A+
David Ragan #34 Dockside Logistics Ford Fusion The car looks great, with a great color scheme and great design scheme…A+
David Ragan #34 Farm Rich Ford Fusion Good color scheme and I love the rolling hills effect…A+
Reed Sorenson #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy SS Simple design and a great color scheme earns an A+
David Gilliland #38 Long John Silvers Ford Fusion Great design, great color scheme, great look, A+
Landon Cassill #40 Nabi Tablet Chevy SS Good color scheme, but the the car, like the Nabi Tablet is overdesigned, and earns a C
Landon Cassill #40 CRC Industries / K&W FiberLock Chevy SS A very simple design, though the yellowish-green is unattractive. If the green was darker it would work better. C+
Kyle Larson #42 Clorox Chevy SS AJ Allemdinger has a good Clorox scheme, this is an awful scheme . Why did they choose that shade of yellow instead of white? I can’t give this a passing grade. F
Aric Almirola #43 Farmland Ford Fusion Simple design and a great color scheme earns an A+
JJ Yeley #44 Phoenix Warehouse Chevy SS My first thought when I saw this scheme was it looked like the color scheme from the 1994-1995 NBA All-Star Game jerseys which is a decent color scheme. But to say the car is overdesigned is an understatement. This scheme is awful. Not even a great color scheme can help this car pass. F
AJ Allmendinger #47 Bush’s Grilling Beans Chevy SS Great color scheme and a simple design earns an A+
Justin Allgaier #51 SEM Chevy SS Simple design, great color scheme, looks great, A+
Brian Vickers #55 Xarelto Toytoa Camry Good simple design with a great color scheme earns an A.
Jeff Burton #66 Toyota Toyota Camry The stripe down the side is much too big, and the hood design looks odd. The color scheme is good, but the overall design is a D+
Joe Nemechek #87 SmartBen Toyota Camry Simple design, great color scheme, looks great, A+
Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Mountain Dew Kickstart Chevy SS The black and green color scheme is good, and the side is a bit overdeisgned. If the green stripes were scaled back, it would work better. It is work a B- grade.
Michael McDowell #95 WRL Contractors Ford Fusion Levine Family Racing continues to get back into my good graces with another A scheme with great design and a great color scheme.
Carl Edwards #99 Kelloggs/Cheez Its Ford Fusion Too many colors, and the car is overdesigned. F
Vintage Item Spotlight-2012 Tony Canadeo Commercial Jersey
By David G. Firestone.
Ok, ok, I get it, this item isn’t really “vintage” but it does have an interesting backstory. In 2012, the NFL in response to the recent concussion lawsuits released the “Evolution” commercial as seen here:
It shows a series of historical players returning a kickoff from one endzone to the other. The field numbers have been replaced by decades, and as one player runs from one decade to another, the uniforms, and equipment adapt. As the 1940’s start, Tony Canadeo becomes the focus, as he runs through the 1940’s and 50’s, moving from leather to hard plastic helmets. Canadeo is, during those 10 seconds, wearing this Packers jersey.
This jersey is made by a company called Sports Studios, who make jerseys for movies and TV shows. They made the uniforms for the epic biopic 42, A League of Their Own, as well as many other commercials. You can see more of their work here. It is made of polyester and is a size M. 
The thing that I find interesting about the sequence is that the Packers are at home against the Eagles, but in researching the schedule, I found that at no point during Canadeo’s tenure with the Packers, did they ever play the Eagles at home while wearing that uniform. The Packers and Eagles clashed in 1942, 1943 as the “Steagles,” 1946, 1947, and 1951. The only time the Packers played the Eagles in Green Bay was in 1951, but the Packers had switched to green jerseys in 1950, and the Eagles had switched helmet designs.
The jersey shows some light use, with a small stain present, and is video matched to the commercial itself. It is an interesting item that is very well designed and displays well.
The Driver Suit Blog-Sponsor Profiiles-Kodiak Tobacco
By David G. Firestone
As this week’s column is being posted, I am boarding the Texas Eagle in Tucson Arizona, awaiting the train ride back to Chicago to begin. I’ve spent the last week away from the deep freeze of Chicago, and in the warm weather in Arizona.
The colors of the desert are deep and bold. Just like those of one of my favorite racing sponsors to collect, Kodiak Tobacco. Kodiak is a subsidiary of Reynolds American, which also owns Kool, Winston, Salem, Doral, Capri, and Camel cigarettes, and Grizzly tobacco. They were a major sponsor of NASCAR in the 1980’s and 1990’s. They sponsored Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd(as Levi Garrett) Ken Schrader, Ricky Craven, Steve Grissom, and Stacy Compton. They have one of my favorite shades of green used in racing. Interestingly, for many years, green was considered an unlucky color in racing. The most promenent item in my collection is this Ricky Craven suit from 1996.
It does show signs of use, but the big question is “was this worn in the 1996 Winston Select?” which was the race that Ricky Craven suffered his worst wreck…
I asked Ricky about that via Twitter, and got this Private message in response.
So we can eliminate this as that suit he wore in that event. But I have been able to photo-match this suit to a trading card released later in the year. I can’t say when exactly this suit was worn, but it was worn. The design of suits to in-car cameras and replica jackets is still in its infancy, so there is little consideration to either, so it does have both a modern and vintage look at the same time.
I also have a small Ricky Craven mini helmet also from 1996.
Ricky Craven left Larry Hedrick Motorsports and Kodiak for Hendrick Motorsports in 1997, and Steve Grissom took over. In 1998, in his second year for Hedrick and Kodiak, Grissom donned this customized race helmet.
It is in great condition, though it has had the microphone equipment removed. The color scheme is that same shade of green that had graced the side of Rusty Wallace’s car during his 1989 Winston Cup Championship. The blue is used in the design of Kodiak Ice packaging, and works surprisingly well. Grissom ran a Kodiak Ice scheme once in 1998, at the Pepsi Southern 500.
I also have a 1/64 die cast car of similar vintage.
Kodiak is one of the many sponsors in NASCAR that I miss. Tobacco advertising has been severely restricted and Kodiak was a casualty. I do miss it but the times have changed.
Again, there will be no paint scheme reviews until next week, when I get back home. I look forward to getting back to normal after a week of relaxation.
The Driver Suit Blog-The Goal of All Drivers in Auto Racing Part 2
By David G. Firestone
Last Month, I discussed the various forms that trophies take, and this week, we will continue that discussion. The trophy has obtained iconic status in the sports world, and the racing world uses so many different things as trophies for drivers who win it is amazing.
The checkered flag is synonymous with racing. While no one is really sure when the checkered flag was first used, photographic evidence dates it to at least 1906. The origin of the design is also lost to history as well. Since it is so iconic, the checkered flag is used as a trophy in many forms of racing. This example is from the Doylestown Quarter Midget Race Club which is based in Honeybrook Pennsylvania. It is 24 inches square and has the wooden pole still attached. A patch on the front states that this was awarded to the “FEATURE WINNER, DQMRA.” 
The awarding of small trophies was and is very popular, and this is an example. It is a 6.25 inch tall chalice awarded to The Best Beginner of the 1966 Rusters Run. It shows some staining from age, but it is in great condition
This small wine goblet was awarded El Paisano Rally Race in 1969. It is about 6 inches tall, and like the Ruster’s Run chalice, it shows some stains but is in overall good condition.
There is something to be said for a traditional trophy. This example is a trophy from Springfield Ozark Dragway, which was for many years, a mainstay of the NHRA. This huge trophy was awarded in the 1960’s to an event winner, and is over 24 inches tall!
The last item we have is from a phenomina I have only seen in NASCAR. First the backstory: In 1995, Bobby Labonte won his first NASCAR Winston Cup race, which was the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte. It was also the first Coca Cola 600 win for Joe Gibbs Racing. At a banquet celebrating the win, the attendees were able to take home these napkin rings which are oversized championship ring. This is one of them, and it is huge. The hole in the ring is 1 ½ inch in diameter.
Trophies and awards for winning races can come in thousands of different forms, and these examples are just a few of them.
Editor’s Note: There will be no paint schemes reviews this week or next week. I’m going to spend the week on vacation in Tucson with my family, and I will get back to normal operations when I get back home to Chicago.
The Driver Suit Blog-The Great American Race…The Daytona 500
By David G. Firestone
We are on the eve of the biggest race of the NASCAR calendar. Tomorrow at 1 PM Eastern, the 56th running of the Daytona 500 will begin. The eyes of the racing world center on a 2.5 mile super speedway in Daytona Beach Florida. 43 drivers will start the race at 1:20 ET, which will run for 200 laps, covering 500 miles.
NASCAR has implemented an aerodynamic design for restrictor plate super speedway cars, which makes it next to impossible for cars to race in a 2-car tandem, but very easy for cars to draft in packs. Personally, I liked the 2-car tandems, the high speeds and many lead changes make for an exciting race, but I am in the minority. Because of the high speeds and pack racing, there is always the threat of a large multi-car wreck referred to as “The Big One.” There is a great chance that this can happen on the final lap, as all drivers on the lead lap can win the race in this last lap. A last lap wreck in 2001 took the life of 7 time Champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. which lead to a new set of safety rules which have saved lives across the whole of auto racing.
The Daytona 500 is the most prestigious race, and there are many legendary names who have visited victory lane. Including Lee Petty, Junior Johnson, Marvin Panch, Fireball Roberts, Richard Petty, Mario Andretti, Cale Yarborough, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, Bill Elliot, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, and Bobby Labonte. There are a number of well-established drivers who never won the 500, including Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte, Bobby Isaac, Alan Kulwicki, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, and Rusty Wallace. Then there are the unlikely winners of the race, including Ernie Irvan, Sterling Marlin, Geoff Bodine, Michael Waltrip, Derrike Cope, Jamie McMurray and Trevor Bayne.
Chevy has unveiled an SS for the pace car. What I like about it is that it is the same shade of blue that Jimmie Johnson used to win the title last season. It is a great shade of blue to use, and it works very well with the simple design. I also said that about last Saturday’s car…and well…it didn’t go as planned…
The best thing about the Daytona 500 is that unlike most races for the rest of the season, all the drivers bring their A game. I hate start-and-park drivers, and when it comes to the Daytona 500, they don’t show up. All 49 drivers who tried to get it are there to win.
Here is how the drivers will officially start. I will add my paint scheme grade for each driver in order of where they start.
#1 3-Austin Dillon-While I like the color scheme and number and logo designs, the white stripe up the side kills the look. It takes an A scheme to a B+ scheme.
#2 78-Martin Truex Jr.-Nothing wrong with this scheme at all. A+
#3 20-Matt Kenseth-The design still needs some work, however the overall design is improved with the lowering of the shark fin stripes on the bottom of the car. I’ll give it a B
#4 11-Denny Hamlin-Same scheme as last year, same C+ grade.
#5 5-Kasey Kahne-Mediocre color scheme, uninspired overall design, and the huge quarterpanel numbers are awful. C-
#6 24-Jeff Gordon-Great overall design, great color scheme, though the D on the hood reversed to miror the curves of the hood looks odd. Still it’s a good scheme and Ill give it an A
#7 9-Marcos Ambrose-Though a tad over designed, the car does has a clean look, and a great color scheme, so I will give it an A-
#8 41-Kurt Busch-Great design and color scheme, A+
#9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr.-The new metallic numbers work, and the overall design is decent, since it incorporates the design used on the numbers. I’ll give it an B+
#10 27-Paul Menard-The contrasting color schemes just do not work here. It looks like they took a Peak hood, roof and decklid, and placed it on a Menard’s car. I can’t give this scheme a passing grade, so I’ll give it an F
#11 98-Josh Wise-Less is more…a lot more. A+
#12 33-Brian Scott-Though it is a tad overdesigned, the orange works here, and the logos look really good. B+
#13 43-Aric Almirola-Any car that has “Fueled By Bacon” printed on the roof is a winner for sure, and the design and color earn this car an A
#14 21-Trevor Bayne-This scheme makes it very easy to see why it earned the Paint Schemie for Best Paint Scheme Set for 2013, and took the First Ford and First Overall place in the Paint Scheme Leaderboard last year. A+
#15 47-AJ Allmendinger-Though the scheme is the same as last year, JTG Daugherty Racing has switched from Toyota to Chevy this season. That being said, I like this scheme, and I will give it an A
#16 42-Kyle Larson-The scheme looks decent, I like the white on the back, though I do not like the Target logos at the bottom. That takes a scheme that was an A grade to a B-
#17 38-David Gilliland-Good color scheme, decent design, plus unlike David Ragan, the hood decal is in the correct position, A-
#18 40-Landon Cassill-Less is more…a lot more. A+
#19 31-Ryan Newman-New season, new driver, new scheme that looks great and earns an A
#20 15-Clint Bowyer-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.
#21 14-Tony Stewart -Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.
#22 1-Jamie McMurray-The design is much smoother than years past, and the new door number looks really good. A
#23 26-Cole Whitt-This is one of the few schemes that has both a classic and modern look at the same time, and paired with a great color scheme, it earns an A
#24 32-Terry Labonte-Grayscale…very bland…will give it a C+
#25 16-Greg Biffle-The sides and roof have gotten worse from last year. I have to give it an F in that respect.
#26 52-Bobby Labonte-Good color and design schemes, will give it an A
#27 10-Danica Patrick-Not only does Go Daddy continue to use the worst shade of yellow in NASCAR, they also have given the worst shade of orange a more prominent role in the car. Givng this car an F is a very fair grade.
#28 13-Casey Mears-The yellowish green they use is awful, and the side design is just too loud, I’ll give it a D
#29 23-Alex Bowman-There are two things that work with this car, first is that the car is designed exactly like the label of a bottle of Dr. Pepper. The other is that #23 represents the 23 flavors that make up Dr. Pepper. Oh and it also has a great color scheme and design and I’ll give it an A
#30 99-Carl Edwards-Same scheme as last year, same A grade
#31 55-Brian Vickers-A good scheme, and the 55 lettering looks really good here, and the gold is a nice touch. A
#32 48-Jimmie Johnson-I have to say it looks amazing, and is an A+ grade
#33 2-Brad Keselowski-Best Throwback scheme of the last 5 years A+
#34 17-Ricky Stenhouse Jr.-Great Color and design schemes, and it just works. A+
#35 22-Joey Logano-Same scheme as last year, same grade, D
#36 7-Michael Annett-Good color scheme, but the awful template is back for Tommy Baldwin. It is really sad, because this could be a great scheme, but the template takes it from an A to a C-
#37 18-Kyle Busch-I like this, it has a great shade of yellow, hard to find in NASCAR these days, and the peanut motif works very well. It is an original design, and I’ll give it an A
#38 4- Kevin Harvick-Same Scheme as last year, same grade, A
#39 36-Reed Sorenson-This scheme is great, with a great color and simple design schemes, and is amazing to look at. A
#41 30-Parker Kligerman-Mediocre design? Check. Color scheme that makes me want to rip my eyes out? Check. Muppet Rip-off on the hood check. F grade? Check.
#42 66-Michael Waltrip-While I like the field motif, it looks too much like the Windows XP Bliss background for me to take it seriously. I’ll give it a B-
#43 34-David Ragan-What in the hell is going on here? Why is the hood decal upside down? Why in the world would they do that? Were they drunk when they decaled the car? The only thing that I can guess is that it is designed for an in-car camera…but that makes no sense either! F-
I’ll give grades for those who Failed to Qualifty:
35-Eric McClure-Good color scheme, but the car looks over deisgned and it doesn’t look good at all. D+
77-Dave Blaney-I would love for the side design to be more simplified. It is a decent scheme, but the door design is too busy, and it is very distracting. I give this scheme a C-, bad design, good color scheme.
83-Ryan Truex-I would love for the side design to be more simplified. It is a decent scheme, but the door design is too busy, and it is very distracting. I give this scheme a C-, bad design, good color scheme.
87-Joe Nemechek-Not a bad scheme, but not a great scheme. Decent color scheme, uninspired design. C-
93-Morgan Shepherd-The scheme that swept the Paint Scheme Worst awards is back again, and earning an F again!
95-Michael McDowell-Not only is McDowell and Levine Family Racing running a better template this year, the K-Love scheme actually improves on it. I can’t give this scheme anything lower than an A
Tune in to Fox at 1 PM Eastern for the 56th Daytona 500. I will be looking forward to it, and I will enjoy watching it.
The Driver Suit Blog-The Sprint Unlimited Preview
By David G. Firestone
The 36th Sprint Unlimited starts tonight at 8:15 ET on Fox. This marks the beginning of the Daytona 500 and the beginning of the NASCAR season. I will be looking forward to it, and I will enjoy it as always.
The field will feature pole award winners and past winners of the event. These include:
· Denny Hamlin (4 poles)
· Kyle Busch (3 poles)
· Joey Logano (2 poles)
· Jimmie Johnson (2 poles)
· Matt Kenseth (2 poles)
· Ryan Newman (2 poles)
· Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2 poles)
· Jeff Gordon (2 poles)
· Carl Edwards (2 poles)
· Marcos Ambrose (1 pole)
· Kurt Busch (1 pole)
· Kevin Harvick (1 pole)
· Brad Keselowski (1 pole)
· Mark Martin (1 pole)
· Jamie McMurray (1 pole)
· Danica Patrick (1 pole)
· Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (1 pole)
· Terry Labonte (past winner: 1985)
· Tony Stewart (past winner: 2001, 2002 and 2007)
The event will feature a number of segments which were voted on by NASCAR fans including myself, and many of you. The first segment will feature laps followed by a second segment of laps, and then a third segment of laps. Many special paint schemes will be run for this race, as is traditional. My personal favorite is the Miller Lite Throwback scheme being run by Brad Keselowski.
Now some factoids about the race.
*There are, in total, Chevy drivers, Ford drivers and Toyota drivers.
*Chevy has 20 wins, Ford has 7 wins, and Toyota has 1 win.
*Mark Martin has competed in 20 consecutive events from 1989-2008.
*Dale Earnhardt Sr. has won 6 events, more than anyone else in 1980, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1993, and 1995 and went on to win the Sprint Cup Championship 4 times in 1980, 1986, 1991, and 1993, he is one of 7 drives to do so.
*From 1979-2011 the event was sponsored by Anheuser-Busch, first called the Busch Clash which was the brainchild of Monty Roberts, brand manager of Busch Beer, who sponsored the Pole Award. It remained the Busch Clash until 1998, when Budweiser took over the Pole Award, and it was renamed the Budweiser Shootout. In 2012, Sprint, the series sponsor took over the sponsorship after Budweiser announced they would drop the sponsorship in favor of sponsoring the Duel Races that determine the starting order of the Daytona 500.
*Petty Enterprises was not eligible to run the Shootout because of a rule stating that only drivers that ran the Busch/Budweiser pole award decal were eligible to enter the shootout. Richard Petty and his family did not support alcohol sponsorship or decals on race cars. So John Andretti, Bobby Hamilton, Jeff Green, and Aric Almirola who all had a number of poles with Petty Enterprises were not eligible to participate. I find it interesting that Petty has reversed course on the alcohol sponsorship rule, since Kasey Kahne was sponsored by Budweiser, and Marcos Ambrose will run at least one race sponsored by Twisted Tea.
*Buddy Baker won the inaugural Sprint Unlimited in 1979, which was a 20 lap sprint.
*Since many top drivers were excluded from the race due to not winning a pole award, they moved to the TV booth as color commentators. These included Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 1981, Richard Petty and AJ Foyt in 1982 and 1983, Neil Bonnett in 1993, Darrell Waltrip in 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1999, and Kenny Wallace in 1998.
*There has never been a driver who has won the Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel and Daytona 500 in the same year. Drivers have won 2 of 3 in a season, but never scored the hat trick.
*One of the first instances of a special paint scheme being used specifically for the Sprint Unlimited was the Chroma Premier scheme run by Jeff Gordon in 1997. He followed it up the next year with the legendary Chroma-lusion scheme, which feature a paint that changed color. Since then, special schemes have become commonplace.
*Richard Childress Racing has 8 Sprint Unlimited wins, most of any team. Hendrick Motorsports has 6 wins, and Joe Gibbs Racing has 5 wins.
The Unlimited starts tonight at 8 PM ET on Fox Sports 1, and I look forward to watching the event as I hope the rest of you do too.
Though I have had a VERY busy week, I still have time for…
Paint Scheme Reviews!
Kasey Kahne #5 Time Warner Cable Chevy SS It is a good color scheme, but the design on the side needs a little tweaking. Get rid of the needless zig-zag pattern and it works a whole lot better. It is still a decent scheme, so I will give it a C
Michael Annett #7 Pilot/Flying J Chevy SS Good color scheme, but the awful template is back for Tommy Baldwin. It is really sad, because this could be a great scheme, but the template takes it from an A to a C-
Michael Annett #7 Accell Construction Chevy SS See Above
Marcos Ambrose #9 Mac Tools Ford Fusion Good color scheme here, and decent design, worth a B
Clint Bowyer #15 AAA Insurance Toyota Camry Great color scheme, good design, worth a B+
Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Peanut Toyota Camry I like this, it has a great shade of yellow, hard to find in NASCAR these days, and the peanut motif works very well. It is an original design, and I’ll give it an A
Trevor Bayne #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion This is why The Wood Brothers won the Paint Schemies and took the top spot in the Paint Scheme Leaderboard. A++
Joey Logano #22 Autotrader.com Ford Fusion Sometimes orange works, sometimes it doesn’t. This is an example of an orange scheme that just doesn’t work. If the white was taken out completely it might work, but this is just horrid, and I give it an F
Cole Whitt #26 Speed Stick Gear Toyota Camry This is one of the few schemes that has both a classic and modern look at the same time, and paired with a great color scheme, it earns an A
Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Peak Chevy SS Good design, awful color scheme, D+
Terry Labonte #32 C&J Energy Services Ford Fusion I’ll give it a C+ until I can see a picture WITHOUT an Instagram filter!
David Ragan #34 CSX Ford Fusion What in the hell is going on here? Why is the hood decal upside down? Why in the world would they do that? Were they drunk when they decaled the car? The only thing that I can guess is that it is designed for an in-car camera…but that makes no sense either! F-
David Gilliland #38 Loves Truck Stops Ford Fusion Good color scheme, decent design, plus unlike David Ragan, the hood decal is in the correct position, A-
Bobby Labonte #52 Phoenix Racing/HScott Motorsports Chevy SS Great color scheme, very simple yet attractive design, can’t say anything bad about it, A+
Michael Waltrip #66 Blue Def Toyota Camry While I like the field motif, it looks too much like the Windows XP Bliss background for me to take it seriously. I’ll give it a B-
Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Kelley Blue Book Chevy SS During my Daytona Preseason Thunder article, I said I wanted to see the #88 they used on a real car. I got my wish, and I like this design overall. The metallic gold is a bold choice, it doesn’t always work well. I give it an A+
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
As many of you know, I don’t just research and collect driver suits and racing items, I collect and research many other things. I recently had a column run in Uni-Watch concerning some lettering from the 1958 Washington Senators, and you can read my column here.
Vintage Item Spotlight-Mish Mosh Edition
By David G. Firestone
My love of vintage sports uniforms doesn’t just extend to the professional and collegiate levels. I find all vintage sports uniforms interesting on some level, and some of the stuff that I own doesn’t really have a traditional category, so I will cover a number of items in this week’s edition of Vintage Item Spotlight.
The first item is this University of Maine track and field jersey. Made of a heavy cotton material with a chenille TMT logo, it dates to about 1929. It is still in good condition, and comes with a track and field program of similar vintage.
This is a vintage baseball jersey for Bolton High School, though I can’t tell were it came from. It is an older Wilson jersey, it feels like a flannel jersey that has been treated with a chemical treatment. It is in great condition.
Here is an example of a pull-over jersey. These were popular from the mid 1970’s to the 1990’s. These were designed to be tight as possible. This particualr example is similar to a Cubs or Expos jersey from those eras.
This unique football jersey is a durene treated jersey. Durene is a heavy polyester that has been treated. It was used for many years in the NFL and NCAA. This is an example of the material, and has a #7 on the front and #31 on the back.
The last jersey is what is known as a “tear away jersey.” It was used for a number of years in the NFL as a lightweight alternate to durene. It was too flimsy, and would often tear apart under the stress of play. This example shows the heavy use expected from one of these jerseys. I do not know who wore this, or who they played for.
The Driver Suit Blog-MOMO and Christian Fittipaldi…A Match Made In Heaven
By David G. Firestone
These last few weeks have been hell in Chicago weather-wise. I have been under the weather myself, but this week, I wanted to touch on something that I covered in depth last year. After watching the Rolex 24 at Daytona, I learned that MOMO is celebrating its 50 anniversary this year. I first learned about MOMO when I covered Christian Fittipaldi’s Driver Suits back at the beginning of the blog. MOMO is one of the more ubiquitous racing safety companies in racing.
MOMO is short for “Moretti-Monza” which is Giampiero Moretti’s last name and Monza, a town in the Province of Milan. Giampiero Moretti was a driver who won the 1998 24 Hours of Daytona. He created a company specifically to make racing products. MOMO has gradually expanded over the years, and is now involved heavily in almost all forms of auto racing.
One thing I have noticed is that MOMO steering wheels are used very heavily in NASCAR. Whenever there are in-car cameras, there is always one located near the ignition behind the steering wheel, and almost every one of them has a MOMO logo on them. They are also very involved in F1, and IndyCar racing in terms of parts. When the best and most recognizable teams in the biggest forms of auto racing all use the same group for their parts, it proves that MOMO is the best in what they do.
I also mention Christian Fittipaldi because he won the Rolex 24 at Daytona in an Action Express Coyote Corvette DP. This is his second win, his first one coming in 2004 in a Bell Motorsports Doran JE4-Pontiac. As covered earlier in the year, I own two Christian Fittipaldi MOMO driver suits. In all honesty, these two suits were my first introduction to MOMO as a brand. MOMO however has a large presence in auto racing.
In the SCCA Miami Grand Prix, these suits were issued to track workers. MOMO stated that these would be fireproofed for one race only. It feels like an old school chemical dipped suit, but I have no proof of that. It does not appear to have been worn, but it probably is not fireproof any more though.
2014 is the 50th anniversary of what I’m going to call “The dark week,” May 24-30 1964 when the World 600 and Indy 500 took place. Three drivers were killed by fire, which changed the safety culture of racing forever. I will cover that issue in depth later in the season.
Paint Scheme Reviews!
Marcos Ambrose #9 Stanley Ford Fusion Though a tad over designed, the car does has a clean look, and a great color scheme, so I will give it an A-
Marcos Ambros3 #9 DeWalt Ford Fusion See Above
Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Toyota Camry When I first heard about Skittles returning to NASCAR, I thought it would look like this or this, so naturally I was worried, but I like this simple and attractive design. A+
Kyle Busch #18 Peanut M&M’s Toyota Camry Decent scheme, good color scheme, A-
Matt Kenseth #20 Dollar General Toyota Camry My major complaint was the black and silver stripes on the sides were too big and promenent. They solved that issue this season, and the car looks better. In fact, I’ll give it a B!
Jeff Gordon #24 AXALTA Chevy SS Classic Jeff Gordon design, and I like the blue on the flames, and the black flames on the back. A+
Paul Menard #27 Menards/Richmond Chevy SS Love this scheme, great design and color scheme, A+
Paul Menard #27 Menards/Serta Chevy SS Same scheme as last year, same C+ grade
Eric McClure #35 Hefty/Arm and Hammer Ford Fusion Good color scheme, but the car looks over deisgned and it doesn’t look good at all. D+
Kurt Busch #41 Haas Chevy SS Great design and color scheme, A+
Kurt Busch #41 Slate Water Heaters Chevy SS Kurt is running a really good template this year, and this is another example. The condensation design is overdone, and it takes an A scheme down to a B-, otherwise it is a great design.
Aric Almirola #43 STP Ford Fusion This is one of my favorite schemes this year! A classic design, with great colors and a great look earns an A+
AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/USO Chevy SS Though the scheme is the same as last year, JTG Daugherty Racing has switched from Toyota to Chevy this season. That being said, I like this scheme, and I will give it an A
AJ Allmendinger #47 Bushes Baked Beans Chevy SS Simple design, great color scheme, A
AJ Allmendinger #47 Kingsford Chevy SS See Above
AJ Allmendinger #47 Scotts Chevy SS See Above
AJ Allmendinger #47 Clorox Chevy SS See Above
AJ Allmendinger #47 Charter Communication Chevy SS I like the overall design, but that is an awful shade of green. Green is not a great color for a race car, neither is yellow, so yellowish-green definitly doesn’t work. I’ll be generous and give it a C-
Joe Nemechek #66 Land Castle Title Toyota Camry If the bottom was a single color stripe, I would give it very high marks, but the over design makes it look awful. C-
Michael McDowell #95 K-Love Ford Fusion Not only is McDowell and Levine Family Racing running a better template this year, the K-Love scheme actually improves on it. I can’t give this scheme anything lower than an A
Carl Edwards #99 Subway Ford Fusion A bad design from last year, earns a D-
The Driver Suit Blog-The Goal of All Drivers in Racing…
By David G. Firestone
Hope you all had a great holiday season, whatever you celebrate. I turned 32 on Thursday, and am celebrating the first year of the The Driver Suit Blog. Ok, enough sappy stuff, on to this week’s column. I’m going to do things a little bit differently this week. This week’s article will be done in conjunction with another article I am writing for my other blog. DGF2099.com, both are about the same subject, trophies, but this article will be on racing trophies, whereas the other article will be on other trophies. Let’s get started.
For this week, we will focus on collecting trophies. Drivers race for two things, the love of the sport, and to win. Climbing out of the car in victory lane feels good, and being presented a trophy for winning feels even better. Interestingly, trophies and awards from NASCAR and other racing series are frequently finding their way into private collections, such as mine. It might seem odd that trophies make their way into private collections, but there are a myriad of reasons for this.
One reason for this is that after their racing career ends, drivers will sometimes need to make some money, and will sell them. Other times, they are sold to raise money for charity. Sometimes it is because they need more space. After a driver passes away, the family will sell off the trophies, because they don’t have the same meaning to the rest of the family. In any event, these artifacts are unique items to collect, and are as unique as the drivers who won them.
Drivers have been awarded everything from surfboards, wine bottles, and guitars, to grandfather clocks, and gas pumps. The grandfather clock is given out to winners at Martinsville was started in 1964. The story goes that track founder Henry Clay Earles was talking with Curtis Turner, and in the course of conversation, Turner mentioned he did not have the room for trophies, and had to give some away, so he decided to award a trophy with a legitimate function, and as luck would have it, Ridgeway Clocks had a factory 3 miles away from the track. Earles gave the first grandfather clock to Fred Lorenzen when he won the 1964 Old Dominion 500, and the rest is history.
Interestingly, giving trophies that had everyday functions is a lot more common than most people realize. This example is a silver footed tray.
It is 21 inches long, and 17.5 inches wide. It looks as though it could have been used for a tea service or as a serving tray for food at a party.
It was awarded to the winner of the Oilzum Motor Oil Trophy Race at Onteora Speedway in Olive New York. 
The name of the winner, and when the race was run has been lost to history. 
It has some scratches across the front, but for a trophy as old as it is, it is still in very good condition.
Award and function combine again in this 4 inch tall silver mug given to the winner of something called the SCCA Rallye on December 1, 1957. It has not fared as well as the tray, showing rust spots and discoloration.
Then again, there is something to be said for the traditional trophy. One driver who had a lot of them is Ernie Derr. Derr raced in IMCA or the International Motor Contest Association, which was founded in 1915, and is the oldest active auto racing sanctioning body in the United States. Derr has more victories and championships in IMCA than anyone else, having won a total of 328 wins and a staggering 12 IMCA championships. STP sponsored him for a number of years, and awarded him this STP Handicap trophy. 
It is 11 inches tall, with a winged wheel design, and a vintage STP logo decal, which is peeling off. Though the mirrored background around the STP decal is discolored, it is still in decent condition, though I have not been able to figure out what the STP Handicap is.
Springfield-Ozark Dragway was a mainstay for the NHRA in the 1960’s. This trophy was from an event in 1964. It is 28 inches tall, and is in great condition.
Races are won and lost on pit road, and having a great crew chief is key to winning. Pit crews are given trophies for helping their team win. Buddy Parrot was a NASCAR crew chief for 34 years, and helped Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, and Rusty Wallace. In 1996, he joined Roush Racing, as crew chief for Jeff Burton. Burton did not win a race in 1996, but Parrott was awarded this 1996 RCA Pit Strategy award.
It is a Plexiglass hexagon, over a foot tall, and 3 inches wide, some of the lettering is engraved into the Plexiglass, other lettering is added with decals, which are slightly peeling off.
The reasons why collectors like these trophies in their collections is that a trophy represents a drivers true success. It is the same reason collectors collect championship rings in their favorite sport. The trophies themselves have stories behind them, they are uniquely designed, and are treasured by the drivers, though sometimes circumstances lead them to being sold or auctioned off. They are unique and interesting to collect. and are great conversation pieces.
We will continue this discussion next week…
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