Tag: erik jones

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 1, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Flavor Showdown Chevy Camaro-I like the unique fade, it looks good, and I give this an A.

Austin Cindric #2 PPG Patriotic Ford Mustang-I like the American flag motif. It works well. A

Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner Throwback Ford Mustang-This is now my favorite throwback! I was always a fan of the simple black schemes! A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Veterans Science Chevy Camaro-Too many designs and too many colors. f

Austin Dillon #3 Titan Risk Solutions Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from last year. A-

Austin Dillon #3 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-I rarely comment on this, but the silver 3 looks odd with the color scheme, and takes an A down to an A-.

Noah Gragson #4 A&W Root Beer Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Travel Centers of America Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Daniel Suarez #7 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-The blue skull motif works well, I can’t complain, this gets an A.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Desi9n to Drive Chevy Camaro-Not bad at all. A

Chase Elliott #9 LLumar Window Film Chevy Camaro-This cleaner look is a better look, and it goes from an A- to an A.

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro-For a seafood sponsor this is a much better scheme. The color and design work. A

Ty Dillon #10 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-Same issue as the #3, the orange #10 looks odd on the black and silver. A-

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Flash I.V. Ford Mustang-I like a good fade, and this is a good fade. This gets an A.

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-The red and black would work, the white tree motif would work, but together, it’s just meh. C

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Heinz Ketchup/Artesano Brioche Buns Ford Mustang-You can’t go wrong with red and a burger! A

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Coca-Cola Patriotic Ford Mustang-Too many designs to work. F

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Minute Rice Ford Mustang-Not bad, but a massive downgrade from last year. B+

Chase Briscoe #19 Free Bird Southern Spring Water Toyota Camry-Perfect look, great color scheme, this gets an A!

Chase Briscoe #19 Wix Filters Toyota Camry-Too ugly and over designed to get anything but an F.

Christopher Bell #20 Saia Freight + Logistics Patriotic Toyota Camry-I get what they are going for, but this could be improved with some more consistency. It’s not bad, so it gets a B.

Josh Berry #21 eero Ford Patriotic Mustang-This should be the new eero scheme, as it looks so much better than the plain blue scheme. A

Joey Logano #22 Hunt Brothers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Not really that much of an improvement. D

Bubba Wallace #23 Upper Deck Space Jam 30th Anniversary Toyota Camry-I love the space motif, it works well, and isn’t over done. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia PFG/Academy Sport Toyota Camry-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

William Byron #24 Anduril Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Better color scheme than an A grade earns an A grade.

Austin Hill #33 Bank OZK Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A- grade.

Austin Hill #33 FICO Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A grade.

Todd Gilliland #34 Gener8tor Skills Accelerator Patriotic Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, mediocre design scheme, this gets a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedbusch Development and Construction Ford Mustang-Good look, I like the cubes, and it’s not over designed. A

Zane Smith #38 Vermeer Midwest Ford Mustang-Getting rid of the patriotic stripe would elevate this to an A, this gets a B.

Zane Smith #38 Losi RC Ford Mustang-Good color scheme and awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Cole Custer #41 Haas/Standard Nuclear Ford Mustang-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Cole Custer #41 Sysco/Smoke Pit Ford Mustang-Not great, but a much better color scheme. B

Cole Custer #41 Air Lift Ford Mustang-A smooth look, a great color scheme, and this gets an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Raid/Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-The color scheme is the only thing giving this scheme anything higher than an F. D-

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Not bad, but a downgrade from the green scheme. C

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-The bottom design could be cleaned up for an A, but this gets a B.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Clemco Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Brazier Lumber Company Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Cody Ware #51 Super.com Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the fireworks would elevate this scheme to an A, but this gets a B.

Cody Ware #51 Sky Fund Aviation Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2026, black and white. AIt’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Mariano’s/Athletic Brewing Ford Mustang-Getting rid of the yellow would elevate this to an A. A-

Ryan Preece #60 SimpleTire Ford Mustang-A good look, orange and black are a good color scheme, this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Thornton’s Ford Mustang-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Chad Finchum #66 Truan Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Corey Heim #67 Shield AI Toyota Camry-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C

Corey Heim #67 Field and Stream Toyota Camry-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not a great color scheme, white should replace gray. I also think that the car is a bit over designed. This gets a C.

Michael McDowell #71 NEFCO Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the white, and just going orange and blue would elevate this scheme to an A, this gets a B.

Carson Hocevar #77 Zeigler Auto Group Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The patriotic elements don’t really work, and this is a terrible look. F

BJ McLeod #78 Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Daniel Suarez #97 Wendy’s Chevy Camaro-The red elevates this from an F to a D.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 30, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Country Chevy Camaro-Not terrible, but a bit of a downgrade from the regular scheme. A-

Ryan Blaney #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang-Too over designed to be any good. F

AJ Allmendinger #16 Spire Academy powered by VensureHR Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, and good design scheme will always. A

Chris Buescher #17 Castrol Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Hardee’s Throwback Toyota Camry-Unless something better comes along, this will win best throwback of the year, it’s that good! A

Austin Hill #33 BetMGM Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A grade. (Note: Kyle Busch’s grades will be averaged at the end of the year, and Austin Hill will be graded as his own team.)

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Patriotic Toyota Camry-It’s a good look, and a step up from last year. A

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Chevy Camaro-Cleaning up the sides is a better look, however, the names over the logos and stripes gives the car a cluttered look. F

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Patriotic Toyota Camry-The patriotic motif isn’t better, it isn’t worse, it’s still a B+

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 NOS Energy Chevy Camaro-Too ugly and over designed to get anything but an F.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Celsius Ford Mustang-I like the new look, the black looks good, and this is a solid scheme. A

Chad Finchum #66 Garrison Homes Ford Mustang-I think the stripes are a bit over designed, but it’s still a solid scheme. A-

Corey Heim #67 Chief’s Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #71 Garner Trucking Chevy Camaro-Not terrible, but a downgrade from last year. B

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevy Camaro-This is the best that Tootsies Orchid Lounge has looked in years! A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 25, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey VentraCool Air Chevy Camaro– a bad look, black works better than white, and the designs work well. A

Austin Cindric #2 PPG Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Noah Gragson #4 Grillo’s Pickles/Pabst Blue Ribbon Ford Mustang-As much as I hate both products, I would like these two schemes separate. Together, they are meh. C

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian UBE Coconut Rolls Toyota Camry-My only complaint here is that the white flowers aren’t needed. Other than that, this is a solid A scheme.

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Scotts Ford Mustang-Dark green and yellow isn’t great, but it isn’t awful, so this gets a C.

Chris Buescher #17 Jack Links Non-Vegan Chevy Camaro-It’s no meat motif, but it’s so awesome, it gets an A.

Jesse Love #33 1-800-PACK-RAT Chevy Camaro-It’s a solid look, not over done, and I like it a lot. A

Riley Herbst #35 Beatbox Toyota Camry-ame scheme as last year, same F grade.

Cole Custer #41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Erik Jones #43 Doritos/Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Bold look, great color scheme, great deign scheme, this gets an A.

Tyler Reddick #45 Rockstar Energy Toyota Camry-It’s a simple design, and a great color scheme, and it gets an A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Chef Boyardee Ford Mustang-Taking a good look and making it better will always earn an A

Chad Finchum #66 Carter’s Royal Dispos-All/KNOX Hydration Ford Mustang-Same as Auto Direct USA, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #71 GUNK Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 21, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro-A slight downgrade from last year. A-

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevy Camaro-Too over designed, and while the color scheme is decent, it doesn’t save the scheme. F

Noah Gragson #4 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #34, same C grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Solomon Plumbing Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, it’s very accurate, and I think this a good throwback. A

Daniel Suarez #7 NationsGuard Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, still a C.

Kyle Busch #8 BetMGM Chevy Camaro-This is too cluttered, too busy, and not even a good color scheme could save this from an F.

Denny Hamlin #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Fifth Third Bank Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, the blue works well, and I think this a good throwback. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-Blue works better than gray and this scheme gets an A.

Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedbusch Development and Construction Throwback Ford Mustang-Admittedly, this scheme is over used, but this is a good interpretation of it. A

Riley Herbst #35 FRE Nicotine Pouches Toyota Camry-Decent color scheme, mediocre design scheme will earn a C.

Zane Smith #38 Mystik Lubricants Throwback Ford Mustang-I’m all for throwbacks, but I hated this in 2000, and I hate this now. This gets an F.

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Toyota Camry-Petty Enterprise throwbacks usually are, and this is no exception. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Jack Links Non-Vegan Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ty Gibbs #54 SiriusXM Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Heinz Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, it’s very accurate, and I think this a good throwback. A

Timmy Hill #66 Auto Direct USA Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Chili’s Marg Machine Throwback Chevy Camaro-You can’t go wrong with a Dale Earnhardt Sr. throwback. This is a great scheme, and it gets an A.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 WeatherTech Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-January 31, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Chevy Camaro-It’s not only a massive upgrade from last year, but the black and silver is bringing up some Dale Earnhardt Sr. vibes. A

Noah Gragson #4 TrueTimber Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Daniel Suarez #7 Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Chevy Camaro-It’s a good look, not over done, great color scheme, this gets an A.

Ty Dillon #10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Celsius Chevy Camaro-This is a much better look than last year. It’s cleaner, and better, and I give this an A.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Mustang–NSame scheme as last year, same F grade.

Christopher Bell #20 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry-It’s good, bold, unique, and simple, with a great color scheme, and it gets an A.

Christopher Bell #20 DEWALT/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Robinhood Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Todd Gilliland #34 Love’s Truck Stops Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Todd Gilliland #34 Dairi-O/Jerry Hunt Supercenter Ford Mustang-Not bad, but red should be the primary color here. A-

Riley Herbst #35 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Zane Smith #38 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Burt Myers #50 Team Amerivet/Tibbets Lumber Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, this evens out to a C.

Ty Gibbs #54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Coca-Cola Ford Mustang-Red is a much better color than white for Coca-Cola. The scheme looks good, and this gets an A.

Corey Heim #67 Robinhood Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Carson Hocevar #77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevy Camaro-A much better design than last year, this looks good, and this gets an A.

Connor Zilisch #88 Trackhouse Chevy Camaro-Too over designed. F

Shane van Gisbergen #88 Choice Privileges Camaro-Not a total loss, but replacing white with black, and cleaning up the side would help. D

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Trackhouse Chevy Camaro-Too over designed. F

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-January 17, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Chevy Camaro-I like the white mountains look, and the blue door number is a needed upgrade. A

Brad Keselowski #6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Chris Buescher #17 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same A grade.

Chase Briscoe #19 Free Bird Southern Spring Water Toyota Camry-The stripe and patriotic motif would work separately, but together, it takes the scheme down to a B.

William Byron #24 Phorm Energy Chevy Camaro-I don’t like the hood design here, the off center design does not sit well with me. It’s not terrible, so it gets an A-

Zane Smith #38 Aaron’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Justin Allgaier #40 Traveller Whiskey Chevy Camaro-It’s not terrible, but it’s not great. Too many stripes, and the cream looks odd. This gets a C.

Cole Custer #41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang-These new changes don’t help at all. F

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Chef Boyardee Ford Mustang-A great look, a great color scheme, and it gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same A grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-The Final Paint Scheme Grades of 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ty Dillon #10 Alpine Partners Chevy Camaro-I’m not sure why, but I really don’t like this shade of blue with this scheme. It’s not bad, but it could be a lot better. B+

AJ Allmendinger #16 Celsius Sports Vibe Chevy Camaro-I like the look, the color scheme works well, and I like the stripes, A

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree/Ziploc Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

JJ Yeley #44 Fanatics Sportsbook Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a slight downgrade from the other scheme. A-

Michael McDowell #71 Tide Chevy Camaro-Tide has many great NASCAR schemes throughout history, and this isn’t one of them. It’s an ugly, over designed mess, that just looks awful. F

Daniel Suarez #99 Trackhouse Chevy Camaro-It’s an ugly, over designed mess, and this gets an F.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-October 4, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Titan Risk Solutions Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from the white with red stripe masterpiece.

Justin Haley #7 Gainbridge Chevy Camaro-I like the see-through look, and the black works well. A

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry-Not sure what they are trying, but it looks really good. A

William Byron #24 Valvoline Blood Cancer United Chevy Camaro-The confetti is not a good look, way too cluttered, and the entire scheme suffers as a result. C

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Family Dollar Toyota Camry-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Erik Jones #43 Tri State Vacuum & Rental LLC Toyota Camry-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-Too. Many. Designs. F

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Totino’s Ultimate Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-Taking a bad scheme and making it worse will always earn an F.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-September 13, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #6 Castrol Edge/Travel Centers of America Ford Mustang-While I don’t like two different halves, this works well. B

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian Pretzel Bites Toyota Camry-The blue doesn’t work, and the car is too cluttered. F

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

Chase Briscoe #19 Bass Pro Shops Patriotic Toyota Camry-A good look, not overdone, this gets an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Robinhood Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #67, same A grade.

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Green on white is so much worse than white on green. F

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Open Road Sweeps Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/SToK Ford Mustang-Nothing really wrong here. A

Chad Finchum #66 Barger Precast Ford Mustang-Good look, not over done, unique, and it works. This gets an A.

Corey Heim #67 Robinhood Toyota Camry-Taking a great scheme and making it better will always earn an A.

Shane van Gisbergen #88 Wendy’s Breakfast Baconator Chevy Camaro-Too many colors, and too over designed. F

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 23, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro-Removing the yellow does nothing to help this scheme. F

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry-A tad over designed but still great. A-

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-CAMO NEVER LOOKS GOOD ON RACE CARS! F

Todd Gilliland #34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang-Good look, not overdone, this gets an A.

Riley Herbst #35 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry-The gold star is really awful, and the flag motif is bad. This is awful, this gets an F.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from the previous scheme. B-

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree/STP Toyota Camry-The color scheme is great, but the design scheme is a bit too modern for STP. STP has a lot of great schemes on the #43, but this is just blah. C

Joey Gase #44 National Fire Prevention Week Chevy Camaro-Too over designed, good color scheme, I’ll give this a D.

Tyler Reddick #45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-A great look that is bold, unique, and not over designed always gets an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Jack Links Duos Camaro-Too over designed to get anything other than an F.

Cody Ware #51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang-The fade works, the color works well, and the stripes are good. A

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Entenmann’s Little Bites/Capri Sun Ford Mustang-The confetti motif is too over designed, and the car has a very cluttered look to it. F

Casey Mears #66 SI Yachts Ford Mustang-A smooth simple and bold look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Michael McDowell #71 Fly Alliance Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme, but the design scheme is a bit over done. B

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, but there are way too many designs here. Less is much more. C

Daniel Suarez #99 Coca-Cola Chevy Camaro-white here! This isn’t good. C