The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Tracker-August 31, 2016

By David G. Firestone

CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #1

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/Beechcraft Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, blue top, reverse wave formation across sides, white bottom, with silver accents. B+

Jamie McMurray #1 Sherwin Williams Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, main design has been moved slightly to the rear. 150’th anniversary logo added to hood.B+

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, red and yellow front with a spike transition to rear. A

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonalds/Cessna Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, red and blue amalgamation of McDonald’s and Cessna. B-

Jamie McMurray #1 Credit One Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue, purple and white, with a series of designs across whole car. F

Jamie McMurray #1 Bad Boy/Beechcraft Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, same as Beechcraft, but with Bad Boy on the hood. B+

Jamie McMurray #1 Bass Pro Shops/National Wild Turkey Federation Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, black, camouflage motif on front, wild turkey motif on back. F

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Mac Tonight Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Bill Elliott’s McDonald’s Mac Tonight scheme. F

TEAM PENSKE #2

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford FusionSame basic scheme as 2015, but Miller has been removed from hood, similar 2014. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford FusionNo Change. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Wurth Ford FusionNo Change. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Auto Trader Ford FusionNew sponsor for 2016, same as #22 Auto Trader. D-

Brad Keselowski #2 SKF Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, similar to 2015 scheme, but fits to Penske Template. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Thomas Build Buses Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, Penske Template, red front, black back. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Patriotic Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, white with blue and red patriotic designs that extend from front to door number on top, and on the bottom to end of car. C-

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite 1972 Throwback Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, based on the Miller Lite can design from 1972. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite/Careers for Veterans Ford FusionNo change. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #3

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Chevy SSSame basic scheme, but the hood logo is slightly larger. B+

Austin Dillon #3 Cheerios Chevy SSNo change. A

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Chevy SSNo change. A-

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Intellifresh Chevy SSNew sponsor for 2016, same as Dow Energy and Water. B-

Austin Dillon #3 AAA Chevy SSNew sponsor for 2016, similar to Robert Hight’s funny car, but with colors rearranged. D+

Austin Dillon #3 Dow FlexoLyt Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, same as Intellifresh B-

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Ranger Boats Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with camo and orange diagonal triangle on side. B+

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Ricky Rudd Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Ricky Rudd’s Piedmont scheme from 1982-1983. A

Austin Dillon #3 Cheerios/Lee’s East Rowan Cafe Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Cheerios, but with Lee’s East Rowan Cafe on quarter panels. A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/StemAmbasadors Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Dow, but with StemAmbasadors on quarter panels. B+

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Patriotic Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same silver background, but the car resembles Clint Bowyer’s current design. C+

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/Utility Chevy SSNo Change. A

Austin Dillon #3 NRA Museum Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, black with a patriotic motif across whole car. F

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Olympics Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, reverse of Dow with Olympic Rings on hood. B-

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Mycogen Seeds Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, silver with red, white and black rolling fields motif. B-

STEWART-HAAS RACING #4

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, designed around a Busch throwback can. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, designed around a Busch Light can. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy John’s Chevy SSNo change. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Outback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, mountain design starts near brake duct, instead of at front of car. B+

Kevin Harvick #4 Ditech Chevy SSNo change. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, white background, with the Pegasus wing starting at the side of the front, extending to the door numbers. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Cale Yarborough’s 1979 Daytona 500 Scheme. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Fishing Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, blue top, white side, huge bass motif across sides. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Outback Bloomin’ Monday Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as outback, but hood and roof are white instead of cream. F

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as #14. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Beer Hunting Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same basic design as Busch, but with a hunting camo motif. C

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #5

Kasey Kahne #5 Farmers Insurance Chevy SSNo Change. C+

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips Chevy SSNo Change. D+

Kasey Kahne #5 Liftmaster Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, geometrical designs on side changed. C

Kasey Kahne #5 Panasonic Toughbook Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue fade to black, with a couple of wave stripes, and some fade designs on side. A

Kasey Kahne #5 Quicken Loans Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, red with hockey stick designs on sides, as well as geometrical designs on front and back. C+

Kasey Kahne #5 Mountain Dew Pitch Black Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with blue trident inspired design on sides, oval design on roof, and Vortex design on hood. D-

Kasey Kahne #5 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SSNew sponsor for 2016, dark red with light red stripes and white letters on sides. A

Kasey Kahne #5 Drive Home A Winner Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, blue top, white stripe across side, red bottom. A

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips Strong Against Cancer Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, blue and black striped side, with a snake motif on hood and roof. D-

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips/Shark Week Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, all teal with hammerhead sharks swiming around the scheme. A

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, blue with red stripes across sides. A

Kasey Kahne #5 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SSNew sponsor for 2016, black, with white lettering, and red stripes across rear of car. A

Kasey Kahne #5 Liftmaster Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Terry Labonte’s JD Stacey scheme from 1982. B+

ROUSH-FEWNAY RACING #6

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, white with blue line and checkered flag on bottom. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Mark Martin Throwback Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, based on the paint scheme Mark Martin ran in 1996 and 1997. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Patriotic Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, patriotic hood, blue metallic front, red in front of the door numbers, gray behind door numbers. F

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Spark Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, blue front, cube to white design on sides and roof. B-

TOMMY BALDWIN RACING #7

Alex Bowman #7 Road Rippers Chevy SS-New scheme for 2015, shark motif on front, fades to fire motif and logo on back. F

Regan Smith #7 Golden Corral/Niko Toy State Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, amalgamation of Golden Corral and Niko Toy State. F

Regan Smith #7 Nikko Street Bratz Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue and white with a series of designs across sides. F

Regan Smith #7 Chevy SS-Black with white and blue numbers and stripe across bottom. A+

Regan Smith #7 APC Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with white and blue numbers and stripe across bottom, APC logo on hood. A

Regan Smith #7 AIPAC Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with white and blue numbers and stripe across bottom, AIPAC logo on hood. A

Regan Smith #7 Fire Alarm Services Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with yellow hood, and orange city motif on sides. A

Regan Smith #7 Nikko/Road Rippers Alan Kulwicki Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on the “Underbird” design used by Kulwicki in 1992. C+

Regan Smith #7 Golden Corral Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, all black with white lettering. A

Regan Smith #7 Advance Auto Parts/Quaker State Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, white top, stripe fade to black across sides. A

Regan Smith #7 Mario Fiore Teddy Bear Pools Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Mario Fiore’s Teddy Bears modified. A

Regan Smith #7 APC Donald “Dutch” Hoag Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on the scheme used by Donald “Dutch” Hoag for his racing career. A

STEWART-HAAS RACING #10

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue with white lettering on sides, white and black stripe across hood and roof. A

Danica Patrick #10 TaxAct Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, white front, red TaxAct X logo, gray back. A

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Pride Pumpkin Spice Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, same basic scheme as Nature’s Pride, but with orange and red color scheme, and some slight redesigns on the side. A

Danica Patrick #10 Mobil 1 Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, Bass Pro Shops has left, so the Mobil 1 scheme features a white background, with the Pegasus wing starting at the side of the front, extending to the door numbers. A

Danica Patrick #10 Aspen Dental Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, similar to Clint Bowyer’s template, but with a Post-It esque design. F

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Brownies Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, blue, white and brown scheme, stripes start on hood, and extend to the rear of the side. B-

Danica Patrick #10 Aspen Dental Tooth Fairy Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, dark blue and silver, similar to Clint Bowyer’s schemes. A

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery/April O’Neil Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, comic book motif across whole car with April O’Neil on hood and Turtles on sides. F

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery/Autism Delaware Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Nature’s Bakery but with Autism Delaware on quarter panels. A

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Patriotic Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, camo replaces blue on the front, black replaces blue on the back. F

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery/Fox Sports Go Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Nature’s Bakery, but with Fox Sports Go on quarter panels. A

JOE GIBBS RACING #11

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota CamrySlight redesign for 2016, hood logo moved slightly to the right, side stripes wider. A

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Freight Toyota CamrySlight redesign for 2016, hood logo moved slightly to the right, side stripes wider. A

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Ground Toyota CamrySlight redesign for 2016, hood logo moved slightly to the right, side stripes wider. A

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Office Toyota CamrySlight redesign for 2016, hood logo moved slightly to the right, side stripes wider. A

Denny Hamlin #11 SportClips Toyota CamryNo Change. C-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Cares Choice 1 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, one of three, blue with white hood, and right angle curves up sides.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Cares Choice 2 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, one of three, blue with white and silver Petty style door curve and star motif.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Cares Choice 3 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, one of three, blue, white, and silver with wave motif across car. F

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, designed by Hamlin, all black with a cutting edge design across sides. D-

Denny Hamlin #11 SportClips Throwback Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, based on one of Darrell Waltrip’s old Budweiser schemes. A

GERMAIN RACING #13

Casey Mears #13 Geico Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, much more subdued version of the 2015 scheme. A

Casey Mears #13 Geico Millitary Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, black with camo motif across car. F

Casey Mears #13 Geico Smokey Yunick Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Smokey Yunick’s 1967 Chevy. A

STEWART-HAAS RACING #14

Tony Stewart #14 Mobil 1 Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, the Mobil 1 scheme features a white background, with the Pegasus wing starting at the side of the front, extending to the door numbers. A

Tony Stewart #14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevy SSSlight redesign, removal of Bass Pro Shops logo, cleaner rear end of the car. A

Tony Stewart #14 Rush Truck Stops/Mobil 1 Chevy SSSlight redesign, removal of Bass Pro Shops logo, cleaner rear end of the car. A

Tony Stewart #14 Bass Pro Shops Chevy SSNo Change. C+

Brian Vickers #14 Janssen Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, simple curve replaces the wave pattern from 2015. A

Brian Vickers #14 TaxAct Millitary Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, similar to TaxAct but with camouflage motif. C+

Tony Stewart #14 Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Mobil 1, but with Advanced Fuel Economy on sides. A

Tony Stewart #14 Bass Pro Shops Ducks Unlimited Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, black with camo wave design on front, duck design on rear. B-

Tony Stewart #14 Haas Automation Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, silver with vertical fade to black, with white number. A-

Tony Stewart #14 Mobil 1/Chevy Summer Selldown Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Mobil 1, but with Chevy Summer Selldown logos on quarter panels. A

Tony Stewart #14 Coca Cola Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Bobby Allison’s #14 Coca Cola scheme from 1970-1973. A-

HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #15

Clint Bowyer #15 Five-Hour Energy Chevy SSNew scheme for 2015, the front stripe has been moved up to the top of the side, and the roof matches with the design. A

Clint Bowyer #15 Peak Chevy SSNew scheme for 2015, Blue with white geometrical designs on side. A

Clint Bowyer #15 Visine Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, same as 5-Hour Energy, but with black, white, and blue color scheme. B+

Clint Bowyer #15 Aaron’s Chevy SSNo Change. A

Clint Bowyer #15 AccuDoc Solutions Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, all black with yellow and white lettering and a series of yellow stripes across sides. B-

Clint Bowyer #15 5 Hour Energy/Knoxville Nationals Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as 5 Hour Energy, but with Knoxville Energy on hood and quarter panels. A

Clint Bowyer #15 Five Hour Energy Benny Parsons Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, Based on Benny Parsons’ 1970’s Chevy. A

ROUSH-FEWNAY RACING #16

Greg Bffle #16 Cheez-its Ford FusionNew scheme for 2015, stripe has been extended down tot he bottom of the car, some slight rearangment of the crackers on the side of the car. A

Greg Biffle #16 KFC Nashville Hot Ford FusionNew sponsor for 2016, all red with fire designs on quarter panel, and KFC stripes on roof. A

Greg Biffle #16 Kleen Performance Products Ford FusionNo Change. B+

Greg Biffle #16 Roush Performance Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, black with red and white check pattern design on side. A

Greg Biffle #16 Cheez-Its Patriotic Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, yellow is replaced with patriotic elements. B+

Greg Biffle #16 Kleen Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, black with yellow, silver, and white cutting edge designs up the side. B-

Greg Biffle #16 KFC Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, similar in design to KFC Nashville Hot Chicken, but with fewer stripes, and names on the car. A-

Greg Biffe #16 NESN Fuel Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, blue, dark blue, white, and silver, with cutting edge designs up the side. B-

Greg Biffle #16 Ford Eco-Boost Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, same as #17 Eco-Boost. B+

Greg Biffle #16 Hooters Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, based on Alan Kulwicki’s 1992 Championship Ford “Underbird.” A

ROUSH-FEWNAY RACING #17

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Ford FusionNo Change. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Ford Eco-Boost Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, much simpler design, with red added on top. B+

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Sunny D Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, orange front, rainbow sunburst pattern across sides, blue hood, roof, and decklid. F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Zest Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, much simper design, with soap motif. C+

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Throwback Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, based on Darrell Waltrip’s 1975 scheme. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fifth-Third Bank Ford FusionNo Change. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Patriotic Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, same basic scheme as 2015, but with red outlining the star, and stripes on sides have been trimmed. A-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Brian Clauson Tribute Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, based on Brian Clauson’s Fastenal scheme when he raced in the Nationwide Series. A

JOE GIBBS RACING #18

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy SSSlight redesign for 2015, stripes are wider, black stripe on bottom gone. F

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Toyota CamryNo Change. A

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, similar to 2014 scheme, but with vintage characters to celebrate M&M’s 75th anniversary. A

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Throwback Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, vintage look with vintage characters, yellow, with brown letters. A

Kyle Busch #18 Banfield Pet Hospital Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, blue with diagonal logo on hood, EKG motif on sides, injured cute pet pictures on quarter panel. A

Kyle Busch #18 Pedigree Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, green is brighter, side and hood logos are larger, and blue stripe on bottom has been removed. A

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles/Marvel Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, red Skittles front and green Marvel and Skittles rear. B-

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota CamryNo Change. A

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Patriotic Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, same basic design, but with red, white, and blue motif. A

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Dale Jarrett Throwback Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, throwback based on Dale Jarrett’s 1993 Interstate Batteries scheme. A

Kyle Busch #75 M&M’s Throwback Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, door number changes to #75 for All-Star Race, yellow with all vintage look. A

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Patriotic Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, same basic M&M’s design, but in red, white, and blue with a patriotic motif. A

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Crispier Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, blue with sublimated square designs, and brown Snickers logo on sides and hood. B-

JOE GIBBS RACING #19

Carl Edwards #19 Stanley Toyota CamryNo Change. B+

Carl Edwards #19 Stanley Toyota CamrySlight redesign for 2016, logos are bigger, outlines are bolder. A

Carl Edwards #19 Subway Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, green replaces black, box motif replaces stripe motif. B+

Carl Edwards #19 Comcast Business Toyota CamryNo Change. D-

Carl Edwards #19 Xfinity Toyota CamryNo Change. B-

Carl Edwards #19 Arris Surfboard Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, orange front, gray diagonal stripe near wheel well, fades to white back. A

Carl Edwards #19 Arris Tony Stewart Throwback Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, same color scheme, but based on Tony Stewart’s 1999 Home Depot Pontiac. A

Carl Edwards #19 SportClips Toyota Camry-Same as Denny Hamlin’s #11. C

JOE GIBBS RACING #20

Matt Kenseth #20 Dollar General Toytota CamrySlight redesign for 2016, black stripe across bottom now gone. A

Matt Kenseth #20 DeWalt USA Toyota CamryNo Change. A

Matt Kenseth #20 DeWalt Toyota CamryNo Change. A

Matt Kenseth #20 DeWalt/Flexvolt Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, DeWalt yellow front, with black lightning motif across sides and roof, with a small yellow patch on quarter panel. C-

Matt Kenseth #20 Tide Pods Toyota CamryNew sponsor for 2016, based on the “Tide Ride” which was a staple of NASCAR for many years. A

WOOD BROTHERS RACING #21

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft Ford FusionNo Change. A

Ryan Blaney #21 Quicklane/Trading One Uniform For Another Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, same as Motorcraft, but with Blue Quicklane color scheme. A

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft Throwback Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, based on David Pearson’s 1976 Daytona 500 winning Mercury Montego. A

Ryan Blaney #21 Virginia Tech Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, dark blue with orange and white stripe across side. B+

TEAM PENSKE #22

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford FusionNo change D

Joey Logano #22 AAA Ford FusionNo Change. D

Joey Logano #22 Auto Trader Ford FusionNo Change. D-

Joey Logano #22 AAA of Southern California Ford FusionNo Change. D

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, all yellow, with some lighter yellow geometrical designs across car. A

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Mosiac Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, same basic scheme, but made out of a mosaic of pictures to help celebrate Team Penske celebrating 50 years. F

Joey Logano #22 Shell Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Bobby Labonte’s #44 Shell scheme which was the first Shell shceme to win a race in NASCAR’s national series. B-

BK RACING #23

David Ragan #23 Dr. Pepper Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, white hood, different designs on sides. A

David Ragan #23 Sweet Frog Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, green and pink stripes across sides, white hood with Sweet Frog logo. F

David Ragan #23 Schuler Systems Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, same as #83. D-

David Raga #23 Bubba Burger Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, camo motif with salute to veterans on hood. F

David Ragan #23 Weaver Media Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black with white paper motif on sides. B+

David Ragan #23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, same as Dr. Pepper, but with Frontline on decklid. A

David Ragan #23 Dr. Pepper Throwback Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, red sides with throwback logos, white hood, roof, and decklid, with I’m A Pepper, and vintage logos on hood. B+

David Ragan #23 Flaming Leprechaun Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black, with dark red flames across sides. Flaming Leprechaun on sides and hood. A

David Ragan #23 Brandies Machinery Toyota CamryNo Change. F

David Ragan #23 Dr. Pepper/USA Network Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, same as Dr. Pepper, but with USA Network on hood and quarter panels. A

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24

Chase Elliott #24 NAPA Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, blue with white stripes across side which start at brake duct. A

Chase Elliott #24 3M Chevy SSNew scheme for 2015, black and white replaces silver, extra geometrical designs on sides. B+

Chase Elliott #24 Kelly Blue Book Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same basic color scheme but gold has been removed. Scheme has been redesigned into a more haphazardly designed stripe pattern. C+

Chase Elliot #24 Sun Energy Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black background with solar flare inspired design fades to blue towards wheel well, and finishes with red gradient on back. F

Chase Elliott #24 Dewcision Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with blue trident inspired design on sides, oval design on roof, and Vortex design on hood. D-

Chase Elliott #24 NAPA Patriotic Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, basic NAPA scheme, but with patriotic motif on sides and hood. D+

Chase Elliott #24 NAPA Throwback Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, black and yellow with throwback NAPA logo on hood, current NAPA logos on quarter panels. B-

Chase Eliott #24 NAPA Patriotic Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, blue with white hood, and patriotic motif across sides. C+

Chase Elliott #24 Mountain Dew Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, black and green, green hood and roof, black sides, black outline of brake ducts, subtle Mountain Dew logos under door number. C+

BK RACING #26

Robert Richardson #26 Stalk It Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black with large blue and white stripe across sides, and Stalk It logos on hood and sides. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #27

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Moen Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, black front, extending into Menard’s template, yellow rear. B-

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Peak Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, redesigned to match Clint Bowyer’s Peak Chevy. A+

Paul Menard #27 Valvoline/Menard’s Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, follows new Menard’s template, white Valvoline front, yellow Menard’s rear. F

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Dutch Boy Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, Menard’s template, with peeling blue and white paint design. F

Paul Menard #27 Richmond/Menard’s Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same basic color scheme with new Menard’s template. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/FVP Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, New Menard’s template with FVP colors. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Libman Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, Menard’s 2016 template with green Libman motif on front, Menard’s on back. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Rockstar Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, Menard’s template with black Rockstar front. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Tarkett Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, Menard’s template with blue front for Tarkett. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Duracel Chevy SSNo Change. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Moen Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, commits to new Menard’s Template, but with light blue and black stripes, and light blue numbers. C-

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Nebco Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, Menard’s Template with light blue color scheme. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Schrock Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, new Menard’s template with purple front. A

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Knauf Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, Menard’s template with Knauf blue on front. D

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Sylvania Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same color scheme as 2015, but with new Menard’s Template. F

Paul Menard #27 Valvoline Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, throwback Valvoline scheme, based on Al Unser’s 1993 Daytona 500 scheme. F

THE MOTORSPORTS GROUP #30

Josh Wise #30 Toyota Camry-Plain white with blue, black, and white numbers. A

Josh Wise #30 Toyota Camry-Plain black with blue, black, and white numbers. A

Josh Wise #30 Crawfest/City of New Braunfels Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, same as all black with Crawfest/City of New Braunfels logo on hood. A

Josh Wise #30 SBC Construction Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, all black with SBC Construction logos on hood, and small logos on quarter panel. A

Josh Wise #30 Vision RV Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, all black with SBC Construction logos on hood, and sides. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #31

Ryan Newman #31 Cat Chevy SSSlight redesign for 2016, yellow stripes are narrower, and hood logo is slightly larger. A

Ryan Newman #31 Granger Chevy SSNo change. B +

Ryan Newman #31 Wix Filters Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, one large multi-colored stripe replaces the multi-stripe on the sides, design extends to hood. F

Ryan Newman #31 Caterpillar Ricky Rudd Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Ricky Rudd’s Piedmont scheme from 1982-1983. A

Ryan Newman #31 Granger/Caterpillar Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, gray with black stripe across bottom. A

Ryan Newman #31 Whelen Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, red front, right angle near wheel well, extends to stripe up the back, white covers sides and quarter panels. A

Ryan Newman #31 Kalahari Resorts Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, dark blue with light blue and red diagonal stripes across sides. C-

Ryan Newman #31 Grainger Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, white replaces green as primary color. A

Ryan Newman #31 Florida Lottery Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black, with teal and orange wave designs on side. D

Ryan Newman #31 Cat/Freighliner Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, black hood and roof, white sides, black stripe on bottom. A

GO GREEN RACING #32

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Can-Am/Kappa Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, black, green, and yellow, with a series of geometrical designs across whole car. F

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts Ford FusionNew sponsor for 2016, black, white, and yellow, with a series of geometrical designs across whole car. F

Bobby Labonte #32 C&J Energy Services Ford FusionNo Change. F

Joey Gase #32 JT Concrete Inc Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, white with blue and white lettering. A

Joey Gase #32 Donate Life Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, all white with Donate Life logo on hood, and Allo-Source logo on quarter panels. A

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Visone/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, same as Corvette Parts. F

Bobby Labonte #32 Rimrock Devlin Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, based on C&J from 2015. F

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 NC Lottery Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, all black with NC Lottery on sides and hood. A

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Can Am Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, yellow front and back, with black and red curve going up sides. A

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Keen Parts Dale Earnhardt Throwback Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, based on Dale Earnhardt’s 1981-1985 Wrangler Scheme. A

Bobby Labonte #32 One Orlando Ford FusonNew scheme for 2016, same as 2015 C&J Energy Services, but with One Orlando on sides and hood. F

Eddie McDonald #32 Bentley’s Saloon Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, orange, red, silver, and black with a series of modern designs up sides. F

Jeb Burton #32 Erie Insurance Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, white, blue, and black, with a wave form up the side. B+

Joey Gase #32 Diesel Sales/Sparkz Ford Fusion-New sponsors for 2016, black with Diesel Sales on hood, and Sparkz logo on sides. A

Boris Said #32 Genesee Beer Ford FusionNo Change. A

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, all white with Keen Parts logo on hood, and Corvette Parts logo on quarter panel. A

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #34

Chris Buescher #34 Love’s Truck Stops Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, Front Row Template has been reversed, red replaces back as secondary color. A

Chris Buescher #34 Dockside Logistics Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, all white with Dockside Logistics logos on sides and hood. A

Chris Buescher #34 CSX Play it Safe Ford FusionNo Change. A

Chris Buescher #34 A&W Ford FusionNo Change. A

Chris Buescher #34 Love’s/CSX Play It Safe Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, same as Love’s but with Play It Safe on sides and hood. A

Chris Buescher #34 CSX Play It Safe Hire Our Veterans Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, purple camouflage with red CSX track up sides. F

Chris Buescher #34 Love’s Truck Support The Troops Ford FusionNo Change. F

Chris Buescher #34 Love’s Truck Stops Throwback Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, based on the first Love’s Truck Stops design from 1980. White with vintage Love’s logo on sides, and yellow, green, and red stripes across sides. A

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #35

David Gilliland #35 Ford Fusion-White with black and red letters. A

David Gilliland #35 Southern Belle Seafood Ford FusionExcept for car number, no change. A

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #38

Landon Cassill #38 Florida Lottery Ford FusionNo Change. C+

Landon Cassill #38 FR8 Auctions Ford FusionNo Change. A

Landon Cassill #38 MDS Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, all white with MDS logos on sides and hood. A

Landon Cassill #38 Snap Fitnaess Ford FusionNew scheme for 2015, all red with Snap Fitness logos on sides and hood. A

Landon Cassill #38 MDS Patriotic Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, Front Row template, blue stars on front of car, red back. A

Landon Cassill #38 Taco Bell Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, same basic design, but white replaces black, blue numbers replace black numbers, and Live Mas is larger. B+

Landon Cassill #38 MDS Transportation Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, Front Row template with orange front, and white rear. A

Landon Cassill #38 Rumple Furniture Throwback Ford FusionNew sponsor for 2016, based on JD McDuffie’s Bailey Excavating scheme. A

Landon Cassill #38 MDS Ford FusionNo Change. A-

HILLMAN RACING #40

Reed Sorenson #40 CRC Brakleen Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, black replaces red as primary color. D-

STEWART-HAAS RACING #41

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Energy Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with yellow and white numbers and lettering. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, red front, fades to black rear end. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, red front, fades to black rear end. A

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Energy/Haas Automation Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Monster Energy, but with Haas on rear. A

Kurt Busch #41 State Water Heaters Chevy SSNo Change. B+

Kurt Bush #41 Hass VF1/Monster Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, similar in design to Danica’s Brownie scheme, with Haas VF1 on hood, with stripes fading to black and Monster rear. B+

CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #42

Kyle Larson #42 Target Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, vertical fade from red to white replaces side fade from 2015. A

Kyle Larson #42 Clorox/Target Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, yellow and blue Clorox front, red and white Target rear with Glad logo on quarter panel. F

Kyle Larson #42 Target Scott Dixon Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, running a scheme similar to Scott Dixon’s IndyCar Scheme. A

Kyle Larson #42 Energizer Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same front design as 2014, but with white bottom instead of black. C-

Kyle Larson #42 Huggies Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue with red designs across sides. D+

Kyle Larson #42 Target Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, loosely based on the first Target IndyCar scheme from 1990. B-

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #43

Aric Almirola #43 Smithfield Ford FusionSlight redesign for 2016, roof numbers turn from yellow to red. B+

Aric Almiroa #43 U.S. Air Force Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, same basic scheme, but with more lightning. A

Aric Almirola #43 STP Ford FusionNew scheme for 2014, STP colors with stripes that correspond to the door logos. B-

Aric Almirola #43 Waffle House Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, yellow replaces patriotic motif. D-

Aric Almirola #43 Fresh From Florida Ford FusionNo Change. F

Aric Almirola #43 STP Throwback Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, throwback scheme based on Richard Petty’s 1979 STP scheme. A

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #44

Brian Scott #44 Twisted Tea Ford FusionAside from the number change, no significant changes for 2016. A

Brian Scott #44 Albertsons’s Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, all blue with white hood. A

Brian Scott #44 Vonn’s Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, same as Albertson’s, but with Vonn’s on the hood.. A

Brian Scott #44 Goody’s Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, blue with a honeycomb pattern, with yellow stripes on bottom and front. B+

Brian Scott #44 Go Bowling Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, bowling ball motif returns, blue sides, and white lettering. A

Brian Scott #44 Albertson’s/Tom Thumb Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, Tom Thumb debuts on sides, other than that, same as Albertson’s. A

Brian Scott #44 Shore Lodge Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, same as 2015 scheme, but with side stripe removed, and Petty door design on sides. C+

Brian Scott #44 Medallion Bank Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, taxi yellow with checkered flag across bottom. A

Brian Scott #44 Albertson’s/Devour Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, Devour debuts on sides, other than that, same as Albertson’s. A

Brian Scott #44 Albertsons’/Blu Emu Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, same as Alberston’s but with Blu Emu on quarter panels. A

Brian Scott #44 Shaw’s/Heinz Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, Shaw’s on hood, Heinz on quarter panels. A

Brian Scott #44 Jacob Construction/Medallion Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, same as Medallion Taxi scheme. A

Brian Scott #44 Twisted Tea Fan Photo Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2016, same as Twisted Tea, but with a fan photo on the side. F

HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #46

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J Chevy SSNo Change. A

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, all red with white front. A

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J/Battle of Bristol Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as white design, but with Battle of Bristol on hood. A

Michael Annett #46 Allstate Peterbuilt Group Chevy SSNo Change. A

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as red Pilot/Flying J, but with patriotic motif. A

Michael Annett #46 St Jude’s Hospital Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, white, teal, and red with wave form up the sides. B+

Michael Annett #46 Pilot Throwback Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, skinnier door numbers, vintage pilot logos and vintage striping across bottom. A-

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING #47

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/Stoffer’s/Lean Cuisine Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same as Kroger/Scott, minus the stars. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/Scott Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger/Scott, minus the stars. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Food For Less Chevy SSNo Change. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, dark red, with flames on sides. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/Coffee Mate/Butterfinger Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger, but with Coffee Mate and Butterfinger logos on sides and hood. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Bush’s Baked Beans Chevy SSNo Change. B+

AJ Allmendinger #47 Bruce Hill Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on the scheme Bruce Hill raced in his rookie year in 1975 A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Dillons/Glad Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same basic scheme as Kroger, but blue on the hood has been removed from 2015 version. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Unwharrie Bank Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, green roof, white sides, with stripe that forms company logo under door number, red bottom. C+

AJ Allmendinger #47 Harris Teeter Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger but with Harris Teeter on hood. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Bush’s Grilling Beans Chevy SSNo Change. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/Crisco/Hungry Jack Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger but with Crisco and Hungry Jack on hood and sides. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Ralph’s/Kingsford Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, same as Kroger’s, but with Ralph’s and Kingsford on hood. A

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/Outshine/Drumstick Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger, but with Outshine and Drumstick on quarter panels and hood.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger/Clorox/Scott Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger, but with Clorox on quarter panels and hood.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Scott’s Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Kroger’s but with Scott’s on the side. A

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #48

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Chevy SSSlight redesign for 2016, stripes are narrower, and hood logo is slightly forward. C-

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Chevy SSSlight redesign for 2016, stripes are narrower, and hood logo is slightly forward. C-

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Pro ServicesSlight redesign for 2016, stripes are narrower, and hood logo is slightly forward. C-

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Chevy SS– New scheme for 2016, same as basic scheme, yellow numbers replace white. B+

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevy SSNo Change. B+

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as basic scheme, but with yellow door numbers. A

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, black with stars on hood and rear, white, blue, and silver diagonal design up the side. F

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Red Vest Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, red, with blue and white designs up sides F

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowes Earnhardt Throwback Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on Dale Earnhardt’s 1979 Mike Curb Rookie of the Year Scheme. A

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #55

Reed Sorenson #55 Chevy SS-All black with white and blue numbers. A

Michael Waltrip #55 Peak Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Clint Bowyer’s #15. A

Reed Sorenson #55 World Record Striper Company Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, dark blue front, fades to lighter blue, and has a bass motif at back. A

Cole Whitt #55 Vydrox Plus Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as #98. A

Cody Ware #55 Carport Empire Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, white with blue and red designs, on bottom and red roof. A

Reed Sorenson #55 Royal Teak Toyota CamryNo Change. A

Alex Kennedy #55 Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Carport Empire minus the logos. A

CIRCLE SPORT/LEAVINE FAMILY RACING #59

Michael McDowell #59 Thrivent Financial Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, same as #95, with door numbers reversed. B+

Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Toyota CamryOther than the switch from Chevy to Toyota, there are no major changes.

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, vertical fade from bottom to top, light blue fades up to dark blue. A

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Bass Pro Shops Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, orange with trace amounts of black and camo. F

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Bass Pro Shops, but more the camo is more prominent. F

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto-Owners Insurance Throwback Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, dark blue with some light blue designs on sides, and a light blue roof. C+

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with patriotic motif across sides. C-

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Tanger Outlets Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, red, black, and green with cutting edge designs up the sides. C-

BK RACING #83

Michael Waltrip #83 Maxwell House Toyota CamryNo Change. A

Matt DiBendetto #83 Sewanee University Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, blue with white and gold logos on quarter panels, gold stripe on bottom, blue designs on side. B+

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Cosmo Motors Toyota CamryNew scheme for 2016, all black with Cosmo Motors logos on sides and hood. A

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Schluter Systems Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, cream top, with stripes, and a waffle design on the bottom. D-

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Cosmo Motors Toyota CamryNo Change. C-

Matt DiBenedetto #83 RMC Events Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black top, white zigzag line separating black top from red bottom. B-

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Dustless Blasting Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, same as #93. B-

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Hope For Warriors Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, red, white and blue, with a plethora of patriotic designs on sides. F

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Anest Iwata Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2016, blue front, black rear, silver stripe divides the two. A

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Orange Crush Throwback Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, orange, with blue stripes and throwback logos on sides and top. A

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Science Logic Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2016, light blue with a series of circular designs across sides. D+

Matt DiBenedetto #83 EJ Wade Construction Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black with white and orange cutting edge designs on side. B-

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Mass Markets Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, white with blue and orange geometrical designs across sides. C-

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Vector Security Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, white with red and blue cutting edge design across sides. A

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 TaxSlayer Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, red top and front, white bottom and back, gold designs separate the two. A

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Chevy SSNew scheme for 2015, reminiscent of old Mountain Dew/Amp Energy scheme. A

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Axalta Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, red top, fade to yellow bottom, across whole car. A

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide/Batman Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, designed to look like Batman’s armor. A

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Grey Ghost Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, based on the Grey Ghost that Buddy Baker used to win the 1980 Daytona 500. A

Dale Earnhardt #88 Axalta/CarStar Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Axalta, but CarStar is on quarter panel. A

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Dewcision Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, black with yellow trident inspired design on sides, oval design on roof, and Vortex design on hood. D-

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue with butterflies across whole car, and names on hood. A

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Mountain Dew Patriotic Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, white top, green and white “patriotic” motif, and yellow bottom. F

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Patriotic Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, blue front with stars and stripes motif, red and white waving stripe motif across sides. A

BK RACING #93

Matt DiBenedetto #93 Dustless Blasting Toyota CamryNo Change. B-

Ryan Ellis #93 Science Logic Toyota CamryNo Change. D+

Dylan Lupton #93 Bell Brothers/Elk Grove Toyota Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, blue with white circular designs across car. C-

CIRCLE SPORT/LEAVINE FAMILY RACING #95

Ty Dillon #95 Cheerios Chevy SSNew sponsor and manufacturer for 2016 for Leavine Family Racing, after having merged with Circle Sport, and aligned with RCR. Aside from the new number, and a larger Kroger’s logo, no change. A

Michael McDowell #95 Thrivent Financial Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, looks similar in design to the 2014, with a black, red, and white color scheme. B+

Michael McDowell #95 K-Love Chevy SSNew scheme for 2016, simpler template. A

Michael McDowell #95 Monte Carlo Casino Chevy SS-New Scheme for 2016, same as WRL Contractors from 2014. A

Ty Dillon #95 Nexium 24 Chevy SSAside from new team, no change. A-

Michael McDowell #95 WRL Contractors Ford FusionNo Change. A

Michael McDowell #95 WRL Contractors/MastiClean Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2016, same as WRL, but with MastiClean leaf motif on quarter panels. B-

Ty Dillon #95 BVT/Blake’s Snow Shack Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, similar in design to Cheerios, but with black extending up to roof on door numbers, as well as part of quarter panel. B+

Ty Dillon #95 Nexteer Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, red front, red, white, and black stripe across sides, black rear. A

Michael McDowel #95 Thrivent Financial Patriotic Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, black hood with American flag motif across sides and roof. A

Michael McDowell #95 Malware Bites Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, dark blue front with lighter blue circuit board motif across sides. B+

Ty Dillon #95 Chevy Summer Selldown Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, white, with red and green sunburst style designs on sides. B-

Michael McDowell #95 Thrivent Financial Richard Childress Throwback Chevy SS-New Scheme for 2016, same as Richard Childress’ Kansas Jack scheme from the 1970’s. A

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #98

Cole Whitt #98 Premium Motorsports RTIC Coolers Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black with RTIC Coolers logo on sides and hood. A

Cole Whitt #98 Tweaker Energy Chevy SSNo Change. A

Cole Whitt #98 Speed Stick Chevy SSNo Change. A

Cole Whitt #98 Rinnai Ford FusionNew scheme for 2016, all black with Rinnai logos on sides and hood. A

Cole Whitt #98 Chevy SS-All black with white and blue numbers. A

Cole Whitt #98 RTIC Coolers Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2016, black with RTIC Coolers logo on sides and hood, with a new hood design. A

Cole Whitt #98 Vydrox Plus Chevy SSNo Change. A

Cole Whitt #98 RTIC Coolers Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as RTIC but blue replaces black. A

Cole Whitt #98 Speed Stick Reversed Chevy SS-New scheme for 2016, same as Speed Stick but with the colors reversed. A

Cole Whitt #98 Carolina Skiff Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with white Carolina Skiff logos on sides and hood. A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 27, 2016

By David G. Firestone

Kasey Kahne #5 Liftmaster Throwback Chevy SS-The shade of red used is all kinds of wrong, and it takes the whole look down. The sad part is that if the right shade of red was used, this scheme will earn an A, but the bad shade takes it down to a B+.

Greg Biffle #16 Hooters Ford Fusion-The second car representing Alan Kulwicki is a great tribute, with the correct sponsor. There is nothing bad I can say about this car, and I give it an A

Chase Elliott #24 Mountain Dew Chevy SS-There are a lot of things that irritate me about this car. The green and grey numbers look bad, and mix too well with the background color. I don’t like the subtle Mountain Dew logos on the sides. To top that off, the gray used on the numbers looks out of place. It could be a better scheme, and the color scheme is decent, but it’s basically a C+ look.

Ryan Newman #31 Cat/Freighliner Chevy SS-Looks good, good design, and a great color scheme. I give it an A.

Chris Buescher #34 Love’s Truck Stops Throwback Ford Fusion-It’s a design that works well, and the color scheme is good too. I also like the throwback numbers. Its an A scheme for sure!

Kyle Larson #42 Target Throwback Chevy SS-So this scheme is based on the first IndyCar scheme Target ever ran. I’m trying to figure out why the the hood design is a separate design and older logo than the original one. I’m not saying it a horrible scheme, but if you want to commit to an IndyCar scheme, you can’t bail, and start using logos that weren’t used on the original. I’ll give it a B-, though it’s worth noting that with accurate logos it would get an A

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J/Battle of Bristol Chevy SS-I like the team motif logos on the sides of an already good logo. It works very well, and earns an A

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Bass Pro Shops/NRA Museum Toyota Camry-If the patriotic motif were much more subdued, the grade would be higher. There is too much going on here, and it just looks like a jumbled mess. C-

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Tanger Outlets Toyota Camry-Get rid of the green, it’s out of place. Also, the cutting edge design works well, if it isn’t overdone. This scheme is overdone. This scheme could be so much better than what it is. I’ll give it the C- it deserves since the design, and the color schemes aren’t terrible.

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Vector Security Toyota Camry-The color scheme is great, and the design looks, good, and its an A scheme.

Cole Whitt #98 Carolina Skiff Chevy SS– A good simple design with a good color scheme will always accept an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Grading the 2014 All-Star Race & How Far We Have Come In the Last 50 Years…

headerBy David G. Firestone.

The 2014 Sprint All Star race is behind us, and as usual, there were a myriad of different paint schemes.  Some were good, others not so much, but I have to say there were a lot of great schemes in this year’s race.  Let’s start with the Sprint Showdown.  Unlike in previous years, The Showdown took place on Friday, and the All-Star Race was on Saturday.  The Showdown was a great event, which saw Clint Bowyer winning, AJ Allmendinger finishing second, and in the upset of the year, Josh Wise winning the Sprint Fan vote, and advancing to the All Star Race.  Let’s get to the grades:

#1 Josh Wise #98 DogeCoin Ford Fusion Such colors! Much design! So good! A+

#2 Dave Blaney #77 Amy R. Fochler Ford Fusion I think that this is the first time a lawyer has sponsored a Cup car, and it is a great design. A+

#3 Ryan Truex #83 Burger King Toyota Camry Great simple design, and I love the Borla Exhaust design adds a unique look. A+

#4 David Stremme #33 Little Joe’s Autos Chevy SS Simple design, great color scheme A+

#5 Landon Cassill #40 Hillman Racing Chevy SS Silver is a very attractive color on race cars, and this is a perfect example. A+

#6 Aric Almirola #43 Farmland Ford Fusion Simple design and a great color scheme earns an A+

#7 AJ Allmendinger #47 Freightliner/Sullivan Palatek Chevy SS Classic look, good color scheme, A+

#8 Reed Sorenson #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevy SS Simple design, great color scheme A+

#9 Alex Bowman #23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry Like the silver, and the design scheme is very good. A

#10 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

#11 Marcos Ambrose #9 DeWalt/Stanley Ford Fusion Though a tad over designed, the car has a clean look, and a great color scheme, so I will give it an A-

#12 David Gilliland #38 Loves Truck Stops Ford Fusion Good color scheme, decent design, A-

#13 Austin Dillon #3 Dow Chevy SS 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.

#14 Kyle Larson #42 Target Chevy SS The scheme looks decent, I like the red 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-

#15 Paul Menard #27 Menards/Serta Chevy SS Same scheme as last year, same C+ grade

#16 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-

#17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Building For America’s Bravest Ford Fusion Much too overdesigned, and another example of why camoflage on race cars NEVER WORKS! The only thing keeping this design above water is a great color scheme. C-

#18 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-

#19 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

#20 Danica Patrick #10 GoDaddy Cares Chevy SS Same scheme but with a bunch of logos on the hood, instead of just one. F

#21 Casey Mears #13 Geico Chevy SS Once again, it needs to be said…CAMO DOES NOT WORK ON RACE CARS! I’l give this an F!

#22 Clint Bowyer #15 Charter Toyota Camry Clint’s already bad paint scheme with an even worse color scheme…F

#23 Blake Koch #32 Supportmillitary.org Ford Fusion No redeeming features whatsoever. F-

Now we move on to the All-Star Race, which saw Jamie McMurray pull an upset and take the win, thus guaranteeing him entry into the event for the next 10 years.  Overall there were a lot of great schemes, though I wish more teams would run special schemes.

#1 Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion Best Throwback scheme of the last 5 years  A+

#2 Josh Wise #98 DogeCoin Ford Fusion Such colors! Much design! So good! A+

#3 Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Chevy SS Nothing wrong with this scheme at all.  A+

#4 Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry Great color and design schemes. A+

#5 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+

#6 Kurt Busch #41 Haas Chevy SS Great design and color scheme, A+

#7 AJ Allmendinger #47 Freightliner/Sullivan Palatek Chevy SS Classic look, good color scheme, A+

#8 Brian Vickers #55 Aarons Toyota Camry A good scheme, and the 55 lettering looks really good here, and the gold is a nice touch. A

#9 Carl Edwards #99 Fastenal Ford Fusion The stripes work well here, and the color scheme is good. A

#10 Jamie McMurray #1 Bass Pro Shops/National Wild Turkey Federation Chevy SS As Bass Pro Shops schemes go this year, this one is really good. Good color scheme, good design scheme, no camo, A

#11 Jeff Gordon #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevy SS 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

#12 Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 National Guard Chevy SS 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+

#13 Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry The front nose design and stripes are awful. The color schemes are great, as are the logos and numbers, but the stripes kill it. The best grade I can give is a C+

#14 Kevin Harvick #4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevy SS  It’s a bit overdesigned, but the green looks good(I hate most shades of green used in NASCAR) and it earns a C

#15 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

#16 Tony Stewart #14 Bass Pro Shop/Mobil 1 Chevy SS This is just brutal to look at. The orange and camo contrast is hideous, and the overall design is overdone. C-

#17 Matt Kenseth #20 Home Depot/Huskey Toyota Camry I would give this scheme an A grade, but the yellow back bumper ruins it.  The clash between the two just works awkward, and it takes an A scheme down to a C

#18 Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion Red and yellow is a really great color scheme, but the design is all wrong. It just looks awful. D

#19 Ryan Newman #31 Cat/Quicken Loans Chevy SS What in the blue hell is going on here? I’ve liked Ryan’s schemes this year but this is an F scheme, even though I like the color scheme.

#20 Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowes Patriotic Chevy SS Only one word can sum up this scheme…overdesigned. F

#21 Clint Bowyer #15 Charter Toyota Camry Clint’s already bad paint scheme with an even worse color scheme…F

#22 Greg Biffle#16 3M Ford Fusion-The sides and roof have gotten worse from last year.  I have to give it an F in that respect.

Also, check this video out concerning how different pit stops in open wheel racing were between 1950 and today:

The video shows how far we have come in pit stops, but we also have come a long way in driver uniforms.

By David G. Firestone

50 years ago this week, events over the course of 6 days in May of 1964 changed the culture, cars, and uniforms of auto racing forever. Three deaths in two races over those six days demonstrated that current safety methods were ineffective at best, and 3 talented drivers lost their lives. The 1964 World 600 and the 1964 Indianapolis 500 helped introduce reenforced fuel tanks and Nomex driver suits, among other things. 50 years later, those events are still being felt

The World 600 began in the early afternoon on May 24, 1964. For the first six laps, it was business as usual, but on lap 7, on the backstretch, Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett wrecked, and Glenn “Fireball” Roberts swerved to avoid them, and wrecked. He was trapped in the car by the pedals, and his car caught fire. Ned Jarrett ran and pulled Roberts from the car, and paramedics took him to the hospital. 39 days after the wreck, while still in the hospital from his injuries, he died from pneumonia.

NASCAR had rules concerning “fire retardant” uniforms but these were inadequate at best. These uniforms were cotton coveralls traditionally used by workmen that had been dipped in a number of fire retardant materials including Borax. These were not only ineffective, but were extremely uncomfortable to wear. They were known for inflaming the skin, and aggravating asthma. Fireball was not wearing these coveralls during that race, because he had a doctor’s note stating he should not wear them. There is some debate over what the doctor’s note was for, either for asthma or skin hives. It llustrates why these uniforms were not popular, they were so uncomfortable to wear that drivers did not want to wear them.

6 days later, on May 30, the 48th Indianapolis 500 was held. Dave MacDonald started 14th, and Eddie Sachs started 17th when the green flag dropped. MacDonald was racing a car built by racing innovator Mickey Thompson, which by all accounts was badly built and difficult to drive. The first lap led into the second, which saw Dave MacDonald lose control of his car and smash into the inside wall. The fuel tank instantly ignited and the car went across the track, and collected a number of other cars, including Eddie Sachs car, which also exploded on impact. Sachs was killed by the impact, but MacDonald was seriously burned, and his lungs were scorched, the lung damage proved to be fatal.

Inspired by these events, the Nomex firesuit was introduced in 1967 as a replacement for the cotton coveralls dipped in chemicals. It was a lot more comfortable and safer than chemical-dipped cotton, so drivers were more willing to wear them. Like most new safety equipment in sports, it took a while to catch on. Nomex was created in 1967, for NASA. Its main use at the time was for the Apollo Command Module parachutes. NASA needed a material that could stand up to the heat of reentering the earth’s atmosphere, and still remain fully functional.

Bill Simpson is credited with introducing Nomex to driver suits. The story goes that Simpson started making Nomex suits after learning about the material from astronaut Pete Conrad while Simpson was working as a consultant for NASA. One of the pivital moments in the history of the suit was when Simpson had heard that a competitor had been badmouthing his products, and so, in something he said later was “the dumbest thing I have ever done,” challenged the competitor to a “burn off.” Simpson put on his suit and lit himself on fire. He later recreated this for a Mazda commercial.

Why did it take so long to make critical changes to driver uniforms?  The events that took place in 1964 were tragic, and it clearly illustrated why the old system didn’t work. The only change made immediately after the events was the rule that fire retardant suits were now mandatory, regardless of how it made the driver feel. In today’s sports safety culture, there would be focus groups, meetings within the sanctioning body, and changes within a few months after the event. But by 1964 standards, just rigidly enforcing the rule was the best course of action. Remember that in 1964 race car drivers were seen as somewhat expendable. Driver deaths in racing were stunningly common back then. As such, while there was a need for improvement, it was not a priority for sanctioning bodies. The sad fact is that back then, driver deaths were part of the allure of racing. People would go to these events and hope to see a fatal crash, as crass as that sounds. As for the suits themselves, the only other options besides chemical dipped cotton was aluminized cotton or aluminized kevlar, which was not more comfortable, as it was like wearing aluminum foil.

So what did these pre-Nomex driver suits look like? They looked like this. This is a driver suit made by Hinchman in Indianapolis. It is basically a polyester suit that is customized to the driver’s preference. It is not all that different than a jumpsuit that one would wear to work. It is a very flimsy material, has no cuffs on the arms or legs, and, most amazingly, the tag states that the suit is “Untreated, will burn, must be dipped.” This suit was worn circa 1972, which is indicated by the “Archie Bunker for President” patch sewn into the chest. Like any new safety technology in sports, it takes time for it to become the standard, and for Nomex, this is no exception.

This race, along with the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2001 Daytona 500 have their legacies written in death, but unlike other similar events, the lessons they had to teach were learned, and the racing world as a whole is better for them. The deaths in these events were not in vain, and others are alive because of them. 50 years later, those 6 days in May 1964 are still having an impact on racing.