Tag: kroger

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 2, 2024

By David G. Firestone

Austin Cindric #2 Menard’s/Knauf Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Dillon #3 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #5 Hendrickcars.com Red Chevy Camaro-I love red, and this scheme works very well. A

Kyle Busch #8 Lucas Oil Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chase Elliott #9 UniFirst Red Chevy Camaro-I love red, and this scheme works very well. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Mustang-I like the smooth look, and a great color scheme doesn’t hurt either. A

Chase Briscoe #14 HighPoint.com Ford Mustang-Slight downgrade from last year, but still a solid scheme. A-

Bubba Wallace #23 MoneyLion Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

William Byron #24 Axalta Red Chevy Camaro-I love red, and this scheme works very well. A

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-I like the look, and the color scheme is good, so this gets an A.

JJ Yeley #44 100 Coconut Water Chevy Camaro-A good look and it has a great color scheme, this gets an A.

Tyler Reddick #45 Xfinity Mobile Toyota Camry-The adding of black looks good, and I can’t complain! A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Cottonelle Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same D grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Blue Buffalo Chevy Camaro-It’s amazing what cleaning up the sides can do for a scheme. This went from a C to a B-.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Red Chevy Camaro-It’s still a jumbled mess, but the red works much better than the previous color scheme. B

Justin Haley #51 GradyHealth Ford Mustang-The streaks look awful and take a solid A scheme down to a C.

Zane Smith #71 City of Refuge Chevy Camaro-The template itself is good, but the overall color scheme and over design doesn’t work well. C

Carson Hocevar #77 Premier Security Chevy Camaro-Even a decent color scheme can’t save this car from an F grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-November 4, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang-I love the all-red look, this is amazing, this gets an A.

JJ Yeley #15 International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a simple color scheme, and that will ALWAYS earn an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Xfinity Mobile Toyota Camry-Another smooth look with a great color scheme. A

William Byron #24 PODS Chevy Camaro-The red would look better across the car, and the trim on the blue looks odd, though I get it is meant to look like a PODS door. It’s not bad, so I’ll give it a B.

Tyler Reddick #45 The Beast Unleashed Toyota Camry-They took a great scheme, added needless slash marks, and took it from an A down to a B+

Ricky Stenhouse #47 Kroger/Reese’s Chevy Camaro-I haven’t called it out specifically, but the Kroger blue hood looks on when blue is not a primary color. In this case, it is distracting enough to take an A scheme down to an A-.

BJ McLeod #78 Superior Logistics/Falk’d Up Garage Chevy Camaro-As much as I can appreciate a Halloween design, this just looks like a thrown together mess, which is also over designed. F

Daniel Suárez #99 Jockey Outdoors By Luke Bryan Chevy Camaro-Camo on a race car SUCKS! I could appreciate the nature motif without the camo, with the camo, it’s over designed, and gets an F.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-September 23, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Austin Cindric #2 Menard’s/Monster Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Gold Filters Chevy Camaro-A great look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-Take last week’s amazing paint scheme, add a horrific color scheme, and you have an F scheme.

Justin Haley #31 MTN Dew Chevy Camaro-The front is fine, but the rear is too over designed to get anything than an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Scott Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the stripes would make this an A scheme, with the stripes, this is an A-

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-September 2, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Austin Cindric #2 Menard’s/Cardell Cabinetry Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Morgan & Morgan Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will ALWAYS earn an A.

Corey LaJoie #7 The Jessie Rees Foundation Chevy Camaro-Adding the black looks better, but it’s still over designed. B-

Kyle Busch #8 Morgan & Morgan Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #3, same A grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Cars/Operation Warm Toyota Camry-A smooth, yet bold look, this is a simple design but it speaks volumes. A

Brennan Poole #15 Finance Pro Plus Ford Mustang-It’s way too over designed, and the scheme as a whole is a mess! F

Martin Truex Jr. #19 Bass Pro Shops/Ducks Unlimited Toyota Camry-Getting rid of the white would earn this a solid A, with the white, this earns an A-.

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear/Luke Combs Toyota Camry-The black with fish look is really good, it’s really bold, and it works. A

Michael McDowell #34 Fr8 Auctions Ford Mustang-This works even better with more black, and the stars work well too. A

Riley Herbst #36 Monster Energy Zero Sugar Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #54, same A grade.

Todd Gilliland #38 Serial 1 E-Bikes Ford Mustang-The tan look is a unique look, but it isn’t over designed, and it gets an A.

Ryan Preece #41 RaceChoice.com Ford Mustang-The pink looks out of place, and the car is over designed. F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Entenmann’s Donuts Chevy Camaro-I like the look of Ball Park, and I like the donuts on the side, so this gets an A.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Arena/Fortnite Chevy Camaro-The car is over designed, and the horrible color scheme earns this an F.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 19, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Cowboy Channel Chevy Camaro-I love a good fade, and with the great color scheme, this gets an A.

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-I like the wing design, and the great color scheme will always earn an A.

Brad Keselowski #6 Socios.com Ford Mustang-This would work much better with a different color scheme, but with this scheme, it gets a C.

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Dynagro Seed Chevy Camaro-Great design with bad color scheme will always earn a C.

Todd Gilliland #38 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Preece #41 Purdue University Ford Mustang-Getting rid of some of the designs near the number would work much better, but this is still good, so this get an A-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Frosted Flakes Chevy Camaro-It’s a good look, not over designed, and this gets an A.

Kamui Kobayashi #67 Toyota Genuine Parts Toyota Camry-The cutting edge design isn’t over done, and it has a great color scheme. A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-August 12, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Mobility Science Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Kyle Busch #8 Kwik Trip/Kwik Star Chevy Camaro–Good color scheme, good design scheme, good look. A

J.J. Yeley #15 Grill Blazers Ford Mustang-I like the grill motif, and the color scheme is good. A

Harrison Burton #21 Motorcraft/Ford Senior Master Technicians Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #34 Martin Transportation Systems Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 Rocket League Toyota Camry-Too many colors and too many design schemes will always earn an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Minute Rice Chevy Camaro-I like the new look, not too cluttered, and the color scheme is good. A

Alex Bowman #48 Ally/Detroit Pistons Chevy Camaro-I like the look, and the city motif works well. A

B.J. McLeod #78 South Dakota/FreedomWorksHere.com Chevy Camaro-I think the sides are a bit cluttered, but it is a good look. B

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-June 17, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Lube Express Ford Mustang-I like the look of the design, and the color scheme works well, so this gets an A.

Kyle Larson #5 Valvoline Chevy Camaro-Much more red is much better this year, than last year, and this scheme goes up to a B+

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

Andy Lally #15 Camping World Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, this gets an A.

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Construction Technology Toyota Camry-There is just too much going on, and the car looks beyond cluttered as a result. F

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Photo Mosaic Ford Mustang-I HATE photo mosaic schemes, especially this one, since it took an A scheme down to a C scheme!

Bubba Wallace #23 DoorDash Summer Pass Toyota Camry-If there was a darker color at play, it would work a lot better, but this has a decent design scheme, so this gets a B.

Justin Haley #31 Cirkul Chevy Camaro-Not a bad change, I do like the fruit motif, so this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #41 Autodesk Ford Mustang-Yes, Yes, YES! I love this look! It’s a great look, great color scheme, and I can’t give this less than an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Cottonelle Chevy Camaro-The dark blue is a downgrade from the white, so this gets a D.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Pride Month Chevy Camaro-The day Ally scheme with the white hood looks really odd, and the scheme would work better with a blue hood. D-

Todd Gilliland #51 Serial 1 E-Bikes Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #38, same A grade.

The Driver Suit Blog-Throwback Thursdays-2023 Throwback Rankings

By David G Firestone

So here are my current rankings for the best throwbacks of 2023. If another throwback comes along, it will be added as such.

1-William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Jeff Gordon’s 1998 Chromalusion Chevy Camaro. A

Even if this doesn’t change colors, this is still a great looking car, and it does take me back! This is another contender for best throwback of the year! A

2-Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Mark Donohue’s 1973 #16 AMC Matador. A

Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES! This is a damn good throwback of a damn good car from a dammed good driver in Mark Donohue! I can’t give this anything less than an A, and this is a top contender for throwback of the year!

3-Brennan Poole #15 Macc Door Systems Throwback Ford Mustang–New sponsor for 2023, based on Bobby Allison’s Hogdon scheme. A

I like the look, it’s very faithfully done, and the car works as a whole. A

4-Erik Jones #43 Allegiant Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Richard Petty’s 1969 STP Dodge. A

Another contender for Best Throwback of the year! A great look that was faithfully reproduced! This gets an A.

5-Erik Jones #43 STP Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Richard Petty’s 1984 Pontiac. A

At the time of writing, this is my favorite throwback so far! This is a great look, and earns an A.

6-Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Ricky Rudd’s 1990 #26 Quaker State Buick. A

This might be one of the most perfect throwback schemes, something which Justin Marks and Trackhouse do very well. Design, color, theme, and sponsor all come together to create another contender for best throwback of the year. A

7-Ty Gibbs #54 Shriners Children’s Throwback Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2023, based on Bobby Labonte’s 1995 #18 NFL Hall of Fame Chevy. A

Yet another contender for best paint scheme of the year! This is amazing, and it really brings me back. A

8-Ty Dillon #77 Honest Charley Speed Shop Throwback Chevy Camaro–New sponsor for 2023, based on Joe Lee Johnson’s 1959 scheme. A

Great look, faithfully replicated, a good look all around. A

9-Michael McDowell #34 Fr8 Auctions Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Mark Martin’s #6 Folgers Coffee Ford Thunderbird. A

Yet another contender for best paint scheme of the year! I loved the old Mark Martin Folgers Coffee scheme from back in the day, and I love this now! This gets an A.

10-Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Dale Jarrett’s 2001 #88 UPS Ford. A

I love Dale Jarrett, and I love a Dale Jarrett Throwback! This gets an A!

11-Corey LaJoie #7 Nations Guard Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Don LaJoie’s old ride. A

A really great look, the vintage look is great, and I can’t not like this! A

12-Chase Elliott #9 LLumar Window Film Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Bill Elliott’s #9 Evernham Dodge. A

Simple, bold, a great look, and the perfectly replicated door numbers all add up to give this scheme an A.

13-Harrison Burton #21 DEX Imaging Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Jeff Burton’s 1998 Exide Ford Tarus. A

Exide Batteries had some good schemes back in the day, and this one is bringing back fond memories. A

14-Todd Gilliland #38 Serial 1 Throwback Ford Mustang–New sponsor for 2023 based on Elton Sawyer’s Barbasol schemes. A

I really miss the old schemes of the 1990’s, this is just another example of a great look. A

15-Ryan Preece #41 United Rentals Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Jeff Preece’s #4 late model scheme. A

It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

16-Brad Keselowski #6 Castrol Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on old Castrol GTX colors. A

I’m getting some serious early 1990’s John Force vibes from this, and I love it! John Force Castrol was ALWAYS a great look!

17-Kevin Harvick #29 Busch Light Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on his 2001 Goodwrench Chevy. A

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This might be one of my favorite throwback schemes EVER! This gets a solid A!

18-Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Foods Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Dale Jr.’s 2001 Budweiser/MLB All-Star Game Chevy. A

I’m kind of shocked this hasn’t been thrown back to more, but it’s still a good solid look. A

19-Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2023, ot a real throwback, but a great look, with vintage numbers, logos and design. A

The vintage logo is a great look, and I love the design, so this gets an A.

20-Chase Briscoe #14 Mahindra Tractors Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Tony Stewart’s 2000 Turkey Time winning Ford. A

This is a look that never gets old, no matter how many times it’s done. A

21-Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2023, based on Matt Kenseth’s #17 DeWalt Ford from 2003. A

I like the look, the car is well designed, and this gets an A.

22-Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on spotter Kevin Hamlin’s 2007 #42 Texaco Havoline Chevy Camaro. A

I never really liked any non plain black Texaco Havoline schemes at the time, but they’ve grown on me, and this is a rather faithful throwback, so this gets an A in my book!

23-Ryan Newman #51 Biohaven/Jacob Co. Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Ryan Newman’s 2002 Mobil 1 scheme. A

Another faithful throwback and one that looks really good. A

24-Noah Gragson #42 Sunseeker Resort Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Jimmie Johnson’s 2014 Coca-Cola 600 winning scheme. A

This was a bold look back then, and it’s a faithful replica now. A

25-Kyle Larson #5 Hendrickcars.com Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Tony Stewart’s 2009 Xfinity Series Hendrickcars.com scheme. A

It’s a great look, very accurate, and the car has a bold look. A

26-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Country Crock Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Dale Jarrett’s 2001 #88 UPS Ford. B+

Where the #1 had more authentic logos, this is not as good, and the grilled cheese sandwich just doesn’t work as well. If this wasn’t a throwback, this would get an A, but the inaccuracies take it to a B+

27-Kevin Harvick #4 Sunny Delight Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Kevin Harvick’s planned AOL Scheme. B+

The colors aren’t accurate, and the brand new Sunny Delight logo is kind of jarring. This gets a B+

28-Martin Truex Jr. #19 Auto Owner’s Insurance Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2023, based on a 2017 scheme. B

While it’s a good look, I don’t see how this scheme is based on 2017. Was it based on Auto Owner’s Insurance, Mattress Row, or Bass Pro Shop? It’s not a real throwback, since those would get solid A’s, but this gets a B.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 13, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express Throwback Chevy Camaro-I love Dale Jarrett, and I love a Dale Jarrett Throwback! This gets an A!

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light #Break4Busch Ford Mustang-The car is a little too cluttered. Getting rid of the corn would take this to at least a B+ if not an A-, but this gets a B.

Brad Keselowski #6 King’s Hawaiian/Guardians of the Galaxy Ford Mustang-I loves me a good fade, and the fade from orange to a space motif looks amazing! A

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Foods Throwback Ford Mustang-I’m kind of shocked this hasn’t been thrown back to more, but it’s still a good solid look. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Dutch Boy Throwback Ford Mustang-That shade of blue and shade of gold works well with the Menard’s colors, and the design scheme works well too. A.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-The red is really pointless here, and the green designs, as well as the shade do NOT look good. This gets a B, since it isn’t too over designed.

Chris Buescher #17 Fastenal Body Guard Ford Mustang-The gray and blue looked great. The gray and orange, not so much. This went from an A- down to a B.

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang-Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES! This is a damn good throwback of a damn good car from a dammed good driver in Mark Donohue! I can’t give this anything less than an A, and this is a top contender for throwback of the year!

Bubba Wallace #23 Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will ALWAYS earn an A.

William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro-Even if this doesn’t change colors, this is still a great looking car, and it does take me back! This is another contender for best throwback of the year! A

Tyler Reddick #45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-For a company with two really good base colors, red and yellow, McDonald’s is really keen on using gray for some reason, and I have to say, it just doesn’t work. McDonald’s should stick to their simple, yet effective and iconic colors. Since this isn’t over designed, this gets a D.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Country Crock Throwback Chevy Camaro-Where the #1 had more authentic logos, this is not as good, and the grilled cheese sandwich just doesn’t work as well. If this wasn’t a throwback, this would get an A, but the inaccuracies take it to a B+

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Throwback Chevy Camaro-I never really liked any non plain black Texaco Havoline schemes at the time, but they’ve grown on me, and this is a rather faithful throwback, so this gets an A in my book!

BJ McLeod #78 Camden Medical Center Chevy Camaro-A good color scheme combined with a mediocre design scheme will earn a C.

Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Throwback Chevy Camaro-This might be one of the most perfect throwback schemes, something which Justin Marks and Trackhouse do very well. Design, color, theme, and sponsor all come together to create another contender for best throwback of the year. A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 6, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Austin Cindric #2 Menards/Great Stuff Ford Mustang-Same scheme as Richmond, same A grade.

Kevin Harvick #4 Hunt Brothers/Realtree Ford Mustang-The black works well with the camo, the green, not so much. The good and bad cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Corey LaJoie #7 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Brennan Poole #15 Millennium Jet Card Ford Mustang-A good color scheme with a bad design color scheme gets a C

Christopher Bell #20 Mac Tools Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Throwback Toyota Camry-I like the look, the car is well designed, and this gets an A.

Justin Haley #31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Justin Haley #31 LeafFilter Gutter Protection/World Autism Month Chevy Camaro-The way the puzzle pieces are forced looks really odd, and it takes the scheme down to a C.

Michael McDowell #34 A&W Root Beer Float Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Todd Gilliland #36 Gener8tor Skills Accelerator Ford Mustang-Simple, bold, and perfect, this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #41 Mohawk Northeast Ford Mustang-I like the color scheme here, but the car is a tad too over designed. This gets a B+

Erik Jones #43 STP Chevy Camaro-At the time of writing, this is my favorite throwback so far! This is a great look, and earns an A.

Tyler Reddick #45 Ronald McDonald House Toyota Camry-Get rid of the black rear, and this scheme will get a solid A, this gets an A-.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Icy Hot Chevy Camaro-The shades of blue work well, and the design is great, so this gets an A.

Daniel Suarez #99 Pitbull/Freeway Insurance Chevy Camaro-The new look isn’t great, and I think that the car is over designed, so this gets a D.