Tag: NASCAR Cup Series

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 22, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Reliant/Verkada Chevy Camaro-I would like this scheme more if it was just the fade, but the rest of this takes the design from an A to a C-.

Kurt Busch #1 Yorktel/Caregility Chevy Camaro-Fades are awesome, pastel colors aren’t and the stripes just don’t work. B-

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Wurth/UTI Thanks 2 Teachers Ford Mustang-It’s a bold look, it isn’t over designed, and it has a great color scheme. A

Austin Dillon #3 Huk Performance Fishing Chevy Camaro-I like this. The water motif works well, as does the white net. A

Ryan Newman #6 Planters Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, and the color scheme is great, so this gets an A.

Corey LaJoie #7 Drydene Performance Products Chevy Camaro-I think that the red is over designed a bit, but since that is my only complaint, this gets an A-.

Tyler Reddick #8 CAT Linkage Pins Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme and hood stripes. I hate the side designs and sublimated designs. All things considered, this gets a C.

Tyler Reddick #8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This is a great scheme, I like the designs, and it works. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Cardell Cabinetry Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #34 Revolve Finance Ford Mustang-I like this, it’s a great look, and it has a great color scheme. A

Ryan Preece #37 Thomas English Muffins and Bagels Chevy Camaro-You can do a lot worse than orange, and the car has a good design. A

Cole Custer #41 HaasTooling.com Mother’s Day Ford Mustang-Silver with red flowers works well, and this is a very well-designed car. A

Ross Chastain #42 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look, it isn’t over designed, and it looks great. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Bush’s Best/Kroger Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #37, same F grade.

Josh Bilicki #52 RBR Aviation Ford Mustang-Another smooth look with a great color scheme. A

Josh Bilicki #52 BullShooter.com Ford Mustang-The shade of yellow doesn’t work too well, and the sides are a bit over designed. B-

Garrett Smithley #53 Smart Sanitizer Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #15, same A- grade.

Garrett Smithley #53 Fat Boy Ice Cream Chevy Camaro-The stripes and stars are pointless, and they take an A scheme down to a B.

Garrett Smithley #53 Rich Mar Florist Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Kyle Tilley #78 Battle Associates/Bremont Chronometers Ford Mustang-The stripes are gaudy, and are way too over done

B.J. McLeod #78 Solomon Plumbing/Da-Quick Clip Ford Mustang-Great color scheme plus awful design scheme equals C grade.

Daniel Suarez #99 ONX Homes/iFly Chevy Camaro-Not a bad scheme, but the red stripes are over done, and the white stripes on the sides are pointless. B+

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 15, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Bos Klein/RCA Throwback Chevy Camaro-I liked the RCA Ford back in the day, and this is a very faithful replica. A

Austin Dilon #3 Bass Pro Shops Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a really good and faithful throwback, and I really like the throwback logos. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Throwback Ford Mustang-I liked the white version of the Goodwrench scheme, and this is pretty faithful. I will say the black and silver one was better though. A

Ryan Newman #6 Kohler Generators Throwback Ford Mustang-This is kinda odd looking, especially since I wasn’t able to find an image of the car itself. Still, it isn’t bad, so I’ll give it a B.

Corey LaJoie #7 Zerex Chevy Camaro-This might be the most faithful throwback I have ever seen! I loved the old Zerex scheme, and this is a great look. A

Tyler Reddick #8 Quartz Hill Records Throwback Chevy Camaro-Pink and yellow isn’t the best combination,but this is a pretty decent throwback, so I give this an A.

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Throwback Ford Mustang-I’m going to knock this one down because I hated the original. I loved the classic black Winn-Dixie scheme, but the flames one is awful. Still, it’s a faithful throwback, so I’ll give it a B.

Ryan Blaney #12 Advance Auto Parts Throwback Ford Mustang-This was a mediocre scheme to begin with, but the dimensions here just look odd. But it is faithful, so I’ll give it a B.

Chase Briscoe #14 Highpoint Throwback Ford Mustang-A.J. had some great schemes in NASCAR, and this is one of them. This is a great look, and it gets an A.

James Davison #15 HOPEGIVERS Throwback Chevy Camaro-This was an awesome scheme back in the day. Silver and red work well when done right. This is also a faithful throwback, so this gets an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Root Insurance Throwback Toyota Camry-You can’t go wrong with a Wendell Scott throwback, and this is another example. I also like the throwback Dr. Pepper and McDonald’s logos. A

Michael McDowell #34 Fr8 Auctions Throwback Ford Mustang-Often imitated, the Bill Elliott Coors scheme is a great one, and this might be the best and most faithful one yet. A

Anthony Alfredo #38 We Care/Fr8 Auctions Throwback Ford Mustang-I never got to see the Hardee’s scheme on track, but it was original. This is an awesome and faithful throwback, and it gets an A.

Ross Chastain #42 McDonald’s Throwback Chevy Camaro-The fact that the white square is missing takes away from the scheme as a whole. It isn’t as faithful, and, as such, will get an A-.

Erik Jones #43 STP Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is another contender for the most faithful throwback I’ve ever seen. Everything is perfect here, even that stupid yellow stripe. A

Cody Ware #51 Nurtec ODT Throwback Chevy Camaro-It’s a good attempt, but the incorrect and rather gaudy colors take away from what could have been an amazing throwback. This gets a B.

BJ McLeod #78 CorvetteParts.net/Keen Parts Ford Mustang-It’s a solid scheme, is very faithful, and looks really good. A

Daniel Suarez #99 Camping World Throwback Toyota Camry-This is one that, while it looks good, I don’t get. It’s clearly inspired by 1969-1970’s designs, but if it is there to commemorate Camping World’s 55th anniversary, it should look like it is from 1966. It’s not bad, I just don’t get it, so I’ll give it a B.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 8, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Verizon Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #33, A same grade.

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light For The Farmers Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #last year, same A same grade.

Kyle Larson #5 Hendrickcars.com Throwback Chevy Camaro-It’s faithful, and it’s well done, so I’ll give it an A.

Ryan Newman #6 Hy-Vee Ford Mustang-Changing the design really didn’t change the grade. It still gets a B.

Corey LaJoie #7 Nations Guard Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2021, same as #77. D

Same scheme as #77, D same grade.

Tyler Reddick #8 Childress Vineyards Chevy Camaro-Changing the design really didn’t change the grade. It still gets a C.

Tyler Reddick #8 Childress Vineyards Chevy Camaro-I like this smooth and bold look. This is a great look, and it gets an A.

Joey Gase #15 ExploreBranson.com Chevy Camaro-This is a decent scheme, with a good color scheme, so this gets a B.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’S MIX Toyota Camry-I don’t think the three themes work together, and I think they clash somewhat. Still, it’s not terrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

Martin Truex Jr. #19 Auto Owner’s Insurance Throwback Toyota Camry-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menards/Dickies Ford Mustang-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Dr Pepper Zero Sugar Toyota Camry-This is a great look, with a great color scheme, and it gets the A it deserves.

William Byron #24 Valvoline Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a great throwback, and I like it. This is amazing, and gets an A.

Austin Cindric #33 Money Lion Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #2, A same grade.

Michael McDowell #34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang-This is a big improvement over last year. It’s a smoother look, much cleaner, and the lack of orange works. A

Ryan Preece #37 Nature Valley Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme, and the paint brush motif works, so this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #37 Velveeta Throwback Chevy Camaro-I like the look here. The Velveeta as flames works, and the throwback is pretty faithful, so this gets an A.

Erik Jones #43 The Lonely Entrepreneur Chevy Camaro-The color scheme is good, but getting rid of the teal would work better. Toning down the designs a bit would help too. C

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Energizer Chevy Camaro-Another example of a new scheme which doesn’t make improve at all. This is the same scheme as the other Energizer scheme. C

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Tide Throwback Chevy Camaro-Not a full throwback, but a good look. The fade works well, and this is amazing. A

Justin Haley #77 NASCAR Trucks at Knoxville Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #7, C same grade.

Justin Haley #77 Fraternal Order of Eagles Throwback Chevy Camaro-It’s a faithful throwback, and I like the old Jasper schemes, so this gets an A.

BJ McLeod #78 Celsius Chevy Camaro-The orange front works, and the rest of the car looks great. A

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-May 1, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Permatex Chevy Camaro-New look, same grade. Switching the orange and blue really doesn’t make the scheme better or worse, so it gets the same A- it got last year.

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Dog Brew Ford Mustang-I like the color scheme, and the forest and dog motif works well. A

Ryan Newman #6 Castrol Ford Mustang-It’s an improvement, but it still is over designed, just not as much. C

Corey LaJoie #7 Fox Nation Chevy Camaro-I like a good American flag motif, and this works very well, and I have no complaints. A

Tyler Reddick #8 Roland Chevy Camaro-It’s very rare I can’t decide which scheme I hate more, last year’s scheme or this year’s. This year’s scheme might be the worse of the two, either way, it gets an F.

Denny Hamlin #11 SportClips Throwback Toyota Camry-It’s a nice throwback, very faithful and it looks great. A

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

Kaz Grala #16 Hyperice Chevrolet Chevy Camaro-I think the silver is pointless, and it’s visually distracting. It takes an A- scheme down to a B+.

Chris Buescher #17 AutoTempest Ford Mustang-I like the great color scheme, but I think the car is over designed. All things considered, this gets a C.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s 80s Anniversary Toyota Camry-I like this scheme a lot more, as it’s smoother, and I really like the plain black numbers. A

Ryan Preece #37 Kroger/Reese’s Chevy Camaro-This template sucks even when color coordinated. With the Reese’s clashing, this goes from a C to a D-

Ross Chastain #42 Caregility/Yorktel Chevy Camaro-Get rid of the stripes, and this is an A scheme. With the stripes, This gets a B+

Erik Jones #43 Tuskegee Airmen Tribute Chevy Camaro-This is an amazing scheme! It has a great look, and color scheme, so it gets an A.

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. #47 NOS Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Throwback Chevy Camaro-I like the look, and it’s a great throwback. A

Matt Mills #55 Siebert Electric Ford Mustang-I like the look, and color scheme, and it gets an A.

Justin Haley #77 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

BJ McLeod #78 Long-Lewis Ford Ford Mustang-This reminds me of the #21 Motorcraft Mustang, and that’s a good thing! This is a great scheme, and it gets an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 24, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Kurt Busch #1 Tubi TV Chevy Camaro-That black Monster energy logo takes away from the entire scheme, taking it from a C to a D. It’s awful, and is pointless.

Austin Dillon #3 Andy’s Frozen Custard Chevy Camaro-My only complaint here is that the yellow side panels are pointless, other than that, this is a solid scheme. A-

Austin Dillon #3 Team Chevrolet Chevy Camaro-I think this is somewhat over designed, and I think that the scheme could be toned down. The color scheme is good, and all things considered, this isn’t bad. C

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Mayer Bacon Ford Mustang-Could someone explain to me why there is a mustard motif on a bacon-themed car? Why? It makes no sense, and is just confusing. Still, it’s not bad, so I’ll give it a B.

Tyler Reddick #8 Cat #WhatPowersYou Chevy Camaro-This could be a better scheme, but there is much to much going on. It’s clunky and confusing, with three different motifs. They would work better alone, but together, this gets a C

Chase Briscoe #14 Global Mustang Week Ford Mustang-I was kind of hoping this would be painted like a vintage Mustang, but this is still an awesome scheme, and it isn’t over designed. A

Jennifer Jo Cobb #15 Arrowhead Brass Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the side designs would boost this to an A for sure. With the side designs, this gets a C.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Red Nose Day Toyota Camry-Same scheme as 2019, same A grade.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menard’s/Libman Ford Mustang-Same scheme #12, same B grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Root Insurance Toyota Camry-The red over black is so much better than black over red. This took a great scheme, and made it even better. A

Ryan Preece #37 Maxwell House Chevy Camaro-This scheme is not great, but compared to the camouflage nightmare that was last years, Maxwell House scheme, this is great. All things considered, this gets a C.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Nature Valley Chevy Camaro-This template sucks even when color coordinated. With the Nature Valley clashing, this goes from a C to a D-

Josh Bilicki #52 Insurance King Throwback Ford Mustang-A unique and very faithful throwback will ALWAYS earn an A.

Harrison Burton #96 Dex Imaging Toyota Camry-It’s a great color scheme, mixed with an awful design scheme, which will always earn a C.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-April 10, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Ryan Newman #6 ITsavvy Ford Mustang-I like the color scheme here, and the design scheme works well too. This gets an A.]

Chase Elliott #9 Hooters Throwback Chevy Camaro-I like a faithful throwback, and this is a great looking faithful throwback. It’s almost perfect, it’s just not on a Ford. A

Josh Bilicki #52 Junction Fuels Ford Mustang-Removing the fade and checkered flag motif takes this B scheme up to an A.

JJ Yeley #53 Jacob Companies Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #53, same B grade.

Mike Marlar #66 Auto Parts For Less Toyota Camry-I love the color scheme, but I hate the design scheme. The two cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 3, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 #BuschDirtCar Ford Mustang-The dirt motif works well here, and I think the car has a unique and cool look. A

Kyle Larson #5 Freightliner Chevy Camaro-Black and silver work well with this template. The car looks great, and earns an A

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Mayer Cold Cuts Ford Mustang-I like the fade, and the mustard motif works very well. A

Corey LaJoie #7 NASCAR Trucks at Knoxville Chevy Camaro-This would be a solid A, without the sublimated designs, and black on the side. With these aspects, this gets a C.

Ryan Blaney #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same D grade.

James Davison #15 Chevy Camaro-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menards/Quaker State Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #37 Bush’s Best/Kroger Chevy Camaro-It’s an ugly, over designed mess. This is awful, I hate it, and it gets an F.

Josh Bilicki #52 Insurance King Ford Mustang-It’s a bold, and unique look, that isn’t over designed. This gets an A.

Joey Gase #53 Donate Life Georgia Chevy Camaro-It’s a decent design scheme ruined by a mediocre color scheme. If this was red, black and yellow, it would work better. This scheme gets a C.

Timmy Hill #66 Supreme Transportation Toyota Camry-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ty Dillon #96 Bass Pro Shops/Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota Camry-There is simply too much going on here for this to be good. It’s ugly, over designed, and just looks horrible. F

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 27, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Corey LaJoie #7 NFL Alumni Association/Folds of Honor Chevy Camaro-This is just a mediocre scheme, not much worth noting. The color scheme is OK, as is the design. C

Kyle Busch #18 M&Ms Messages Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Christopher Bell #20 Sirius/XM Toyota Camry-The newer, cleaner design is a much needed improvement over last year’s design. Add in a great color scheme, and you have an A scheme.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menards/Maytag Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Cindric #33 Pirtek Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Ryan Preece #37 Planters Chevy CamaroThe white and yellow designs are a major downgrade from last year. It’s still a decent scheme, so I’ll give it a B

Anthony Alfredo #38 Georgia Peanut Commission Ford Mustang-I’m not really into peanuts, but this scheme looks great! The peanut motif works, and the color scheme is great. A

Timmy Hill #66 Supreme Transportation Group Toyota Camry-The only good thing about this is that I like the shades of blue and silver. Other than that, this is a terrible scheme. The stripes of over designed, and the orange doesn’t work. D

Stewart Friesen #77 Halmar International Chevy Camaro-Another example of a great color scheme with a bad design scheme. They cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Shane Golobic #78 Elk Grove Ford/NOS Energy Drink Ford Mustang-Even with a decent color scheme, the car is so over designed, that I can’t give this anything higher than an F.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 20, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Mount-N-Lock Chevy Camaro-I really like the mountain motif here, and the gray-scale color scheme works well. This gets an A in my book.

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy Johns Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Tyler Reddick #8 ALSCO Uniforms Chevy Camaro-This is a great look, especially when compared to last year’s scheme. This gets an A.

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

James Davison #15 Smart Sanitizer Chevy Camaro-My only complaint is that the designs on the blue are pointless. Other than that, this is a solid scheme. A

Chris Buescher #17 Roush Performance Stage 3 Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kyle Busch #18 Stanley Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #20, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 McDonalds Toyota Camry-I think the white is bad, and the diagonal logos are awful. Still, it’s a solid scheme, so it gets a B.

Ryan Preece #37 Scotts Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same D grade.

Anthony Alfredo #38 MDS Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Ross Chastain #42 Tubi TV Chevy Camaro-This is a good design scheme, counter-acted with a bad design scheme. The two cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Energizer Chevy Camaro-This template is a solid C, even with matching sponsors.

Josh Bilicki #52 Junction Fuels Ford Mustang-I normally don’t say this, but get rid of the fade at the rear. Also, the checkered flag motif needs to go. Other than that, this isn’t bad, so it gets a B.

Garrett Smithley #53 Turf Sellers Chevy Camaro-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

The Driver Suit Blog-Paint Scheme Grades-March 6, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 8 Ball Whiskey Chevy Camaro-Three stripes look awkward, and the color stripes on the sides don’t look good. Other than that, this is a good scheme. B+

Corey LaJore #7 Marwin Sports Chevy Camaro-I like the design scheme, but I hate the color scheme. The good and the bad cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Chase Elliott #9 Aftershoc Performance Energy Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest Toyota Camry-My only complaint here is that the design on the front is pointless. Other than that, this is a great scheme. A-

Chris Windom #15 NOS Chevy Camaro-I like the design here, the orange stripes work, and the whole car works. A

James Davison #15 Signing Day Sports Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

James Davison #15 Chevy Camaro-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Fudge Brownie Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menards/Moen Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Ryan Preece #37 Slim Jim Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ross Chastain #42 Chevrolet Accessories Chevy Camaro-An ugly, over designed mess, with a bad color scheme will ALWAYS earn an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Cottonelle Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #37, same C grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Tide Chevy Camaro-The front looks great, it’s a smooth look with a great color scheme. The rear looks awful, with a bad color scheme. They cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Garrett Smithley #53 Rich Mar Florist Chevy Camaro-An ugly, over designed mess, with a bad color scheme will ALWAYS earn an F.

Timmy Hill #66 CrashClaimsR.us Toyota Camry-I like the smooth look the car has, and the color scheme works well. Nothing wrong here. A

Justin Haley #77 Diamond Creek Water Chevy Camaro-I think the stripes aren’t good, especially with blue stripes on a blue background. I will say that the car is decently designed, so I’ll give this a B.

BJ McLeod #78 Traxion.gg/Motorsport Games Ford Mustang-An ugly, over designed mess, with a bad color scheme will ALWAYS earn an F.

Daniel Suarez #99 Camping World Toyota Camry-I HATE the shade of green used here, but the car does have a great look. B