Paint Scheme Tracker-January 6, 2016

By David G. Firestone

CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #1

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

TEAM PENSKE #2

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

Brad Keselowski #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion–No Change. A+

Brad Keselowski #2 Wurth Ford Fusion–No Change. A+

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #3

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

Austin Dillon #3 Cheerios Chevy SS–No change. A+

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Chevy SS–No change. A-

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 SS–No change. A+

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

Kevin Harvick #4 Ditech Chevy SS–No change. A+

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #5

Kasey Kahne #5 Farmers Insurance Chevy SS–No Change. C+

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips Chevy SS–No Change. D+

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

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

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+

JOE GIBBS RACING #11

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

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

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

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

GERMAIN RACING #13

Casey Mears #13 Geico Chevy SS–New scheme for 2016, much more subdued version of the 2015 scheme. A+

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

STEWART-HAAS RACING #14

Tony Stewart #14 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+

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

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

HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #15

Clint Bowyer #15 Five-Hour Energy Chevy SS–New 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 SS–New scheme for 2015, Blue with white geometrical designs on side. A+

ROUSH-FEWNAY RACING #16

Greg Bffle #16 Cheez-its Ford Fusion–New 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+

JOE GIBBS RACING #18

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

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Toyota Camry–No Change. A+

JOE GIBBS RACING #19

Carl Edwards #19 Stanley Toyota Camry–No Change. B+

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

JOE GIBBS RACING #20

Matt Kenseth #20 Dollar General Toytota Camry–Slight redesign for 2016, black stripe across bottom now gone. A+

Matt Kenseth #20 DeWalt USA Toyota Camry–No Change. A+

TEAM PENSKE #22

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion–No change D

Joey Logano #22 AAA Ford Fusion–No Change. D

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 SS–New scheme for 2015, black and white replaces silver, extra geometrical designs on sides. B+

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #27

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

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #31

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

Ryan Newman #31 Granger Chevy SS–No change. B +

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 SS–New 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+

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #43

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

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #48

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

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

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

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78

Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry–Other than the switch from Chevy to Toyota, there are no major changes. 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 SS–New 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+

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My Thoughts on 2016

By David G. Firestone

I think that we can all agree that vacations rule…and it sucks when they end. Well, I have come to the end of my winter sabbatical. Well, it’s 2016, the holiday season is over, and I’ve got back into the grind. I’m coming back to The Driver Suit Blog with a slightly new setup. I’ve moved the videos to Mondays, which will start in March. The other major change will be Throwback Thursdays are coming back.

Videos will be on Monday, because I NEVER post articles on Monday, and at least there will be something. I’ve got a great set of videos ready for 2016. They cover a lot of items, many I have already talked about, some I haven’t. I’m looking forward to them, and I like the way they turned out.

I’m also proud to announce that Throwback Thursday has returned! I’ve decided that I wanted to do something, and I thought that I should use the way I grade paint schemes. So, starting this Thursday, I will feature a vintage car design and describe what I like and don’t like about the paint scheme in question. I will also discuss design aspects of the car I notice. I’ve done a number of them already, and I like what they come out.

The Tracker will still be on Wednesday, the Friday Feature will stay as is, and the Grades will still be on Saturday. The only day that will be free will be Sunday, because I want my readers to watch the races, rather than read my blog. I’ve got six days worth of stuff every week. I’m really excited for 2016.

I’m also implementing a new rule for comments. From here on out, I would prefer that if you comment, please use a real name. I HATE people who make up fake names to comment on web pages. Look at everything I’ve done on The Driver Suit Blog. Everything I have done, the first line of text has always been “By David G. Firestone.” If you only want to use a first name, I have no problem with that, but I reserve the right to deny a comment if it’s an obviously fake name. I don’t care if you disagree with me, just own up to it.

I’m really looking forward to 2016, it’s gonna be a great year, I have a lot of things planned. Stay Tuned!

Currency and Us Part 1-Coins and Their History

By David G. Firestone

I wanted to start 2016, and celebrate my 34^th birthday with a project I have been working on for a while. Money really is the great equalizer. Every human being on the planet wants as much of it as possible. We work jobs we hate in order to get it, and we spend it as we see fit. While we mainly spend it on things we need to live, food, shelter, and clothing, we do spend it on things that make us happy.

I find it amazing that most people know so little about one of the most important objects in the world. For a lot of us, our pocket change can be useful, but if you knew the history about it, and how it was made, they would be awestruck.

Metallic coins really started with the human desire for gold. While the earliest known coins date back to around the 8th and 7th centuries BCE, gold has been used since 600 BCE for monetary purposes. Today, gold is still a part of global currency, but most gold mined is used for other applications, such as jewelry, electronics, medicine, commercial chemistry, and other industrial uses.

Gold is also a status symbol. Gold medals, and trophies are symbols of victory and achievement. Gold used in jewelry is symbolic of wealth and success. Gold in and of itself is seen as both a form of good and evil. One of James Bond’s most well known foes was Auric Goldfinger, who spent his entire life trying to acquire as much gold as possible.

I happen to have some pure gold in my possession. I have .61 grams of gold in the form of three small ingots. Two of them, weighing .1 grams and .01 grams respectively are from NZP Gold, a smelting plant in Turkey. The third one, weighing .5 grams comes from Istanbul Gold Refinery, also in Turkey.

Coins started their lives as a way to simplify the use of gold as currency. Coins were originally made by using molds and metal. The blank was made using bars of metal, which was hammered out on anvils. Then the blank, which is known as a “planchet” was then heated up, placed between the two molds, and hammered. This was a less than precise method, and since the mold had to be hammered by hand, the design would vary. These examples of medieval coins are examples of that process.

As time went on, the process improved. Dies replaced the molds. The die process is similar in theory to the mold process, but there is a lot more quality control involved. Dies are cast from a master die. The design for the master die is drawn on paper, and then hand carved in clay then plaster by an engraving expert, in a much larger size than the coin will be. That is then coated in expoxy, which takes 18 hours to set and cure, then it is placed in a machine that is called a “reducing lathe” which spins the design around while transferring every minute detail from the large epoxy mold to a coin-sized die. This die is called “the reduction hub” and is used to make the master die.

When the master die is made, the reduction hub is placed into a machine with a cone-shaped piece of metal. The machine presses the hub into the cone, creating the master die. This master die is used to make “working hubs” which are used in the die press. Dies have the image of the coin reversed, so they come out properly in the minting process. Planchets come about from 1,500 foot rolls of prefabricated metal, which has the correct mixing of metals. The planchets are punched out, and the waste metal is recycled. These are two examples of modern planchets, one is a quarter, one is a dime.

After they are washed and cleaned, the coins go through an “upsetting mill” which uses a large spinning disk to move the planchet through a groove which grows narrower and narrower. This adds a raised edge to the coin, higher than the design, which is called a “relief.” This is done to protect the relief. Then the planchet, with the raised edge heads to the press, where a die set is waiting. The coin press can stamp out 750 coins a minute, or 12.5 coins a second! One die is the “hammer” which moves back and forth during the stamping process, and the other is called the “anvil” and is stationary.

After the coin is struck, mint technicians examine a sample from the batch. If there are die errors, or other forms of damage, the lot it scrapped, the metal recycled, and a new hub is brought in. This is done for several reasons. The mint takes pride in their work, but the main reason is that new vending machines have scanners that scan coins as they are inserted. Errors of any kind mean that the scanner will reject the coin as it sees it as fake.

Interestingly, the US Mint doesn’t simply throw away used coin dies. They realize that there is a huge demand for coin dies. The relief is removed from the die, and destroyed. The end result is packaged with one of the coins it minted, and sold in sets to collectors, such as this example here.

This set comes from the Philadelphia Mint, and the die, this one #P6-122687 was used from February 14, 2006 to February 16, 2006, and was used to strike 286,000 Nevada P quarters. The relief has been removed, and the Brilliant Uncirculated Nevada P Quarter it comes with is one of the 286,000 quarters it minted.

The has obviously had the relief removed. This is not a minor issue, as there are a lot of counterfeiters out there, who want to make money the illegal way, rather than earn it. This also goes back to the Canadian Voyager Die incident. In 1986, the Royal Canadian Mint shipped both sets of master dies from Ottowa to Winnepeg. In the following investigation, it was discovered that the Royal Canadian Mint had no set procedure for shipping dies, and in a bid to save $43.50 Canadian. This disastrous decision forced the Mint to come up with a new design, due to the very real fears of counterfeiting, and as such, the Loonie was chosen as the new design for the dollar coin.

While it is impossible to get a die used in a monetary coin, medallion dies are easier to get. While some dies are clearly canceled, others, such as these three examples, still have the reverse image present. These two small dies were used to make a small “B.T.” token, slightly bigger than a nickel. The accompanying token is a fit to the mold. This second die is from a 1960’s Wildwood Medallic Arts Wildlife series medallion. This is from the 3rd medal in the series, this is the Grizzly Bear die from the Grizzly Bear/Golden Eagle Medallion. The relief is just under 1.5 inches across, and is in perfect condition, having no evidence of cancellation. The detail in it is amazing.

Next week, I will discuss bank note design. Until then, here is a video showing the dies pressed into soft clay.

Paint Schem Grades-January 2, 2016

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/Beechcraft Chevy SS-The color scheme is good, but the design scheme needs work. I think the stripes should be toned down. Still, it’s not a terrible scheme, certainly worth a B+.

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year same A+ grade.

Brad Keselowski #2 Wurth Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year same A+ grade.

Brad Keselowski #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion– Same scheme as last year same A+ grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Chevy SS-Same basic scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Cheerios Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Kasey Kahne #5 Farmers Insurance Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same C+ grade.

Kasey Kahne #5 Great Clips Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same D+ grade.

Kasey Kahne #5 Liftmaster Chevy SS-When I heard that Liftmaster had a new scheme for 2016, I thought there would be some improvement. Sadly what we got could at best be described as “rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.” It’s still a cluttered mess, just a different kind of cluttered mess. I’ll give it a C

Alex Bowman #7 Road Rippers Chevy SS-Whenever I have to sum up a paint scheme by saying it’s a professionally designed scheme that looks like it was designed by a 5 year-old boy, it will earn an F.

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Pride Pumpkin Spice Chevy SS-It’s the same basic scheme as Nature’s Pride, and like Nature’s Pride, it has a good look, and a good color scheme. A+

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry–Same scheme as last year, though with a slight redesign, same A+ grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry–Same scheme as last year, though with a slight redesign, same A+ grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry– Same scheme as last year, though with a slight redesign, same A+ grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, though with a slight redesign, same A+ grade.

Tony Stewart #14 Mobil 1 Chevy SS-It appears that Bass Pro Shops will not be back with Stewart Haas in 2016, so Mobil 1 will have a stand along scheme. The Pegasus wing is bold design, but it works quite well, and looks very good. Add in a great color scheme, and this scheme earns an A+.

Tony Stewart #14 Code 3 Associates/Mobil 1 Chevy SS–Same scheme as last year, though with a slight redesign, same A+ grade.

Tony Stewart #14 Rush Truck Stops/Mobil 1 Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, though with a slight redesign, same A+ grade.

Greg Bffle #16 Cheez-its Ford Fusion-I like what Cheez-It’s has done here. The look is still good, and the wider stripe doesn’t take away from it at all. A+

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy SS-Same basic scheme as last year, same A- grade.F

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Carl Edwards #19 Stanley Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year same B+ grade.

Carl Edwards #19 Stanley Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year same A grade.

Matt Kenseth #20 Dollar General Toytota Camry-Removing the black stripe at the very bottom looks so much better. I wish I could give it a higher grade. A+

Matt Kenseth #20 DeWalt USA Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Chase Elliott #24 3M Chevy SS-The color scheme works very well, but the needless design on the sides isn’t a good look. Still, the car is as a whole is decent, and I’ll give it a B+

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Moen Chevy SS-If this is the route that Moen would take with the car, I would have preferred that the car be black, with yellow stripes, instead of the black front/yellow rear. It looks like two different people designed the car. The Menard’s template normally looks good, but I can’t stand this. I’ll give it a B-

Ryan Newman #31 Cat Chevy SS–Same basic scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Ryan Newman #31 Granger Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same B + grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Energy Chevy SS– Same scheme as last year same A+ grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation Chevy SS-A great fade, a great color scheme, and a great design will earn an A+.

Aric Almirola #43 Smithfield Ford Fusion– The red roof number looks much better than the yellow one, and it takes a B+ grade up to an A-.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Chevy SS– Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Chevy SS– Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation/Monster Energy Chevy SS–A great fade, a great color scheme, and a great design will earn an A+.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Axalta Chevy SS-Bold move going with a vertical fade. Axalta’s first car not driven by Jeff Gordon has a bold look for sure, and it has a good look. The color scheme is great, and the design looks great. A+

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2015 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 4-The Grand Finale

By David G. Firestone

The Executive Paint Scheme Ranking Committee has had our final meeting. While I made the decisions, Alejandro slept on my lap and occasionally woke up and purred. All 49 teams are having their paint schemes ranked this week, so here we go:

1-FURNITURE ROW RACING #78 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:4^thof 55-Black matte with orange numbers works. The ovarian cancer theme is very justifiable, as Truex’s wife is dealing with ovarian cancer. The #78 has earned the top spot.

2-FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #35 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:28^th of 55-Front Row’s new team started their existence with a slew of great schemes. All of them are smooth, simple and great.

3-RAB RACING #29 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:16^th of 55-Only one scheme, and it was a great one!

4-WOOD BROTHERS RACING #21 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:1^st of 55 I thought that the Snap On memories scheme wasn’t as good as it could be,but other than that, The Wood Brothers had a great season.

5-JTG DAUGHTERY RACING #47 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year: 15^thof 55-A lot of great looks, but Bush’s kept them out of the top five in The Leaderboard.

6-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year: 36th of 55-Jeff’s last season in NASCAR was one of his best looking. The Penn State Scheme kept Jeff from taking the top spot, but a solid season nonetheless.

7-STEWART-HAAS RACING #4 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:5^th of 55-Kevin had a great season, though the disaster that is Hunt Brothers Pizza dragged his ranking from 2^nd, possibly first to Fourth in the Chevy Leaderboard.

8-JOE GIBBS RACING #11 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:24^th of 55-Four brand new, amazing FedEx schemes, a mediocre SportClips scheme, and one mediocre SportClips throwback scheme.

9-JOE GIBBS RACING #20 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:33^rd of 55-SportClips didn’t do the really good set of schemes any favors.

10-PHIL PARSONS RACING/PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #98-Rank Last Year:31^st of 55-Due to the midseason switch, the #98 will be ranked in Chevy, Ford AND Toyota. Ran a lot of good schemes, except the Xyience scheme, and the modified scheme with sponsors.

11-TEAM PENSKE #2 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:6^th of 55 Detroit Gasket drags down what could easily have been the top pick for 2015. Other than that, no complaints.

12-MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING #15 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:44^th of 55-I was much too harsh on the 15 last year, and looking at the schemes this year, they are all defendable. I did give extra credit for the hand-painted Buddy Baker scheme.

13-PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #62-Rank Last Year:N/A-Due to the midseason switch, the #98 will be ranked in Chevy, and Ford-A lot of solid schemes, though Vydrox and Low T Central were a bit too much.

14-FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #38 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:32^nd of 55 While there weren’t a lot of new schemes, the new ones, as well as the camo schemes were not great.

15-LEVINE FAMILY RACING #95 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:13^th of 55-Another top contender ruined by one scheme, this one Larry the Lobster. Other than Larry, the schemes are great.

16-FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #34 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:20^th of 55-Front Row uses a template that usually works well, but modifying for Bully Hill didn’t work, and no escape was a disaster.

17-MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING #55 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:3^rd of 55-New Aaron’s scheme isn’t that great. The Throwback is amazing!

18-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #25 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:N/A-Chase Elliott, who is taking over for Jeff Gordon in 2016, used the #25 to get some Cup experience. The NAPA scheme by itself is not bad, but the fauxback Bill Elliott scheme is a disaster.

19-CIRCLE SPORT RACING #33 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:38^th of 55-Science Logic and Pinkwashing derailed what was otherwise a great looking year for Circle Sport.

20-RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #43 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:11^th of 55-The Nathan’s color scheme does not work well with the Petty color scheme, and the Fresh From Florida scheme is awful. The majority of schemes are good though.

21-TMG RACING #30 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:N/A-Smokey Mountain Snuff is awful, plain car with no sponsor is great.

22-JOE GIBBS RACING #19 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:N/A-Nothing really horrible here, though there are many mediocre schemes here.

23-HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #51 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:30^th of 55-If the car is running a Brandt scheme it looks good, anything else looks terrible.

24-HILLMAN-SMITH MOTORSPORTS #40 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:27^thof 55-The schemes were all over the place this year, but this team has had a lot of good looks.

25-CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #42 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:18^thof 55-The plaid, Energizer, camo and Clorox sank them this season, otherwise they looked really good.

26-RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #27 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:36^thof 55-Part of the problem of using a template is that it can backfire on you, and that is exactly what has happened here. The Menard’s template works well with some color schemes, but terribly with others. The Pittsburgh Paints scheme is horrible by itself.

27-RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #33 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:38^th of 55-White Tail Lodge, Spongebob, and Kraft dragged down an otherwise great season.

28-HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #46 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:N/A-A lot of good schemes and a lot of bad schemes is the story of the #46 season.

29-BK RACING #83 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:25^th of 55-Many new schemes and sponsors, and they were all over the place. When taking everything into account, I can say that they aren’t horrible.

30-BK RACING #23 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:8^th of 55-VooDoo, Overture, and Pinkwashing take a decent grade down to a mediocre grade. Otherwise there is a lot of decent schemes here.

31-RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #3 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:49^th of 55-Some great schemes, but the bad schemes dragged down the final grade.

32-ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #16 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:54^th of 55-3M leaving was the best thing that happened to Greg Biffle, especially on this list, though Pinkwashing, Safety Kleen, and Jardiance do drag it down.

33-ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #17 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:35^th of 55-Zest and EcoBoost are awful, and dragged Ricky out of a top spot.

34-ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #6 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:10^th of 55-Camo and Pinkwashing kill a great rank, including one of my favorite throwbacks outside of Jeff Gordon’s.

35-JOE GIBBS RACING #18 TOYOTA CAMRY-Rank last year:4^th of 55-A lot of changes in paint schemes, some good, some awful, many mediocre.

36-CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #1 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:12^thof 55-McDonalds was either great or awful. Add a pinkwashing scheme, Bass Pro Shops, and Bad Boy Buggies, and they are ranked much lower than they should be.

37-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #5 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:51^st of 55-When Kasey has a good scheme, it is still mediocre, and he didn’t have a great scheme all year.

38-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #48 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:2^nd of 55-Completely changing their look dragged down Jimmie’s grade. On a separate note, I do think the yellow tribute numbers should stay, since they look better than the white numbers.

39-GO GREEN RACING #32 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:46^th of 55-The most different paint schemes of any team in 2015, they ranged from amazing, a great throwback, to vomit inducing.

40-RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #9 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:41^st of 55-Like Go Green, the #9 ran a lot of paint schemes, some were great, but many were awful. I really hope whoever drives the #9 next year helps tone it down.

41-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:17^thof 55-With the exception of Dewshine, everything that Mountain Dew ran was average to awful. Nationwide is decent, but Halo was awful.

42-STEWART-HAAS RACING #14 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:47^thof 55-Not much change in terms of sponsors. In terms of car design, there were a lot of changes this year. But with the exception of Rush’s, they were all mediocre to awful.

43-TOMMY BALDWIN RACING #7 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year: 48^thof 55-The car looks so much better without a sponsor on average, it isn’t even funny.

44-TEAM XTREME RACING #44 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:53^rd of 55-Not even the addition of Golden Corral could save Team Xtreme Racing. I’m glad I don’t have to see that Phoenix Warehouse scheme anymore!

45-TEAM PENSKE #22 FORD FUSION-Rank Last Year:42^nd of 55-The Mario Andretti throwback, and the Helio Castroneves mockup were great, but sadly, those were the only highlights of the season for the 22 crew.

46-STEWART-HAAS RACING #10 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year: 52^nd of 55-Hideous design, awful color choices, and pinkwashing…need I say more?

47-PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #66-Rank Last Year:N/A-Another example of when a car looks so much better without a sponsor on average, it isn’t even funny.

48-GERMAIN RACING #13 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:50^th of 55-No redeeming schemes at all here.

49-STEWART-HAAS RACING #41 CHEVY SS-Rank Last Year:9^th of 55-Due to the driver’s actions toward his then girlfriend at Dover, the #41 has earned the bottom ranking.

Dave Cam Test

2015 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 3-Toyota

By David G. Firestone

The Executive Paint Scheme Ranking Committee(I should pick a different committee name next year) has met for another round of meetings to determine the Toyota Leaderboard for 2015. While Alejandro looked at me sarcastically when I asked his opinion, we got the job done. Here are Toyota’s rankings for 2015.

1-RAB RACING #29-Rank last year: 5^th of 13-Only one scheme, and it was a great one!

2-JOE GIBBS RACING #11-Rank last year:6^th of 13-Four brand new, amazing FedEx schemes, a-mediocre SportClips scheme, and one mediocre SportClips throwback scheme.

3-JOE GIBBS RACING #20-Rank last year:8^th of 13-SportClips didn’t do the really good set of schemes any favors.

4-MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING #15-Rank last year:12^th of 13-I was much too harsh on the 15 last year, and looking at the schemes this year, they are all defendable. I did give extra credit for the hand-painted Buddy Baker scheme.

5-MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING #55-Rank last year:1^st of 13-New Aaron’s scheme isn’t that great. The Throwback is amazing!

6-TMG RACING #30-Rank last year:N/A-Smokey Mountain Snuff is awful, plain car with no sponsor is great.

7-JOE GIBBS RACING #19-Rank last year:N/A-Nothing really horrible here, though there are many mediocre schemes here.

8-BK RACING #83-Rank last year:7^th of 13-Many new schemes and sponsors, and they were all over the place. When taking everything into account, I can say that they aren’t horrible.

9-BK RACING #23-Rank last year:3^rd of 13-VooDoo, Overture, and Pinkwashing take a decent grade down to a mediocre grade. Otherwise there is a lot of decent schemes here.

10-BK RACING #26-Rank last year:4^th of 13-The many awful schemes here take them to back of the pack. Not even the great schemes can save it.

11-JOE GIBBS RACING #18-Rank last year:2^nd of 13-A lot of changes in paint schemes, some good, some awful, many mediocre.

12-BK RACING #26-Rank last year:4^th of 13-The many awful schemes here take them to back of the pack. Not even the great schemes can save it.

13-PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #66-Rank last year:13^th of 13-Awful last year, awful this year.

Next week, All 49 schemes will be ranked in the Grand Finale!

RAB RACING, JOE GIBBS RACING, MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING,TMG RACING, BK RACING, PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS,

2015 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 2-Ford

By David G. Firestone

The Executive Paint Scheme Ranking Committee has met for a second time. Alejandro decided to sleep through the proceedings, since he has to sleep for 18 hours a day. Anyway, this week the Committee has voted on Ford’s rankings for 2015, and here they are.

1-FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #35-Rank Last Year:8^th of 17-Front Row’s new team started their existence with a slew of great schemes. All of them are smooth, simple and great.

2-WOOD BROTHERS RACING #21-Rank Last Year:1^st of 17-I thought that the Snap On memories scheme wasn’t as good as it could be,but other than that, The Wood Brothers had a great season.

3-PHIL PARSONS RACING/PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #98-Rank Last Year:10^th of 17-Due to the midseason switch, the #98 will be ranked in Chevy, Ford AND Toyota. Ran a lot of good schemes, except the Xyience scheme, and the modified scheme with sponsors.

4-TEAM PENSKE #2-Rank Last Year:2^nd of 17-Detroit Gasket drags down what could easily have been the top pick for 2015. Other than that, no complaints.

5-PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #62-Rank Last Year:N/A-Due to the midseason switch, the #98 will be ranked in Chevy, and Ford-A lot of solid schemes, though Vydrox and Low T Central were a bit too much.

6-FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #38-Rank Last Year:11^th of 17-While there weren’t a lot of new schemes, the new ones, as well as the camo schemes were not great.

7-LEVINE FAMILY RACING #95-Rank Last Year:5^th of 17-Another top contender ruined by one scheme, this one Larry the Lobster. Other than Larry, the schemes are great.

8-FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #34-Rank Last Year:6^th of 17-Front Row uses a template that usually works well, but modifying for Bully Hill didn’t work, and no escape was a disaster.

9-RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #43-Rank Last Year:4^th of 17-The Nathan’s color scheme does not work well with the Petty color scheme, and the Fresh From Florida scheme is awful. The majority of schemes are good though.

10-ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #16-Rank Last Year:17^th of 17-3M leaving was the best thing that happened to Greg Biffle, especially on this list, though Pinkwashing, Safety Kleen, and Jardiance do drag it down.

11-ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #17-Rank Last Year:12^th of 17-Zest and EcoBoost are awful, and dragged Ricky out of a top spot.

12-ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #6-Rank Last Year:N/A-Camo and Pinkwashing kill a great rank, including one of my favorite throwbacks outside of Jeff Gordon’s.

13-GO GREEN RACING #32-Rank Last Year:16^th of 17-The most different paint schemes of any team in 2015, they ranged from amazing, a great throwback, to vomit inducing.

14-RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #9-Rank Last Year:13^th of 17-Like Go Green, the #9 ran a lot of paint schemes, some were great, but many were awful. I really hope whoever drives the #9 next year helps tone it down.

15-TEAM PENSKE #22-Rank Last Year:14^th of 17-The Mario Andretti throwback, and the Helio Castroneves mockup were great, but sadly, those were the only highlights of the season for the 22 crew.

Next week, The Toyota Leaderboard! See you soon!

2015 Paint Scheme Leaderboard Part 1-Chevy

By David G. Firestone

It’s that time of year, so, here we are again, ranking the Chevy paint schemes. The Executive Paint Scheme Ranking Committee, consisting of myself and my cat Alejandro have ranked all 24 of Chevy’s paint schemes. Alejandro was of little use, having found a catnip toy. Anyway, with no further ado, the Chevy Paint Scheme Leaderboard for 2015

1-FURNITURE ROW RACING #78-Rank Last Year:5^th of 25-Black matte with orange numbers works. The ovarian cancer theme is very justifiable, as Truex’s wife is dealing with ovarian cancer. The #78 has earned the top spot.

2-JTG DAUGHTERY RACING #47-Rank Last Year: 10^th of 25-A lot of great looks, but Bush’s kept them out of the top spot in Chevy.

3-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24-Rank Last Year: 11th of 25-Jeff’s last season in NASCAR was one of his best looking. The Penn State Scheme kept Jeff from taking the top spot, but a solid season nonetheless.

4-STEWART-HAAS RACING #4-Rank Last Year:2^nd of 25-Kevin had a great season, though the disaster that is Hunt Brothers Pizza dragged his ranking from 2^nd, possibly first to Fourth in the Chevy Leaderboard.

5-PHIL PARSONS RACING/PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #98-Rank Last Year: N/A-Due to the midseason switch, the #98 will be ranked in Chevy, Ford AND Toyota. Ran a lot of good schemes, except the Xyience scheme, and the modified scheme with sponsors.

6-PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #62-Rank Last Year:N/A-Due to the midseason switch, the #98 will be ranked in Chevy, and Ford-A lot of solid schemes, though Vydrox and Low T Central were a bit too much.

7-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #25-Rank Last Year: N/A-Chase Elliott, who is taking over for Jeff Gordon in 2016, used the #25 to get some Cup experience. The NAPA scheme by itself is not bad, but the fauxback Bill Elliott scheme is a disaster.

8-CIRCLE SPORT RACING #33-Rank Last Year:16th of 25-Science Logic and Pinkwashing derailed what was otherwise a great looking year for Circle Sport.

9-HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #51-Rank Last Year:5^th of 25-If the car is running a Brandt scheme it looks good, anything else looks terrible.

10-HILLMAN-SMITH MOTORSPORTS #40-Rank Last Year:14^th of 25-The schemes were all over the place this year, but this team has had a lot of good looks.

11-CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #42-Rank Last Year:8^th of 25-The plaid, Energizer, camo and Clorox sank them this season, otherwise they looked really good.

12-RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #27-Rank Last Year:15^th of 25-Part of the problem of using a template is that it can backfire on you, and that is exactly what has happened here. The Menard’s template works well with some color schemes, but terribly with others. The Pittsburgh Paints scheme is horrible by itself.

13-RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #33-Rank Last Year:16^th of 25-White Tail Lodge, Spongebob, and Kraft dragged down an otherwise great season.

14-HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS #46-Rank Last Year:N/A-A lot of good schemes and a lot of bad schemes is the story of the #46 season.

15-RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #3-Rank Last Year:21^st of 25- Some great schemes, but the bad schemes dragged down the final grade.

16-CHIP GANASSI RACING TEAM #1-Rank Last Year:5^th of 25-McDonalds was either great or awful. Add a pinkwashing scheme, Bass Pro Shops, and Bad Boy Buggies, and they are ranked much lower than they should be.

17-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #5-Rank Last Year:23^rd of 25-When Kasey has a good scheme, it is still mediocre, and he didn’t have a great scheme all year.

18-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #48-Rank Last Year:1^st of 25-Completely changing their look dragged down Jimmie’s grade. On a separate note, I do think the yellow tribute numbers should stay, since they look better than the white numbers.

19-HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88-Rank Last Year:7^th of 25-With the exception of Dewshine, everything that Mountain Dew ran was average to awful. Nationwide is decent, but Halo was awful.

20-STEWART-HAAS RACING #14-Rank Last Year:19^th of 25-Not much change in terms of sponsors. In terms of car design, there were a lot of changes this year. But with the exception of Rush’s, they were all mediocre to awful.

21-TOMMY BALDWIN RACING #7-Rank Last Year: 20^th of 25-The car looks so much better without a sponsor on average, it isn’t even funny.

22-TEAM XTREME RACING #44-Rank Last Year:25^th of 25-Not even the addition of Golden Corral could save Team Xtreme Racing. I’m glad I don’t have to see that Phoenix Warehouse scheme anymore!

23-STEWART-HAAS RACING #10-Rank Last Year: 24^th of 25-Hideous design, awful color choices, and pinkwashing…need I say more?

24-PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #66-Rank Last Year:N/A-Another example of when a car looks so much better without a sponsor on average, it isn’t even funny.

25-GERMAIN RACING #13-Rank Last Year:22^nd of 25- No redeeming schemes at all here.

26-STEWART-HAAS RACING #41-Rank Last Year:3^rd of 25-Due to the driver’s actions toward his then girlfriend at Dover, the #41 has earned the bottom ranking.

Next Week, We do The Ford Leaderboard… See you then!

Paint Scheme Grades-November 28, 2015

By David G. Firestone

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plain Chevy SS-I really hope the plaid thing is done with, because these cars are brutal to look at. D-

Ryan Preece #98 Mowhawk/East West Marine Chevy SS-The sponsorship destroys an otherwise solid scheme, taking it from an A to a B+.

With that, my winter sabbatical begins. I will occasionally update the tracker and grades, but for the most part, I’m going to decompress, and enjoy the holiday season. The paint scheme leaderboard will go ahead as planned. I want to thank you for another successful year, and see you in 2016!