Author: dgf2099
Paint Scheme Grades-September 12, 2020
By David G. Firestone
Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Throwback Ford Mustang-While I like this scheme as a whole, I do think it’s a bit over designed. A-
Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Throwback Toyota Camry-I really like this scheme, and I love that FedEx used their old logo. I love that logo. This is great and earns an A.
Ty Dillon #13 GEICO Throwback Chevy Camaro-The scheme was over designed in 2010, and I think the throwback doesn’t look as great as it could be. I’ll give this a B+
Brennan Poole #15 Remember Everyone Deployed Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a great throwback. It’s faithful, and it looks great. I can’t say anything bad about this. A
Martin Truex Jr. #19 Bass Pro Shops Throwback Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.
Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang-Another faithful throwback of a great scheme, that is very well done. No complaints here! A
JJ Yeley #27 Jacob Companies Throwback Chevy Camaro-If there is a scheme that sums up the late 1990’s, this is it. If ever there was a scheme that shows why I hated the late 1990’s, this is it. It’s ugly, horrifically over designed, and has an awful color scheme. This gets an F.
Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Cash App Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a really great look, and the throwback is faithful, so I’ll give this an A.
James Davison #53 Signing Day Sports Throwback Ford Mustang-This is a great throwback! I love the door numbers on the original, and the scheme is very faithful. I give this an A.
Timmy Hill #66 RoofClaim.com Throwback Toyota Camry-I love 1980’s Skoal Bandits, and this is one of my favorites. This is an amazingly faithful throwback, and it gets an A.
Ross Chastain #77 Dirty Mo Media Throwback Chevy Camaro-As a long time Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, I love this scheme! This is my favorite scheme this year. A
Grading The 2020 Throwbacks!
By David G. Firestone
Well, the throwback race is officially behind us, so I’m going to grade all of the throwback schemes. As per the norm, the #1 scheme will win the Schemie for Best Throwback. Without further ado, let’s get started!
1-Ross Chastain #77 Dirty Mo Media Throwback Chevy Camaro–New sponsor for 2020, based on Dale Earnhardt’s 1976 Hy-Gain Chevy Malibu. A
2-Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Junior Johnson’s #3 Holly Farms Chevy. A
3-Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Cash App Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on D.K. Ulrich’s #6 scheme Richard Petty ran at the 1986 Coca-Cola 600. A
4-Josh Bilicki #7 Insurance King Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Tommy Baldwin Sr.’s modified car. A
5-Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2020, based on Cale Yarborough’s 1973 Chevy Laguna. A
6-Matt DiBenedetto #21 Motorcraft Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on The Wood Brothers’ 1963 Ford Galaxie. A
7-Cole Custer #41 HaasTooling.com Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Curtis Turner’s 1965 Ford Galaxie. A
8-Joey Gase #51 Jacob Companies Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Stroker Ace’s car from Stroker Ace. A
9-Timmy Hill #66 RoofClaim.com Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2020, based on Phil Parsons’ 1984 Skoal Bandit. A
10-James Davison #53 Signing Day Sports Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Tom Sneva’s 1983 Chevy. A
11-Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Bobby Allison’s 1985 Miller Lite scheme. A
12-Brennan Poole #15 Remember Everyone Deployed Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Ricky Rudd’s 1985 Ford Thunderbird. A
13-Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2020, based on Elliot Sadler’s 2004 Ford Taurus. A
14-Clint Bowyer #14 Peak Throwback Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Kyle Petty’s 1990 Rockingham scheme. A
15-Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on 1997 Busch beer can design. A
16-John Hunter Nemechek #38 Citgard Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Elliot Sadler’s Citgo scheme from 1999-2000. A
17-Martin Truex Jr. #19 Bass Pro Shops Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2020, based on Martin’s 2004 Xfinity Series car. A
18-Tyler Reddick #8 Cat Power Throwback Chevy Camaro–New sponsor for 2020, Jeff Burton’s 1994 Rookie of the Year Rabestos Ford Thunderbird. A
19-William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Jimmie Johnson’s 2013 All-Star Scheme. A
20-Daniel Suarez #96 ARRIS Throwback Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2020, based on Suarez’s 2018 ARRIS Camry. A
21-Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Paul Menard and his 2003 ARCA victory at Talladega. A-
22-Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, based on Brad’s 2010 Discount Tire Championship winning Ford . A-
23-Ty Dillon #13 GEICO Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Todd Bodine’s 2010 Truck Series Championship winning Toyota Tundra. B+
24-Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Meyer Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2020, honoring his 1999 USAC Silver Crown Series Championship. B+
25-Quin Houff #00 Throwback Permatex Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2020, black with spiral on hood, and beach motif on sides. B
26-Erik Jones #20 SportClips Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2020, Tony Stewart’s 2005 Martinsville Home Depot scheme. B
27-Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Jimmie Johnson’s 2009 Championship scheme. C
28-Alex Bowman #88 Truck Hero/Chevy Group Chevy Camaro–New sponsor for 2020, honors Jimmie Johnson’s 2006 championship season. C
29-Christopher Bell #95 JBL Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2020, based on Bell’s 2017 Truck Series Championship JBL scheme. F
30-JJ Yeley #27 Jacob Companies Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2020, based on Kenny Irwin’s 1997 Nerf Ford Thunderbird. F
Next week, some dirt track memorabilia!
Introduction to Sports Memorabilia-Circa 2013 Florida Lottery Busch Series Race Worn Pit Crew Vest
Paint Scheme Grades-September 5, 2020
By David G. Firestone
Quin Houff #00 Throwback Permatex Chevy Camaro-This isn’t a real throwback. While it does have throwback elements, it’s a bit over done with the hood spiral. The motif looks good on the side. I’ll give this a B.
Austin Dillon #3 Dow VORASURF Chevy Camaro-It’s not over designed, and it has a great color scheme. That will always earn an A.
Garrett Smithley #7 Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Wisconsin Lighting Lab, same A grade.
Josh Bilicki #7 Ariens Chevy Camaro-My only complaint is that the white is pointless here. Other than than, this gets an A.
Tyler Reddick #8 KCMG Chevy Camaro-The only thing saving this scheme is a good color scheme. This is an ugly over designed mess. D
Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Mustang-There is nothing good I can say about this scheme. This is horrible. It’s horrifically over designed, and too many colors. F
Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Throwback Toyota Camry-This was a great scheme then, and a great scheme now. It’s a good, faithful throwback of a great scheme, and it earns an A.
Erik Jones #20 Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota Camry-A good fade always works, and a good color scheme helps. A
Erik Jones #20 SportClips Throwback Toyota Camry-I never really liked Tony’s silver Home Depot schemes, largely because I don’t like silver and orange as a color scheme. I like this scheme because red works so much better. I’ll give this a B, as I do think it is over designed.
JJ Yeley #27 Thriv5 Ford Mustang-I like this. The designs look good, the car as a whole has a smooth look, and the car looks great. A
JJ Yeley #27 America Strong Chevy Camaro-I think the car is a bit over designed, and I hate the yellow stripe on the read. Still, this isn’t a bad scheme, so I’ll give it a B.
Michael McDowell #34 CarParts.com Ford Mustang-The spiral motif works well, and the lack of orange is a much needed improvement. A
Ryan Preece #37 Scotts Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the green, and toning down the waves would help this scheme a lot. Currently, this mess gets a D, because I do like the shades of white and blue.
John Hunter Nemechek #38 Citgard Ford Mustang-The plain red Citgo scheme was a great look, and a scheme I really miss. This is a really good look, and a faithful throwback, so it gets an A.
Cole Custer #41 HaasTooling.com Throwback Ford Mustang-Another amazing and faithful throwback from a great scheme. This looks great, and gets an A.
Josh Bilicki #53 Insurance King/The Wounded Blue Chevy Camaro-Nothing really wrong here. The car is smooth, and the scheme looks great. A
Joey Gase #53 Sparks Ford Mustang-It’s an ugly, over designed mess, and not even a great color scheme can save from an F.
Ross Chastain #77 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro-I like the look, I like the color scheme, I like the moose, this gets an A.
BJ McLeod #78 Royal Teak Collection Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.
Christopher Bell #95 JBL Throwback Toyota Camry-I think the original was an over designed mess, and I think the throwback reflects that. F
Collecting Toss Coins is So Much Fun!
Going off topic this week. If you were a kid during the Roman empire, and you were with a friend, and needed something to do, you could play “navia aut caput” or “ship or head.” How it works is that you take a coin, and one picks ship, the other picks head, and then you flip the coin in the air, and whichever side the coin lands on the person who picked that side wins. If you were playing it in England, you were playing “cross and pile.”
That simple game would grow into a bit of dispute resolution that is still used today. While it is used in politics, and business on occasion, coin tossing has become a major part of sports. It’s used in soccer to determine which goal the winning team attacks first. Cricket uses it to determine who bats first and who bowls first. Fencing uses a coin toss at the end of a tied match, where overtime has also ended. But the most well-known usage of a coin toss is in American Football, at the start of the game, to determine who gets the ball first.
Three minutes prior to the game, the team captains meet at midfield, the referee then instructs the visiting team captain to chose heads or tails, which are named for being sides opposite each other. He then flips the coin into the air, and the side that wins can chose to receive, or kick, and to defer their choice until the second half.
The 2004 season was one that Dolphins fans would like to forget. Not only did the Dolphins go 4-12, but they had to deal with Ricky Williams retiring from football. They also had to reschedule two games because of the threat of hurricanes. Their September 26th game was moved from 1 PM to 8:30 PM due to Hurricane Jeanne, and their opening day game was moved from September 12th to September 11th due to Hurricane Ivan. Their opening day game wasn’t great, they lost the game, and lost the coin toss, which was done with this Highland Mint coin. The Highland Mint was founded in the 1980’s, and focuses strictly on sports coins, and custom minting. They make the game coins for the NFL. Every game coin from regular games to the The Super Bowl is taken from the game and sold by the NFL to the private market, and this is one such example.
The coin is gold, and has on the head side, a Miami Dolphins helmet, and MIAMI DOLPHINS INAUGURAL SEASON 1966 stamped into the coin. There is also a box for the serial number to be etched, but since this wasn’t one of the limited edition coins that got sold on the collector market, it is blank.
The tails side of the coin has the NFL Kickoff Weekend 2004 logo, and OFFICIAL GAME COIN and OFFICIALLY LICENSED NFL PROPERTIES stamped into the coin.
This is 1 of 2500 coins, and has the serial number 0001 stamped into the edge of the coin, near the bottom of the front.
It has been placed in a plastic holder, and comes in a felt box. It has a tag that comes with the retail coins, but it has the PSA DNA sticker on it, as well as a PSA/DNA lot.
2004 was not a great year for Chicago sports. The Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Fire, and White Sox all missed the playoffs, while having mediocre to awful seasons. The Cubs and White Sox were dead by September, and while the Bulls and Blackhawks were getting started, it became clear rather quickly that they had nothing, and their seasons weren’t going to go anywhere. The Fire have always been the odd group out in Chicago sports. When they won the MLS Cup in October 1998, nobody in Chicago noticed or cared. But like the rest of the sports in Chicago, the season they had was not great in 2004.
The bright spot was supposed to be football. The Bears had a decent roster, a new set of alternate uniforms, and a brand new coach in Lovie Smith. The NFC North wasn’t as strong as other conferences. So it is into this season the Bears started on September 12, 2004. The Bears began their season at home against the Lions. Before the game, they lost the coin toss, and went on to lose the game. The coin toss was conducted with this Chicago Bears coin.
The HEADS side of the coin features a Chicago Bears “Wishbone C” logo, and CHICAGO BEARS EST 1920 stamped into it.

The coin is stamped #531. There were a total of 5000 made, and while other examples of game-used toss coins are numbered 0001, this isn’t surprising as any one of the 5000 coins made could find their way onto the field.
In 2011, One team that looked decent, but didn’t make the playoffs were the New York Jets. With an 8-8 record, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The two teams would meet at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore on October 2, 2011. This special coin was used for the coin toss, which New York won, and deferred. The Franklin Mint made coin doesn’t really show use, and is number 0001. It comes with PSA/DNA NFL Auction authentication.
I’m not the biggest fan of tennis. I don’t understand a lot of the rules, and I don’t understand the scoring system, even though I took a class on it in high school. That said, tennis has a huge fan base. Naturally, the tennis memorabilia market is ripe, but unlike most other sports, until recently, The ATP was slower to wake than most other leagues. Now that the ATP is embracing the memorabilia market, the match-used market has a lot to offer.
Like many other sports, tennis uses a coin toss to determine who serves and who receives. From at least 2008 to 2013, the US Open used Highland Mint made flip coins. Like other flip coins, these were custom designed for the occasion. I have a couple of match-used coins from the 2013 Tournament.
The Men’s Doubles saw Leander Paes and Radek Štěpánek defeat Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in the Finals. On the way to the finals, Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares defeated Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo at Louis Armstrong Stadium 7–5, 6–4 on September 5, 2013. This coin was used for the coin toss. This Highland Mint made coin was authenticated by MeiGray, which the US Open used from 2012 to 2015 for their memorabilia. It comes with a full Letter of Authenticity, and MeiGray hologram, in a MeiGray folder.
The Women’s Doubles saw Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká defeat Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua on September 7 6–7(4–7), 6–1, 6–4 . To get there, Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká had to beat Sania Mirza and China Zheng Jie in the Women’s Doubles Semifinals on September 5 6–2, 6–2. The day before, Mirza and Zheng Jie defeated Hsieh Su-wei and China Peng Shuai 6–4, 7–6(7–5) in the Quarter Finals at Louis Armstrong Stadium. This Highland Mint Coin, #18 was used for the coin toss. This Highland Mint made coin was authenticated by MeiGray. It comes with a full Letter of Authenticity, and MeiGray hologram, in a MeiGray folder.
Cricket also uses toss coins. One form of cricket is Twenty20 cricket, aka Twenty-20, and abbreviated to T20. In a Twenty20 game the two teams have a single innings each, which is restricted to a maximum of 20 overs. The England and Wales Cricket Board created Twenty20 in 2002, and it has grown in popularity, spawning its own World Cup, like the ones played in 2009. I have a couple of match-used coins from the 2009 Twenty20 World Cup, including this one, from the South Africa vs. Pakistan semi-final, where Pakistan won with 149/4 over South Africa’s 142/5. The coin, slightly larger than an American quarter, is in great condition. The specially made coin is not sold as a replica, and comes in a customized box, with an International Cricket Council logo. The box is about 4 inches square. The coin itself is slightly larger than an American quarter, though much smaller than an NFL toss coin. The heads and tails are marked. The heads side features a 2009 ICC Twenty20 logo, with England 2009. The tails section features an ICC logo, with a 100th anniversary commemoration.
I also have a second coin, from a Group B competition between England and the Netherlands. This was one of the early matches, where The Netherlands won 163/6 over England’s 162/5. The coin is identical, no serial numbers are on these coins, and the only difference is the COA.
Cricket also has a World Cup. The 2015 Cricket World Cup had a series of great matches. One such match was the game between England and Scotland that took place on February 23rd, at The Hagley Oval, Christchurch, New Zealand. England triumphed over Scotland, by a score of 303/8 (50 overs) to 184 (42.2 overs). This coin, slightly larger than the 20Twenty coin, but smaller than an NFL toss coin was produced. It includes a display box featuring details on the game, and a COA.
Next week…the grades for the Throwback race!
Introduction to Sports Memorabilia-Circa 2014-2015 HScott Motorsports Auto Owners Insurance Worn Pit Crew Vest
Paint Scheme Grades-August 29, 2020
By David G. Firestone
Quinn Houff #00 Eagle Rock Wealth Management Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.
Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a great throwback, and I love the design! A
Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Throwback Ford Mustang-I like this design. Busch has some great cans in the 90’s, and this is a perfect example. A
Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Meyer Ford Mustang-I like the overall design, but they took a few creative liberties with the car, and the new designs are not only pointless, but distract from the overall scheme. Still, this is good, and I’ll give it a B+
Josh Bilicki #7 Insurance King Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a very faithful throwback, and I think this looks great! A
Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew/Team Rubicon Chevy Camaro-Camo does NOT look good on a race car in general, but this color scheme really doesn’t do it any favors. F
Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Throwback Chevy Camaro-I hated this scheme the first time around, but I understand why it was used. Still, it is a faithful throwback, so I’ll give this a C
Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menard’s/Monster Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.
William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-This is faithful replica of an awesome scheme. I like this, and it gets an A.
Corey LaJoie #32 Drydene Ford Mustang-Adding the black is pointless, and the new design is over done. Now it isn’t horrible, and the color scheme is decent, so I’ll give it a C.
Michael McDowell #34 Digital Ally Shield Cleansers Ford Mustang-It’s a bold look, and it isn’t over designed, so I give it an A.
John Hunter Nemechek #38 ACME Markets Ford Mustang-I like the color scheme, and I hate the design scheme. As such, this gets a C.
Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Columbia Sportswear Chevy Camaro-This is an amazing scheme, and I like the design and color schemes. This earns an A.
Joey Gase #51 Race for Relief Ford Mustang-New scheme for 2020, white. A
It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.
Alex Bowman #88 Acronis Chevy Camaro-The stripes work well, it’s bold, and not over designed. I give this an A.
Alex Bowman #88 Truck Hero/Chevy Group Chevy Camaro-I hated this scheme the first time around, but I understand why it was used. Still, it is a faithful throwback, so I’ll give this a C
Daniel Suarez #96 ARRIS Throwback Toyota Camry-I liked this scheme then, and I like it now. A

