auto racing

Paint Scheme Grades-April 21, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 TW Cable/Superior Essex Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth, solid look, with a great color scheme. A scheme like this will always earn an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Realtree Chevy Camaro-To call this scheme an over designed ugly mess would be a masterpiece of understatement. This is the worst scheme I have seen in a while, and that says a lot. This scheme earns an F.

Ryan Blaney #12 Fleetwood RV Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Red Cross, same A grade.

Clint Bowyer #14 Wix Filters Ford Fusion-I hated this scheme last year, and this new version is just as bad. I hate the Wix logos, I hate the yellow stripes, this scheme is a mess, and I’m giving it an F.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Plan B Sales Ford Fusion-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

David Ragan #38 The Pete Store Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #42 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-The yellow on the #1 looks better than the black does here, so the scheme drops from an A- to a B+.

Harrison Rhodes #51 Chevy Camaro-Great look, great color scheme, no problems here!

Harrison Rhodes #51 Industrial Construction Experts Inc. Chevy Camaro-The side designs just don’t work here. It’s a shame, since this would work better and earn an A without them. With the side designs, the grade drops down to a B-.

Reed Sorenson #55 VIP Racing Experience Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chad Finchum #66 Smithbilt Homes Chevy Camaro-It’s not bad, but the diagonal lightning would work better as a horizontal stripe. This current configuration earns a B.

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Toyota Camry-The new hood logo looks great, and the rest of the car looks great too. All in all, it earns an A.

DJ Kennington #96 Humbolt Broncos Tribute Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, red roof and stripe on sides. white stripe across side, Humboldt Broncos logo on hood, Gaunt Brothers Racing on sides. A

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The Andretti Experience Part 2

By David G. Firestone

As I said last week, the name Andretti is to racing what the names Gretzky, Jordan, Unitas, and Ruth are to hockey, basketball,football, and baseball respectively. It is a name associated with the sport. Mario Andretti is considered to be one of, if not the greatest race car drivers in the world. He has to his record, 33 USAC Champ Car wins, 19 Cart/CCWS wins, 12 Formula One wins, 3 IROC wins, and has also won the 1966 Fuji 500, and won the 1967 Daytona 500.

After his career ended, he opened up his own racing experience, The Mario Andretti Racing Experience, where you can pay to ride in, or even drive an IndyCar. He gives fans a chance to live their dreams. The suits that he uses are simple firesuits that anyone can use, and are designed to be easy to use, such as this one.This Pyrotect SFI 1 rated suit shows a decent amount of wear, with tears and some stains.The collar is unadorned, and is a standard collar.The suit is not Nomex, but is a treated cotton. The Pyrotect tag states that. There is also no warranty label on this suit…which is odd.Both the left and right chests feature small MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logos. The front torso features a large MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logo.The front of the belt has 1-877-RACELAP embroidered into it. There is a tear in the fabric. The suit doesn’t use a zipper, but oddly uses Velcro. The legs have standard cuffs, and have white and black stripes running up the sides.The shoulders have epaulets, but they are almost torn off of the shoulders. The right sleeve has a MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logo embroidered in black on a white background, in television position. The left sleeve has the same MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE as the right sleeve, but the SFI certification is also present. The back of the suit doesn’t show much wear.The back of the neck is unadorned.The upper back torso features a MARIO ANDRETTI RACING EXPERIENCE logo embroidered into it.The seat area has a little bit of padding added.Mario Andretti joins Rusty Wallace and Richard Petty in opening a racing experience. These have proven to be popular, and I’m wondering if guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr., or Jeff Gordon will start their own experiences. Who wouldn’t want to get racing lessons from guys like these? I certainly would!

Next week, another firesuit, this one worn by a professional.

Throwback Thursday-1970 #23 Porsche 917K

Hans Herrmann and Richard Attwood 1970 #23 Porsche 917K

The Porsche 917K is a decent looking car, not as polished as the 917L. It has a decent look, but I’m not a fan of the tail design. The shade of red used is not too dark, and not too light, which doesn’t work, since darker would have worked much better. The stripes are decent, maybe a bit over done. I’ll take everything into consideration and give it a B-

Paint Scheme Tracker-April 18, 2018

By David G Firestone

STAR COM RACING #00

Jeffery Earnhardt #00 VRX Racing Simulators Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with silver and blue cutting edge designs. C

Landon Cassill #00 USFRA.ORG/Starcom Fiber Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue with red and silver designs, and red roof. B+

Landon Cassill #00 TW Cable/Superior Essex Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with TW Cable on hood, and Superior Essex on sides. A

CHIP GANASSI RACING #1

Jamie McMurray #1 GearWrench Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with green stripes and roof. A

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with blue waves on sides. A

Jamie McMurray #1 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, dark blue and white with diagonal stripes. B-

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red and black replaces blue. A

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red with yellow and black stripe, and yellow design on rear quarter panel bottom. A-

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as McDonald’s, but with black, white, and gray. A

Jamie McMurray #1 Clover Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, blue fade with circuit designs across sides. C-

TEAM PENSKE #2

Brad Keselowski #2 Wurth Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, white and red Penske template. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, white with black outline. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion–No change. A

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

Brad Keselowski #2 Auto Trader Ford Fusion–No Change. D-

Brad Keselowski #2 Discount Tire Bruce Halle Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, same as discount tire but with Bruce Halle tribute on hood. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Reese/Drawtite Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, Penske Template with blue and black. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Genuine Draft Throwback Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, based on Rusty Wallace’s 1990 MGD Pontiac Grand Prix. A

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite Patriotic Ford Fusion–No change. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #3

Austin Dillon#3 Dow Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black fade to red to black across whole car. A

Austin Dillon #3 AAA Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, all red, with white stripe pattern on sides. A

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, green front, black rear, white and black waves on sides. C-

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Silastic Silicone Elastomers Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with liquid motif on front, and yellow field motif on rear. A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Killz Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, same as Dow but with Killz logo on sides. B+

Austin Dillon #3 Symbicort Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with blue and yellow designs across car. C-

Austin Dillon #3 Realtree Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, yellow and blue tye dye on hood, Realtree camouflage on sides, yellow and black curves separating the two. F

STEWART-HAAS RACING #4

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Ford Fusion–No change. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion–No change. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy Johns Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black and white reversed. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Plaid Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, dark blue plaid all over car, gold rear. A

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1/Busch Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, Mobil 1 front, Busch rear quarter panel. B+

ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #6

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black with grey, silver and blue stripes. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Performance Plus Motor Oil Ford Fusion–No change. B-

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare 25th Anniversary Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, same as regular, but with 25th Anniversary logo on hood. A

Trevor Bayne #6 Ford EcoBoost Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black replaces red, more toned down, with white rear. B+

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #7

Danica Patrick #7 GoDaddy/Warriors By Danica Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2018, green with white stripes and black rear. A-

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #8

Daniel Hemric #8 Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, green with black stripes and black hood. C+

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #9

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2017, blue with white designs on sides. B+

Chase Elliott #9 Hooters Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, orange back and white front, with Y design across sides. B-

Chase Elliott #9 Sun Energy Chevy Camaro–No change. F

Chase Elliott #9 Kelly Blue Book Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue with white diagonal side and cutting edge design. C

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew Chevy SS–New scheme for 2018, green with small black stripes on bottom. A

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew Baja Bast Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, same as Mountain Dew, but silver replaces gold. A

STEWART-HAAS RACING #10

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Foods Ford Fusion–New sponsor for 2018, black and white with slash patterns on sides. A

Aric Almirola #10 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, silver replaces green. A

Aric Almirola #10 Go Bowling Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, similar to 2017 Stenhouse scheme, wood has replaced red on sides, and design has been toned down. A-

JOE GIBBS RACING #11

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry–No change. B-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry–No change. B-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry–No change. B-

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry–No change. B-

TEAM PENSKE #12

Ryan Blaney #12 Duracel/Menard’s Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2017, yellow with narrow stripes. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Dex Imaging Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, Penske template, white front, red rear. A

Ryan Blaney #12 PPG Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, blue front, white rear, horizontal paint drip motif across car. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Peak/Menard’s Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with Peak on hood. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Pennzoil Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, yellow with silver and white wave design on sides. B-

Ryan Blaney #12 Carlisle Tools Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, Penske template with gold and white. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018. white roof and hood, red sides with sublimated triangles with a black stripe near front wheel. B+

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Libman Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with Libman on hood. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template, with Richmond Water Heaters on hood. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Fleetwood RV Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as Red Cross, but with Fleetwood RV on sides. A

GERMAIN RACING #13

Ty Dillon #13 Twisted Tea Chevy Camaro–No change. A

Ty Dillon #13 Geico Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, similar scheme to 2017, but some cutting edge designs replace stripe on sides. C

Ty Dillon #13 Geico Millitary Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, similar scheme t0 2017, but with some changes to the front. F

STEWART-HAAS RACING #14

Clint Bowyer #14 Rush’s Truck Stops Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, yellow front, red stripe, black rear. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas CNC Ford Fusion–No change. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1 Ford Fusion–No change. A

Clint Boyer #14 CSU One Cure Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, side stripes are cleaner. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas Demo Days Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, same as Hass, but with Haas Demo Days on hood. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Wix Filters Ford Fusion–New sponsor for 2018, black with sublimated Wix filters logos, with a series of bright yellow stripes on sides. F

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #15

Ross Chastain #15 Low T Center Chevy Camaro–No change. F

Ross Chastain #15 Championship Machinery Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue, white, and yellow brush stroke motif across car. C-

ROUSH-FENWAY RACING #17

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, blue with white and black diagonal stripes across sides. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fifth-Third Bank Ford Fusion–No change. B-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Ford Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, black front, with red and black stripes across sides. F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Sunny D Ford Fusion–No change. F

JOE GIBBS RACING #18

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Toyota Camry–No change. A

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Almond Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, red, white and blue with large stripes on sides. F

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Caramel Toyota Camry–No change. A

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Sweet Heat Toyota Camry–No change. A

Kyle Busch #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry–No change. F

JOE GIBBS RACING #19

Daniel Suarez #19 Stanley Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2017, yellow with a series of gray and black cutting edge designs on sides. D-

Daniel Suarez #19 Arris Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018, orange replaces silver on quarter panel. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Peak Toyota Camry–No change. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Arris Ruckus Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, solid orange with white and black numbers and letters. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Coca Cola Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2018, red with white Coca Cola stripe across sides. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Stanley Tools Racing For Miracles Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, black and yellow cow motif with tape measure on sides. B-

JOE GIBBS RACING #20

Erik Jones #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry–No change. A

Erik Jones #20 Reser’s Fine Foods Toyota Camry-New sponsor for 2018, black with red bottom. A

Erik Jones #20 Circle K Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018, slightly different design, with shorter stripes, and logo adjustments. A

Erik Jones #20 SportClips Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2018, same as 2017 #11. C-

Erik Jones #20 Sirius/XM Toyota Camry–No change. B+

WOOD BROTHER RACING #21

Paul Menard #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion–No change. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as #12. A

Paul Menard #21 OmniCraft Auto Parts Ford Fusion–No change. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Dutch Boy Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with Dutch Boy on the hood. A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/FVP Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, new Menard’s template with FVP. A

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Fusion–No change. A

TEAM PENSKE #22

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

Joey Logano #22 Auto Trader Ford Fusion–No Change. D-

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion–No change. A

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

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion–No change. A

BK RACING #23

Gray Gaulding #23 EarthWater Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018, white replaces black, complex gray, orange, and blue designs on sides. F

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, white with red and black numbers. A

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, black sides, white hood and roof. A

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24

William Byron #24 Axalta Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2017, blue with flame motif across whole car. A

William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2017, blue with red flames on front. A

William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, white letters replace red ones. A

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING #31

Ryan Newman #31 Granger Chevy Camaro–No change. A

Ryan Newman #31 Caterpillar Chevy Camaro–No change. B-

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, green front, rear and roof, blue sides. F

Ryan Newman #31 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, red top, yellow stripes, black bottom. C-

Ryan Newman #31 Chevy Accessories Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, white with metal designs on sides. A

Ryan Newman #31 eBay Motors Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, fade to blue, wave designs on sides. A

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Patriotic Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, American flag motif with green numbers. A-

GO FAS RACING #32

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2017, red, with slight wave formation across sides. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 The Hurricane Heist Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, dark blue thunderstorm motif. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Can Am/Wholey Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, slight design change, with Wholey logo on quarter panel. F

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Crowdfunded Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, white with a series on logos on the sides. A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Plan B Sales Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, white with pink outlines and fan names across car. F

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #34

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops/Speedco Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDowell #34 K-Love Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDoewll #34 K-Love Ford Fusion–No change. A

Michael McDowell #34 A&W Ford Fusion–No change. A

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING #37

Chris Buescher #37 Kleenex Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue with silver and white cutting edge designs. C

Chris Buescher #37 Louisiana Hot Sauce Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with red and yellow fire design on sides. A

Chris Buescher #37 Natural Light Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red cutting edge designs have been added. B-

Chris Buescher #37 Scott Towels Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red sides with stripes, white front and rear. B+

Chris Buescher #37 Healthy Choice Power Bowls Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with sublimated leaf designs across car. A

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Best Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, red with white designs on sides. A

FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS #38

David Ragan #38 Shriner’s Children’s Hospital Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, blue with black and white stripe, and red bottom. A

David Ragan #38 FR8 Auctions Ford Fusion–No change. F

David Ragan#38 MDS Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018 all white with MDS logos on sides and hood. A

David Ragan #38 1000 Bulbs Ford Fusion–No change. D+

David Ragan #38 MDS Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, white roof, blue and orange stripe across bottom. A

David Ragan #38 The Pete Store Ford Fusion–No change. A

STEWART-HAAS RACING #41

Kurt Busch #41 State Water Heaters Ford Fusion-No change. B+

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Ford Fusion–No Change. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas/Monster Ford Fusion–No Change. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Automation Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, red fade to black. A

Kurt Busch #41 Mobil 1/Haas CNC Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, same as Mobil 1, with silver, and Haas CNC on sides. A

Kurt Busch #41 Haas Throwback Ford Fusion–New scheme for 2018, based on Kurt’s sharpie scheme from 2003. A

CHIP GANASSI RACING #42

Kyle Larson #42 Credit One Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue with white and lighter blue stripes. A

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, same design as #1, but with colors reversed. B-

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, blue and white with sunburst motif on sides. D-

Kyle Larson #42 McDonald’s Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, similar to #1 but black replaces yellow on quarter panel. B+

RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS #43

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Click N Close Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2017, dark blue with Click N Close. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Air Force Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, same as 2017, but with black stripe across bottom. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 STP Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, red sides, blue hood and roof, with some silver designs on borders. A-

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 NASCAR Racing Experience Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, blue sides, white hood and roof. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, blue rear. A

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Farmer John Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018 red front and hood, dark blue rear. A

JTG DAUGHERTY RACING #47

AJ Allmendinger #47 Kroger Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, white with blue and red stripes on sides. B-

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #48

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with gray outlines. A

RICK WARE RACING #51

Justin Marks #51 Keens Buildings Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with orange, gray, and white designs on sides. D+

Justin Marks #51 Harry’s Razors Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue, orange, and white sunbeam design. C+

Cole Custer #51 Haas CNC Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as #14, but white replaces black. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Davis Roofing Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with red and black vertical stripes. A

Timmy Hill #51 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, red with stripes on hood and roof. A

Timmy Hill #51 Bubba Burger Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with fire motif on sides. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Custom Aircraft Cabinets Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, orange with white designs on sides. D+

Harrison Rhodes #51 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, plain black with white and red numbers. A

Harrison Rhodes #51 Industrial Construction Experts Inc. Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with white stripes across hood and roof, yellow and blue lettering, and designs on sides. B-

PREMIUM MOTORSPORTS #55

Joey Gase #55 Nevada Donor Network Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, black with orange and blue designs on sides. A-

Reed Sorenson #55 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as Nevada Donor Network, but without logos. A-

JJ Yeley #55 Adirondack Tree Surgeons/Overdose Awareness Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, green with forest motif on sides, black hood. D-

Reed Sorenson #55 VIP Racing Experience Chevy Camaro–No change. A

BEARD MOTORSPORTS #62

Brendan Gaughan #62 Beard Oil/South Point Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white front, yellow curve, black rear. A

MBM MOTORSPORTS #66

Mark Thompson #66 Phoenix Air Ford Fusion–No change. A

TRI STAR MOTORSPORTS #72

Corey LaJoie #72 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black replaces all white designs. C-

Mark Smith #72 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, black with red and white stripe across bottom. A

Cole Whitt #72 So Cal Chevy Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, same as last year, but with gold stripe across bottom. A

Mark Smith #72 Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, black with white stripe across bottom. A

Cole Whitt #72 Rinnai Chevy SS–No change. B+

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Bass Pro Shops/5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018 black with orange designs on sides. C-

Martin Truex Jr. #78 5-Hour Energy/Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2018 black with red designs on sides. C-

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Toyota Camry–No change. A

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto Owner’s Insurance Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, large A logo replaces smaller logo on hood. A

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88

Alex Bowman #88 Nationwide Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2017, blue with white designs on sides. B+

Alex Bowman #88 Axalta Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black with blue,red,white,and yellow cutting edge designs across sides. F

Alex Bowman #88 Llumar Window Film Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, white with red and green designs on sides. B+

RICKY BENTON RACING #92

David Gilliland #92 Carquest/Black’s Tire Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, white with black and blue wave on sides, black roof. C-

LEAVINE FAMILY RACING #95

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, black, white, and orange with cutting edge designs across whole car. F

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2018, same as earlier scheme, white and black reversed. F

Kasey Kahne #95 Procore/Habitat for Humanity Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, same as Procore, but with Habitat for Humanity on sides and hood. F

Kasey Kahne #95 WRL Contractors Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, blue is the primary color, with lighter blue patches on sides. B+

GAUNT BROS RACING #96

DJ Kennington #96 Lordco Toyota Camry–No change. C-

DJ Kennington #96 Northern Provincial Pipelines LTD Toyota Camry–No change. A

DJ Kennington #96 Gordon Brothers Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2018, blue wave pattern on sides, and blue roof, white on sides. B-

DJ Kennington #96 Humbolt Broncos Tribute Toyota Camry-New scheme for 2018, red roof and stripe on sides. white stripe across side, Humboldt Broncos logo on hood, Gaunt Brothers Racing on sides. A

My Thoughts on Series Sponsorships Vs TV Ratings

By David G. Firestone

One more TV rating and series sponsorship rant. The good news is that last week, Monster Energy agreed to a contract extension with NASCAR to sponsor the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The bad news is that this deal lasts until the end of the 2019, and according to Bob Pockrass “NASCAR COO Steve Phelps said it is “highly unlikely” that partnership would continue beyond that.” The sponsorship is worth $20,000,000 per year according to Pockrass.

This sums up NASCAR’s sponsorship woes perfectly. They can’t get a long term series sponsor for the Cup Series, and they keep signing these short term deals, which require a lot of work to keep going, and don’t inspire confidence. This also hurts future sponsorship opportunities, because other companies are watching this, and might not want to spend the kind of money that Monster spends on a short term deal.

Now while that sounds bad, for IndyCar, the situation is so much worse. IndyCar is losing Verizon as the series sponsor at the end of the season. They are on the hunt for a new series sponsor, which doesn’t sound bad, until some numbers are discussed.

First, the amount of money is suspect. According to Auto Week: “The IBJ[Indiana Business Journal] cited a source close to IndyCar that would like a new sponsor willing to pay $10 million to $15 million in cash and another $10 million to $15 million to advertise and promote the series per year.” Now that doesn’t sound so unreasonable, but then some more information comes to light, this time in the form of television ratings.

According to Sports Media Watch: The season opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg “earned a 0.8 rating and 1.14 million viewers on ABC, flat in ratings and down 5% in viewership from last year (0.8, 1.20M) and down 20% and 18% respectively from 2016 (1.0, 1.39M). Though barely, it was the least-watched IndyCar opener since 2015 (891K).” That doesn’t sound so bad, until you look at the race at Phoenix “…had just 253,000 viewers on NBCSN (-26%).”

If those numbers don’t show that IndyCar is asking for too much money, than I don’t know what does. A Saturday night race, with no real racing competition, at an established track only draws 253,000 television viewers? Those number could be justified if IndyCar was running opposition to NASCAR, but with no competition, those numbers are awful! Hell ESPN’s Formula 1 is drawing bigger numbers! The race at Bahrain drew over twice the audience than IndyCar, with 683,000 viewers.

$20-30 Million for 253,000 viewers is beyond unrealistic, and if these are the kind of ratings that IndyCar can draw, then maybe the season is going to be shortened even more. Television advertising is down, and I’m really wondering how much longer IndyCar can last in its current form. How much more money can the sport lose? I really don’t see how this can last.

One final note, I’m not going to discuss this anymore than I already have. I’m done, and I’ll pick up if and when IndyCar picks up a series sponsor.

Paint Scheme Grades-April 14, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Genuine Draft Throwback Ford Fusion-Miller Genuine Draft had some great schemes back in the day, and this is a great example. The dark gold works very well, and the scheme as a whole is faithful. I can’t say anything wrong about this scheme. A

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

Austin Dillon #3 Symbicort Chevy Camaro-Too many light colors, and the designs are a bit over done. Using a darker blue would have worked much better. C-

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1/Busch Ford Fusion-If the front half of the car was Mobil 1, and the back half was Busch, I would like it better. This design isn’t bad, but could be better. B+

Chase Elliott #9 Mountain Dew Baja Bast Chevy Camaro-Silver works just as well as gold with this scheme, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

Aric Almirola #10 Go Bowling Ford Fusion-My only complaint here is that the wood on the side is curved. If it were straight, like a bowling alley, it would work better. Still, it’s a great scheme, and I’ll give it an A-

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Richmond Water Heaters Ford Fusion-This is no longer one of the best templates in NASCAR history, it IS the best template in NASCAR history. Nothing bad can be said about this template, and this is no exception. A

Daniel Suarez #19 Stanley Tools Racing For Miracles Toyota Camry-The cow motif doesn’t work with black and yellow. I think it would work better with white and black. Still, it’s not horrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

Ryan Blaney #21 Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

William Byron #24 Liberty University Chevy Camaro-While the old scheme works well, I like this a little better, because the door numbers are more pronounced. I can’t go higher than an A.

Cole Whitt #72 Rinnai Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

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