Paint Scheme Grades-August 29,2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Wendy’s Watermelon Lemonade Chevy Camaro-New sponsor for 2026, yellow with watermelon motif. F

It’s a horrifically over designed mess. F

Austin Cindric #2 Menards/Maytag Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops Deer Season/Winchester Chevy Camaro-Love the look, not over done, this gets an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the white would get this a solid A, but with the white, this gets an A-.

Daniel Suarez #7 Coke Zero Sugar Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the black would get this a solid A, but with the white, this gets an A-.

Todd Gilliland #34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang-Not bad, but a downgrade from last year. A-

Zane Smith #38 Aaron’s Dream Machine Ford Mustang-This is a great look, and brings back some Mac Tonight memories! A

John Hunter Nemechek #40 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Getting rid of the white is a slight upgrade, but it is still over designed. C+

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Throwback Toyota Camry-I love a good 1990’s throwback, and this is a great throwback. A

Joey Gase #44 National Fire Prevention Week Chevy Camaro-Too many colors and too over designed, so it gets an F.

Cody Ware #51 Super.com Chevy Camaro-Love the look, not over designed, this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Oikos Ford MustangNew scheme for 2026, white and black.-Not bad, but a bit of a downgrade from last year. A-

Michael McDowell #71 Fly Alliance Chevy Camaro-Too. Many. Stripes. F

Paint Scheme Grades-August 22, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Daniel Suarez #7 UHP.com Chevy Camaro-A good look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Kleenex Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Hill #33 zone Sweet Coffee Chevy Camaro-I like the dark red, it works well with this scheme. A

Todd Gilliland #34 Nucar Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, and an awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Zane Smith #38 imagine360 Ford Mustang-Not a bad look, the circle motif can work when not over used, this gets an A.

Cody Ware #51 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro-Metallic gold isn’t used enough, and this not over designed scheme works well as a result. Also, this is a major upgrade from last year. A

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-If this was just the fade, it would get an A. With the designs, it gets taken down to a C.

Connor Zilisch #88 SuperFile Camaro-There is no way I can defend a hideous mess like this. F

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Chevy Camaro-See above. F

Paint Scheme Grades-August 15, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey 150th Anniversary Camaro-Same scheme as #88, same A grade.

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Flash I.V. Ford Mustang-As much as I like fades, the colors are off, it should be pink to yellow. Also, the black stripes look odd. This could be an A, but this gets a C.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Black’s Tire Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Hill #33 Morgan & Morgan Kyle Busch Tribute Chevy Camaro-The color scheme is good, the design scheme is awful, all things considered, this gets a C.

Cody Ware #51 Rocket Doctor Chevy Camaro-These changes are rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. F

Ty Gibbs #54 Victory Junction/Cook Out Toyota Camry-Too over designed to get anything but an F.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Mitti Chevy Camaro-It’s basically a redesign of Safety Culture, which is an F scheme. This gets an F as well.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 1, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Flavor Showdown Chevy Camaro-I like the unique fade, it looks good, and I give this an A.

Austin Cindric #2 PPG Patriotic Ford Mustang-I like the American flag motif. It works well. A

Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner Throwback Ford Mustang-This is now my favorite throwback! I was always a fan of the simple black schemes! A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Veterans Science Chevy Camaro-Too many designs and too many colors. f

Austin Dillon #3 Titan Risk Solutions Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from last year. A-

Austin Dillon #3 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-I rarely comment on this, but the silver 3 looks odd with the color scheme, and takes an A down to an A-.

Noah Gragson #4 A&W Root Beer Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Travel Centers of America Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Daniel Suarez #7 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-The blue skull motif works well, I can’t complain, this gets an A.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Desi9n to Drive Chevy Camaro-Not bad at all. A

Chase Elliott #9 LLumar Window Film Chevy Camaro-This cleaner look is a better look, and it goes from an A- to an A.

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro-For a seafood sponsor this is a much better scheme. The color and design work. A

Ty Dillon #10 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-Same issue as the #3, the orange #10 looks odd on the black and silver. A-

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Flash I.V. Ford Mustang-I like a good fade, and this is a good fade. This gets an A.

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-The red and black would work, the white tree motif would work, but together, it’s just meh. C

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Heinz Ketchup/Artesano Brioche Buns Ford Mustang-You can’t go wrong with red and a burger! A

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Coca-Cola Patriotic Ford Mustang-Too many designs to work. F

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Minute Rice Ford Mustang-Not bad, but a massive downgrade from last year. B+

Chase Briscoe #19 Free Bird Southern Spring Water Toyota Camry-Perfect look, great color scheme, this gets an A!

Chase Briscoe #19 Wix Filters Toyota Camry-Too ugly and over designed to get anything but an F.

Christopher Bell #20 Saia Freight + Logistics Patriotic Toyota Camry-I get what they are going for, but this could be improved with some more consistency. It’s not bad, so it gets a B.

Josh Berry #21 eero Ford Patriotic Mustang-This should be the new eero scheme, as it looks so much better than the plain blue scheme. A

Joey Logano #22 Hunt Brothers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Not really that much of an improvement. D

Bubba Wallace #23 Upper Deck Space Jam 30th Anniversary Toyota Camry-I love the space motif, it works well, and isn’t over done. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia PFG/Academy Sport Toyota Camry-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

William Byron #24 Anduril Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Better color scheme than an A grade earns an A grade.

Austin Hill #33 Bank OZK Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A- grade.

Austin Hill #33 FICO Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A grade.

Todd Gilliland #34 Gener8tor Skills Accelerator Patriotic Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, mediocre design scheme, this gets a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedbusch Development and Construction Ford Mustang-Good look, I like the cubes, and it’s not over designed. A

Zane Smith #38 Vermeer Midwest Ford Mustang-Getting rid of the patriotic stripe would elevate this to an A, this gets a B.

Zane Smith #38 Losi RC Ford Mustang-Good color scheme and awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Cole Custer #41 Haas/Standard Nuclear Ford Mustang-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Cole Custer #41 Sysco/Smoke Pit Ford Mustang-Not great, but a much better color scheme. B

Cole Custer #41 Air Lift Ford Mustang-A smooth look, a great color scheme, and this gets an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Raid/Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-The color scheme is the only thing giving this scheme anything higher than an F. D-

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Not bad, but a downgrade from the green scheme. C

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-The bottom design could be cleaned up for an A, but this gets a B.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Clemco Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Brazier Lumber Company Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Cody Ware #51 Super.com Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the fireworks would elevate this scheme to an A, but this gets a B.

Cody Ware #51 Sky Fund Aviation Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2026, black and white. AIt’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Mariano’s/Athletic Brewing Ford Mustang-Getting rid of the yellow would elevate this to an A. A-

Ryan Preece #60 SimpleTire Ford Mustang-A good look, orange and black are a good color scheme, this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Thornton’s Ford Mustang-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Chad Finchum #66 Truan Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Corey Heim #67 Shield AI Toyota Camry-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C

Corey Heim #67 Field and Stream Toyota Camry-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not a great color scheme, white should replace gray. I also think that the car is a bit over designed. This gets a C.

Michael McDowell #71 NEFCO Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the white, and just going orange and blue would elevate this scheme to an A, this gets a B.

Carson Hocevar #77 Zeigler Auto Group Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The patriotic elements don’t really work, and this is a terrible look. F

BJ McLeod #78 Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Daniel Suarez #97 Wendy’s Chevy Camaro-The red elevates this from an F to a D.

Paint Scheme Grades-June 27, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Noah Gragson #4 Hard Rock Casino Tejon Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #38, same C grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 Yahoo! Toyota Camry-It’s a bad look, the yellow is awful, and the white isn’t needed. It’s not terrible, so it gets a D.

AJ Allmendinger #16 EchoPark Automotive Chevy Camaro-A solid green would work much better. A-

Chris Buescher #17 Trimble/Liverpool FC Tea Ford Mustang-Good color scheme and awful design scheme average out to a C.

Christopher Bell #20 CRAFTSMAN Racing for a Miracle Toyota Camry-For a car designed by a small child, it’s a good look. A

Zane Smith #38 Michael Roberts Construction Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Brazier Lumber Company Ford Mustang-Too many designs. F

Ryan Preece #60 Consumer Cellular Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Carson Hocevar #77 Classic Collision Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the white would elevate this scheme to an A. With the white, this is an A-

Paint Scheme Grades-June 20, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Kubota Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

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

Austin Dillon #3 Boot Barn Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Gold Filters Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This is a downgrade from both last years

Ty Dillon #10 The Fallen Outdoors Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Denny Hamlin #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Patriotic Toyota Camry-Not better than the regular scheme, not worse, same C grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford MustangNew scheme for 2026, black with patriotic elements. FAmazing that last year’s camo design is actually better than this year’s scheme. F

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Patriotic Ford Mustang-Nothing wrong with this scheme. A

William Byron #24 Anduril Chevy Camaro-Good look, not over designed, this gets an A.

Austin Hill #33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Zane Smith #38 Hard Rock Casino Tejon/Hard Rock Cafe Ford Mustang-Not really amazing, not really awful, this gets a C.

Cole Custer #41 Texas A&M University/George H.W. Bush Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 DriveValue.com Toyota Camry-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Sycuan Casino and Resort Chevy Camaro-Mediocre design and mediocre color schemes combine for a C grade.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Changing the colors isn’t doing this scheme any favors, it’s still ugly and over designed. F

Ty Gibbs #54 Monster Energy Patriotic Toyota Camry-That bottom stripe is so awful, it takes an A scheme down to a C.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Scott 1000 Ford Mustang-It’s a great scheme but a bit of a downgrade from last year. A-

Casey Mears #62 Gracie Foundation Chevy Camaro-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Corey Heim #67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Patriotic Toyota Camry-Reversing the red and blue makes this scheme worse, and takes a C down to a D.

Michael McDowell #71 Defense Unicorns Chevy Camaro-Meh design scheme, meh color scheme, just meh, this gets a C.

Carson Hocevar #77 Spectrum Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Toyota Camry-I love the sunset motif, and I love the designs. This gets an A.

Connor Zilisch #88 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Kevin Magnussen #91 Qualcomm Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme plus an awful design scheme earns a C.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Cardell Cabinetry,Boot Barn,NAPA Gold Filters,The Fallen Outdoors,Anduril,Hard Rock Casino Tejon,Hard Rock Cafe,Texas A&M University,George H.W. Bush,DriveValue.com,Sycuan Casino and Resort,Scott 1000,Gracie Foundation,Defense Unicorns,Kevin Magnussen,Qualcomm,Ross Chastain,Kubota,Austin Cindric,Menard’s,Austin Dillon,Noah Gragson,Rush Truck Centers,Chase Elliott,Ty Dillon,Denny Hamlin,Bob’s Discount Furniture,Chris Buescher,Body Guard,Josh Berry,Motorcraft,Quick Lane,William Byron,Austin Hill,Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen,Zane Smith,Cole Custer,John Hunter Nemechek,Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,Alex Bowman,Ally Financial,Ty Gibbs,Monster Energy,Ryan Preece,Kroger,Casey Mears,Corey Heim,Mobil 1,O’Reilly Auto Parts,Michael McDowell,Carson Hocevar,Spectrum,Jimmie Johnson,Carvana,Connor Zilisch,Red Bull,Shane van Gisbergen,NASCAR Cup Series,NASCAR Cup,NASCAR,Chevy Camaro,Chevy,Camaro,Ford Mustang,Ford,Mustang,Toyota Camry,Toyota,Camry,By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Kubota Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

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

Austin Dillon #3 Boot Barn Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Gold Filters Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This is a downgrade from both last years

Ty Dillon #10 The Fallen Outdoors Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Denny Hamlin #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Patriotic Toyota Camry-Not better than the regular scheme, not worse, same C grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford MustangNew scheme for 2026, black with patriotic elements. FAmazing that last year’s camo design is actually better than this year’s scheme. F

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Patriotic Ford Mustang-Nothing wrong with this scheme. A

William Byron #24 Anduril Chevy Camaro-Good look, not over designed, this gets an A.

Austin Hill #33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Zane Smith #38 Hard Rock Casino Tejon/Hard Rock Cafe Ford Mustang-Not really amazing, not really awful, this gets a C.

Cole Custer #41 Texas A&M University/George H.W. Bush Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 DriveValue.com Toyota Camry-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Sycuan Casino and Resort Chevy Camaro-Mediocre design and mediocre color schemes combine for a C grade.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Changing the colors isn’t doing this scheme any favors, it’s still ugly and over designed. F

Ty Gibbs #54 Monster Energy Patriotic Toyota Camry-That bottom stripe is so awful, it takes an A scheme down to a C.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Scott 1000 Ford Mustang-It’s a great scheme but a bit of a downgrade from last year. A-

Casey Mears #62 Gracie Foundation Chevy Camaro-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Corey Heim #67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Patriotic Toyota Camry-Reversing the red and blue makes this scheme worse, and takes a C down to a D.

Michael McDowell #71 Defense Unicorns Chevy Camaro-Meh design scheme, meh color scheme, just meh, this gets a C.

Carson Hocevar #77 Spectrum Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Toyota Camry-I love the sunset motif, and I love the designs. This gets an A.

Connor Zilisch #88 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Kevin Magnussen #91 Qualcomm Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme plus an awful design scheme earns a C.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-June 13, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Lime Chevy Camaro-I like the look here. The green works well. A

Austin Cindric #2 Menards/Ideal Door Ford MustangNo change. A

Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

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

Austin Dillon #3 BetMGM x Survivor Triple Challenge Chevy Camaro-The Survivor Triple Challenge aspect is awful, the BetMGM part looks good, this gets a C.

Noah Gragson #4 Ribbiot Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, this gets a C.

Brad Keselowski #6 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-Mediocre design and mediocre color equal a C.

Daniel Suarez #7 Freeway Insurance/Roamly Chevy Camaro-Mediocre design and mediocre color equal a C.

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian Shake ‘Em Bites Toyota Camry-This is way too over designed to get anything more than an F.

Ryan Blaney #12 Wabash Throwback Ford Mustang-I like a very accurate throwback, and this is a great throwback. A

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Rustik Oven Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Josh Berry #21 Capgemini Ford Mustang-I like the purple, but the blue really doesn’t work here, and the stripes don’t work. It’s not bad, not great, and it gets a C.

Bubba Wallace #23 Shady Rays Toyota Camry-Getting rid of the stripe will elevate this to an A. With the stripe, this gets an A-.

Austin Hill #33 Rebel Bourbon Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Austin Hill #33 zone Jalapeño Lime Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A- grade.

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

Cole Custer #41 Air Lift Ford Mustang-Taking a good scheme and making it better will always earn an A.

JJ Yeley #44 Fanatics Casino Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Chevy Camaro-Taking a bad scheme and making it worse will always earn an F.

Cody Ware #51 Super.com Chevy Camaro-Taking a good scheme and making it better will always earn an A.

Cody Ware #51 Rocket Doctor Chevy Camaro-The yellow is awful, and clashes with the rest of the scheme, and the circles just don’t work. This is just awful and it gets an F.

Connor Zilisch #88 WeatherTech Camaro-Taking a good scheme and making it better will always earn an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-May 30, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Country Chevy Camaro-Not terrible, but a bit of a downgrade from the regular scheme. A-

Ryan Blaney #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang-Too over designed to be any good. F

AJ Allmendinger #16 Spire Academy powered by VensureHR Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, and good design scheme will always. A

Chris Buescher #17 Castrol Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Hardee’s Throwback Toyota Camry-Unless something better comes along, this will win best throwback of the year, it’s that good! A

Austin Hill #33 BetMGM Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A grade. (Note: Kyle Busch’s grades will be averaged at the end of the year, and Austin Hill will be graded as his own team.)

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Patriotic Toyota Camry-It’s a good look, and a step up from last year. A

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Chevy Camaro-Cleaning up the sides is a better look, however, the names over the logos and stripes gives the car a cluttered look. F

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Patriotic Toyota Camry-The patriotic motif isn’t better, it isn’t worse, it’s still a B+

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 NOS Energy Chevy Camaro-Too ugly and over designed to get anything but an F.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Celsius Ford Mustang-I like the new look, the black looks good, and this is a solid scheme. A

Chad Finchum #66 Garrison Homes Ford Mustang-I think the stripes are a bit over designed, but it’s still a solid scheme. A-

Corey Heim #67 Chief’s Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #71 Garner Trucking Chevy Camaro-Not terrible, but a downgrade from last year. B

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevy Camaro-This is the best that Tootsies Orchid Lounge has looked in years! A

Paint Scheme Grades-May 23, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey x Folds of Honor Chevy Camaro-I’m not 100% sure what the design is meant to be, but it’s a great look! A

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

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not great, but much better than last year. B

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade. B+

Kyle Larson #5 HendrickCars.com Chevy Camaro-Good look, not over designed, this gets an A

Brad Keselowski #6 BuildSubmarines.com Patriotic Ford Mustang-Taking a great look, and making it better gets an A.

Daniel Suarez #7 Freeway Insurance Chevy Camaro-Cutting edge designs replacing curves does NOT work well. F

Kyle Busch #8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Better look all around. A

Ty Dillon #10 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Patriotic Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Flash I.V. Ford Mustang-Patriotic with fade is a great look. A

AJ Allmendinger #16 Black’s Tire Chevy Camaro-The paint splatter motif is just awful. F

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford Mustang-Normally, moving away from camo would work better, but this is so much worse. F

Chase Briscoe #19 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Patriotic Toyota Camry-The new scheme isn’t better, or worse, so it stays a B.

Christopher Bell #20 Interstate Batteries Patriotic Toyota Camry-As much as I hate camo…this is the best that Interstate Batteries has looked in a good long time. A

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Patriotic Ford Mustang-I like the look, not over done, and works very well. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Patriotic Toyota Camry-Smooth look, great color scheme, earns an A.

Todd Gilliland #34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang-Taking a great scheme and making it better will always earn an A.

Zane Smith #38 Aaron’s Patriotic Ford Mustang-Great look, and it isn’t over done. A

Cole Custer #41 Sysco/Hickory Tavern Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, this gets a C.

Tyler Reddick #45 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Patriotic Toyota Camry-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, this gets a C.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Three Finger Jack Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the green on the rear would elevate this to an A, but with the green on the rear gives this a C.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Another instance where camo is a massive upgrade! A

Cody Ware #51 Evel Knievel Museum/World Supercross Chevy Camaro-The black on the rear looks odd, and takes an A scheme down to an A-.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/StōK Ford Mustang-Good look, good color scheme, not over done, this gets an A.

Timmy Hill #66 Pinnacle Mortgage Corporation Patriotic Ford Mustang-Camo is bad, blue and purple camo is awful. F

Corey Heim #67 Fleetio Toyota Camry-A terrible color scheme, and a terrible design scheme earns an F.

Michael McDowell #71 Modo Casino Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not really an improvement from the other patriotic motif. F

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This is the WORST camo design I have ever seen, and with the ground that covers, that says a lot! F

Paint Scheme Grades-May 16,2026

By David G. Firestone

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

William Byron #24 Axalta Chevy Camaro-I love the design, but there are some color combos that don’t translate well to flames, and orange and white is one of them. All in all, this gets a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Long John Silver’s/Frank’s RedHot Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #4, same C grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 ACM Awards/Pinnacle Toyota Camry-A good color scheme and an awful design scheme will earn a C.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Dragons Chevy Camaro-Not amazing, but the best that Ally has looked all year! A

Cody Ware #51 Museum of the Bible Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A. The Museum of the Bible logo could be a little more original though.

Michael McDowell #71 RCA Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look, and it brings back some serious late 1990’s Hut Stricklin vibes! A

Carson Hocevar #77 MINER Chevy Camaro-This isn’t great, but compared with the other MINER scheme, this is a great improvement. C

Katherine Legge #78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevy Camaro-A slight downgrade from last year. A-

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro-No yellow, still awful. F