paint scheme grades

Paint Scheme Grades-June 30, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Tomy Drissi #00 GoShare Chevy Camaro-That is a beautiful looking throwback!  I really can’t say anything more than that! A

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Rehydrate Ford Fusion-When it comes to this scheme, there is nothing really wrong here, but there isn’t anything right here either.  It’s just a meh scheme, not impressive, not unimpressive.  I’ll give it a C.

Gray Gaulding #23 EarthWater Toyota Camry-Getting rid of the gray really didn’t help this scheme much.  It’s still ugly and over designed, but it’s slightly less ugly and over designed. It has graduated from an F to a D-.

Ryan Newman #31 Granger/Red Cross Chevy Camaro-This color scheme suits the Granger scheme even better than the regular one.  The regular scheme is worth an A, so this scheme will also get an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Anest Iwata Ford Fusion-A good fade with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 The Hartford Group Ford Fusion-A good fade with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Chris Buescher #37 Maxwell House Max Chevy SS-This was a great scheme last year, and this scheme is even better.  I love the smooth, simple scheme, and the fact it has a great color scheme makes it worth an A.

David Ragan #38 MDS Patriotic Ford Fusion-Same basic scheme as MDS, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Credit One Patriotic Chevy Camaro-I don’t think the silver is needed here, it should be just red, white, and blue.  I also think that the scheme is a bit over designed for my taste.  It’s not terrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

Chris Cook #51 Shockwave Chevy Camaro-The fade with checkered flag motif works quite well.  Add in a great color scheme, and  you have a bold scheme with a great look. A

Cody Ware #52 ASC Construction/Bubba Burger Chevy Camaro-This is a great motif, it works well, and isn’t over designed.  This looks good. A

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Paint Scheme Grades-June 16, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Salutes Veterans Chevy Camaro-The silver works very well, and the patriotic motif is not over done, and looks quite good. This is a great scheme. A

DJ Kennington #7 APC Chevy Camaro-Decent color scheme, but the cutting edge design is over done.  If it was toned down, it would be much better.  Still, it’s not horrible, so I’ll give it a B-.

Ross Chastain #15 Flight Path International Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Jack Links Beef Jerky Ford Fusion-Another instance of the Menard’s template working well.  This is the best template I’ve seen in a long time. A

Gray Gaulding #23 Redwing Toyota Camry-The only good thing I can say about this is that the color scheme isn’t bad, which is generous, since this is an ugly, over designed mess of a scheme.  D-

Ryan Newman #31 Okuma Chevy Camaro-This is another example of a “new” scheme that is simply rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.  It’s a slight change from last year’s scheme that neither adds or subtracts from it.  As such, this scheme earns the same D+ grade it earned last year.

Michael McDowell #34 Dockside Logistics Ford Fusion-Same scheme as the old Dockside Logistics, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Scott Comfort Plus Chevy Camaro-It’s over designed, but it sort of works.  The color scheme works well too.  After taking everything into consideration, I give this scheme a C-.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Meijer Ford Fusion-This is a great scheme.  It’s simple, smooth, bold, and has a great color scheme. I can’t say anything bad about my scheme.  A

Cole Whitt #72 Zomongo Chevy Camaro– The green is bad, the design is just as bad, and the blue logos look horrifically out of place on the green and black background. F

Kasey Kahne #95 Chevy Accessories Chevy Camaro-If Kasey spent more time working on his driving skills as he does working on the design of his cars, he would have more wins than Richard Petty.  This is an over designed mess, with a bad color scheme.  Nothing about this scheme works at all. F

Garrett Smithley #99 Victory Lane Oil Change Chevy Camaro-Red and white works well as a color scheme, the design scheme works well, and the checkered flag motif works well too.  All in all, it’s worth an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-June 9, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 TW Cable Chevy Camaro-It’s a little bit over done, but it’s not terrible.  The stripes could be toned down, but the color scheme is good. B+

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chase Elliott #9 Little Caesars Chevy Camaro-It’s a toned down classic look, and orange and white work quite well here. All in all, it’s a great look, that earns an A.

Clint Bowyer #14 Busch Light Ford Fusion-Same scheme as #14, same A grade.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Weis Markets Chevy Camaro-This is a great shade of red, and I like the overall design, which looks good.  There isn’t really a bad thing I can say about this, so I won’t. A

Kasey Kahne #95 FDNY Foundation Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Paint Scheme Grades-June 2, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Matt Kenseth #6 Wyndham Rewards Patriotic Ford Fusion-Decent scheme, but not enough red for a patrioitic scheme, and the middle of the car is an over desigend mess of jumbled stripes. C-

JJ Yeley #7 Steakhouse Elite Chevy Camaro-The camo gives the black a cluttered look, and the gold isn’t used enough.   The color scheme works well, but the design scheme needs improvement. B-

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s a decent scheme, but the sides are over designed, and the yellow door number contrasts with the scheme as a whole.  It looks cluttered, and while it could be better, it isn’t awful. C

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Patriotic Ford Fusion-The black clashes with the patriotic motif, which itself is a jumbled mess of stripes.  It has a decent color scheme, but the scheme earns a D-.

Ross Chastain #15 Internetwork Engineering Chevy Camaro-A smooth, simple look with a great color scheme that earns an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Fastenal Patriotic Ford Fusion-The patriotic motif is a bit over done, but it’s not terrible, and the color scheme works well with the design scheme.  All things considered, it’s worth a B-.

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

Daniel Suarez #19 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #18, same F grade.

Erik Jones #20 Circle K Toyota Camry-It is still a decent scheme, but black replacing white isn’t an upgrade, and the changing of the stripe angle doesn’t improve it either.  Both of these changes take an A scheme down to a B+.

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-The plain hood and roof look out of place when compared to the jumbled mess of designs on the sides.  The side is so over designs with random elements, that it makes my head hurt.  I can’t say anything good about this scheme, so I won’t. F

William Byron #24 Liberty University Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Replacing the standard text with patriotic text works well, and it looks good. A

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s amazing how a change of color and change of design can take a scheme that is awful to a high A scheme.  This scheme looks great, and I give it an A.

Ryan Newman #31 Kalahari Resorts Chevy SS-Same basic scheme as last year, same C-grade.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Cosmo Motors Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same B- grade.

Michael McDowell #34 Dockside Logistics Patriotic Ford Fusion-Replacing the standard text with patriotic text works well, and it looks good. A

Chris Buescher #37 Cottonelle Chevy Camaro-The cotton and the blue would work by themselves, but together they just don’t work.  The color scheme is good, but the design scheme looks odd.  All totaled, this scheme gets a C-.

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as their Clash scheme, same D- grade.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Kroger Red, White & Barbecue Chevy Camaro-There are too many different design elements.  Each one by themselves would work, but together they give the car a jumbled look that earns an F.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s amazing how a change of color and change of design can take a scheme that is awful to a high A scheme.  This scheme looks great, and I give it an A.

Jeffery Earnhardt #55 Black Rifle Coffee Chevy Camaro-The sides are a tad over designed, but its not bad.  It’s a good scheme that’s worth an A-.

Timmy Hill #66 Crash Claims R Us Toyota Camry-The blue on the front is pointless, and ugly.  They serve no purpose, and take an A scheme down to an A-.

Corey LaJoie #72 MyFreedomSmokes.com Chevy Camaro-The military motif works very well here, and the design is great, and earns an A.

Martin Truex Jr. #78 5-Hour Energy Toyota Patriotic Camry-It’s amazing how a change of color and change of design can take a scheme that is awful to a high A scheme.  This scheme looks great, and I give it an A.

Kasey Kahne #95 Throne Chevy Camaro-It’s a great shade of green, and the design works well on the sides.  It’s a great look. A

Parker Kligerman #96 Gaunt Brothers Racing Chevy Camaro-Changing the color from red to black works well, and the car still looks good. A

Paint Scheme Grades-May 26, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy Camaro-Replacing black with white could have gone a long way, but this scheme isn’t horrible, so I’ll give it a B+.

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Throwback Ford Fusion-The vintage can design worked for Brad Keselowski last year, and it works for Kevin Harvick this year.  The car has a great look with a great color scheme, and earns an A as a result.

Matt Kenseth #6 Roush Throwback Ford Fusion-I loved the Eagle One scheme back in the day, and I love this faithful replica today.  It has a great look, and a great design, and earns an A.

Chase Elliott #9 Sun Energy Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield/Waffle House Ford Fusion-Too many different designs, which all contrast with each other is not a great look.  This isn’t a scheme I can give any higher than an F, so I won’t.

Ryan Blaney #12 Hawk Performance/Carlisle Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, same as Fleetwood RV, but with Hawk Performance on sides, and Carlisle on sides. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1/Stewart-Haas Racing Fan Club Ford Fusion-It’s a meh design scheme with a decent color scheme, so, all things considered, I’ll give it a C.

Clint Bowyer #14 IT Savvy Ford Fusion-Orange can be iffy on race cars, but this scheme works well.  The shade of orange is good, and the design works very well.  A

Justin Marks #15 Sufferfest Beer Chevy Camaro-The design scheme works well, the color scheme works perfectly with the design scheme, and this scheme earns an A.

Ross Chastain #15 Caddy’s Chevy Camaro-I love the beach motif, it’s a bold, unique look, that isn’t over designed, and the car looks great as a result! A

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

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Knauf Ford Fusion-The new Penske template is a piece of perfection.  The schemes all look great, are bold, but not over designed messes.  This is yet another perfect example of a great Penske Template scheme. A

William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro-We have a new front runner for best throwback scheme!  This was a great scheme back in the day, and it looks good today.  I can’t say anything bad here, so I won’t. A

William Byron #24 Hertz Chevy Camaro-As much as I like the color scheme here, I can’t say the same for the design.  It’s a little too over designed for my taste. Toning down the stripes would work better.  It’s still not a bad design,but it does have its flaws, so I’ll give it a B+.

Ryan Newman #31 CAT/Granger Chevy Camaro-It’s a unique look, with a great color scheme, and I really can’t say anything bad about it.  A

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Zynga Poker Ford Fusion-Great color scheme, great design scheme, and I love the poker chip motif used here. A

Chris Buescher #37 Clorox Chevy Camaro-The cutting edge design scheme is a downgrade from last year.  Also, the red could be toned down too.  All things considered, I’ll give it a B-.

BJ McLeod #51 Prefund Capital Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Timmy Hill #66 Sentinel One Chevy Camaro-My only complaint is that the side designs could be toned down a bit, but other than that, it’s a great scheme. A-

Alex Bowman #88 Nationwide Patriotic Chevy Camaro-A bit bolder than last year, this new patriotic scheme is quite good, and it’s not over done.  I like this scheme, and it earns an A.

Kasey Kahne #95 Drumont Jets Chevy Camaro-Another great throwback scheme.  Kasey’s Budweiser scheme has always been good, and this faithful replica is no exception. A

Paint Scheme Grades-May 19, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Dari-O Chevy Camaro-Good design scheme, but it could be toned down just a bit. Good color scheme too. All in all, it’s worth a B+.

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/Textron Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Cessna, same A grade.

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Prime Ford Fusion-Its a smooth look, the vertical fade works well, and the color scheme is great. I can’t say anything bad about this scheme. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Haas 30 Years Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Hass CNC, same A grade.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Atlas Designer Shingles Ford Fusion-Another example of the new Menard’s template working very well. This is a great design, and the color scheme works well here. A

Gray Gaulding #23 Toyota Camry-Another example of design for the sake of design. The side is a jumbled mess of red and black geometric designs that look awful, and I can only give it an F

Chris Buescher #37 Breyers Chevy Camaro-Toning down the designs in the red would work better, and toning down the red part lower down the car would work as well. It’s not a bad scheme, but it needs some work. B-

Kyle Larson #42 First Data Clover Chevy Camaro-There is nothing really wrong with this scheme, but nothing really right about it either. The color scheme is bland, and the design scheme is bland. It is going to get the C it deserves.

Reed Sorenson #55 Harrah’s Casino Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, nothing wrong here. A

Timmy Hill #66 Crash Claims R Us Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, nothing wrong here. A

Corey LaJoie #72 Schluter Systems Chevy Camaro-Schluter Systems loves to take bad designs and make them worse. This new all red scheme is much worse than anything they have come out with before. Add in the fact that the scheme is needlessly over designed, and you have a scheme worth an F.

Kasey Kahne #95 TWD Chevy Camaro-Kasey really needs to stop adding his design preferences to his schemes. This scheme has a decent color scheme, but the design scheme is bad, and doesn’t work with the color scheme. It’s not good, and I can’t defend it. F

Paint Scheme Grades-May 12, 2017

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 RNH Electric Chevy Camaro-Decent color scheme, decent design scheme, they just don’t work well together. It’s a rather bland scheme, that is worth a C.

Ross Chastain #15 Eat Florida Watermelon Chevy Camaro-I LOVE the watermelon motif used here! This is an amazing look, and I can’t give it anything less than an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Little Hug Fruit Barrels Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

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

Michael McDowell #34 Dockside Logistics Ford Fusion-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Kroger Checklist Chevy Camaro-Same basic scheme as #47, same B- grade.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 World Wide Technology Chevy Camaro-Decent color scheme, good design scheme, they don’t work together. I also don’t like the dark blue front, it should be used throughout the whole car. C

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Eckrich Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, good design scheme, they work well together, and it’s a good look that earns an A.

Cody Ware #51 Keen Buildings Chevy Camaro-The matte black look is good, the car has a smooth look, and the car has a great overall look. A

Kasey Kahne #95 Ollies Bargain Outlet Chevy Camaro-Its a good look, with a great color scheme. It works very well. A

Derrike Cope #99 Star Com Fiber Chevy Camaro-Reversing the colors of the #00 doesn’t really help, in fact, it takes a C scheme down to a C-. The yellow front works better for this scheme.