Category: paint scheme grades

Paint Scheme Grades-November 6, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Sim Seats Chevy Camaro-An awful design scheme, with a great color scheme will earn a C.

Austin Dillon #3 The Cowboy Channel Chevy Camaro-I like a good fade, and I like the holidays, so this is a great scheme! A

Ryan Newman #6 Kohler Generators Halloween Ford Mustang-This is a unique Halloween look. It’s got a great color scheme, and it looks great. A

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield/iHop Ford Mustang-The light blue rear doesn’t do the car any favors, and the designs look odd as a result. It’s a mediocre scheme that gets a C.

Chris Buescher #17 Fifth-Third Bank Pink Ford Mustang-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Ryan Preece #37 Thomas English Muffins and Bagels/Kroger Chevy Camaro-The new white is visually distracting, and it takes away from the smooth look. I’ll give this an A-

Anthony Alfredo #38 Dude Wipes Halloween Ford Mustang-This is a great look! The colors work, and the design is awesome. A

Cole Custer #41 Dixie Vodka Peach Cocktail Ford Mustang-Peach colors don’t work as well as other colors, and the scheme suffers as a result. It’s not bad, so I’ll give it a B.

Erik Jones #43 Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy Camaro-My only complaint here is that the blue isn’t needed. Other than that, this is a great scheme. A-

Josh Bilicki #52 Insurance King Ford Mustang-This works as a scheme! The mummy motif works, and the car looks great. A

Joey Gase #53 Adkins Construction Chevy Camaro-I like the motif here, and the color scheme is great, so this gets an A.

Justin Haley #77 Spire+ Chevy Camaro-It’s a decent scheme, nothing really wrong, so it gets an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 30, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Chariton Valley and Creek Enterprise Chevy Camaro-The only good thing I can say here is that I like the white. Everything else about this scheme sucks! D-

Ryan Newman #6 Violet Defense Ford Mustang-The yellow door numbers don’t work here, it clashes with the rest of the scheme, and takes a B scheme down to a B-

Tyler Reddick #8 Cat Dealer Tech Chevy Camaro-I like this scheme, the colors are great, and it isn’t over designed. This gets an A.

Aric Almirola #10 Farmland Ford Mustang-The green really isn’t needed here, the car would look cleaner without it. Also, the FARMLAND logos near the front take away from the scheme. I’ll give this a B.

Timmy Hill #13 CrashClaimsR.us Toyota Camry-NSame scheme as #66 Boathouse Bar and Grill, same B grade.

David Starr #13 Brown & Brown Dealer Services/Steelylumber Ford Mustang-The black is an upgrade, and takes the B- scheme up to a B.

Chase Briscoe #14 DeKalb Ford Mustang-I like the corn motif, and the car looks unique and bold, without being over designed. A

Garrett Smithley #15 Trophy Tractor Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #13, same F grade.

Ryan Ellis #15 Arrowhead Brass Chevy Camaro-Metallic gold always looks good on a race car, and when you add in some good white and red elements, you get an A scheme.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota Camry-The changes are minor, and they don’t really affect the scheme, so it gets an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menard’s/Monster Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

William Byron #24 RAPTOR Chevy Camaro-I like the stone motif, and the green works quite well on the dark background. This is a great scheme, and it gets an A.

Ryan Preece #37 Louisiana Hot Sauce/Southeastern Mills Chevy Camaro-The Southeastern Mills area of the car clashes with the rest of the scheme. It looks so out of place, that it took an A- scheme down to a B+.

Josh Bilicki #52 RBR Aviation Ford Mustang-A great color scheme with a great design scheme will ALWAYS earn an A.

Joey Gase #53 Donor Network Chevy Camaro-There’s nothing really wrong here, but nothing really right either. It’s just meh, and it gets a C.

Justin Haley #77 Circle B Diecast Throwback Chevy Camaro-I like the two Stroker Ace throwbacks on the track, and this is a faithful replica, so this gets an A.

B.J. McLeod #78 Pala Casino Resort and Spa Ford Mustang-I love a good fade, and this is a good fade. A

Parker Kligerman #96 Fast Checkout Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 23, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Flannel Chevy Camaro-I think this would be perfect with the flannel motif across the whole car, but this is still great. A

Tyler Reddick #8 CC Ready Mix/Clark Pipeline Service Chevy Camaro-Any scheme that reminds me of the old Dale Earnhardt Sr. Goodwrench Monte Carlo is great! A

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield/Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux Ford Mustang-Normally, I like when when a car is cleaned up, but this is a rare downgrade. The cleaned up sides look odd. It’s not awful, so I’ll give it a B+.

Denny Hamlin #11 Craftsman Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #20, same C grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Fastenal Pink Ford Mustang-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menard’s/Atlas Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Omni-Heat Infinity Toyota Camry-I like this look, it’s bold, and has a great color scheme. A

Ryan Preece #37 Little Hug Fruit Barrels Chevy Camaro-The blue on the rear is pointless, and it takes away from the scheme as a whole. Other than that, this is a great scheme. A-

Ross Chastain #42 Chevrolet Accessories Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Josh Bilicki #52 Junction Fuels Ford Mustang-This is a great look, very well designed, and a great color scheme. A

Joey Gase #53 Branson’s Nantucket Chevy Camaro-This is a great look, and the car isn’t over designed. A

David Starr #66 Conectus/Kyocera Ford Mustang-The car is a tad too over designed, and the green, red, and black are pointless. All things considered, this gets a B-

Justin Haley #77 Shavelogic Chevy Camaro-A major downgrade from the amazing Shavelogic scheme from earlier this year. Good color scheme, but way too over designed. C

Daniel Suarez #99 Freeway Insurance Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme here, but the curved stripes are way too over designed. I’ll give this a C.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 16, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Bos Klein/North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Chevy Camaro-Nothing wrong with this scheme, it’s great. A

Austin Dillon #3 Whelen Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-The black and silver stripes do pop more, but they are very visually distracting. The Mobil 1 on the rear looks forced. The color scheme is good. All things considered, this gets a B-

Ryan Newman #6 Castrol Pink Ford Mustang-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Tyler Reddick #8 Lenovo Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Aric Almirola #10 Ford Warriors in Pink Ford Mustang-Even if this wasn’t a pinkwashing scheme, it’s so badly designed, it would get an F anyway.

Garrett Smithley #15 Boom Mobile Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #15, same A grade.

Josh Bilicki #15 Insurance King Ford Mustang-I like the look here, and the color scheme is great, so this gets an A.

Justin Haley #16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy Camaro-I’d like this scheme more if the water motif was across the car. I don’t like the black on the rear, it jumbles up the scheme. B

AJ Allmendinger #16 Jackpot Party Chevy Camaro-It’s a very well-done scheme, and it looks great. A

Chris Buescher #17 Fastenal Ford Mustang-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Menard’s/Duracel Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

William Byron #24 Valvoline Chevy Camaro-The white on the sides is really odd looking, and really isn’t needed. I might like it more if it was around the whole car. Still, it isn’t awful, so it gets a B+

Anthony Alfredo #38 Citgard Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Erik Jones #43 Power to the Patients Chevy Camaro-A smooth look, a great color scheme, and an A grade does this scheme make.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Cottonelle Chevy Camaro-If you take a bad front, and add a mediocre rear, you get an F scheme.

Joey Hand #52 Boom Mobile Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #15, same A grade.

Garrett Smithley #53 Sparks Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Garrett Smithley #53 Kendall Motor Oil Chevy Camaro-The cutting edge motif works well here, and the car is well designed, so this gets an A.

BJ McLeod #78 CorvetteParts.net/Keen Parts Halloween Ford Mustang-I would normally say this is over designed, but with the Halloween motif, it works. This really does work. A

Paint Scheme Grades-October 9, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light #Hunt4Busch Ford Mustang-The branded camo is awful, the orange is awful, they don’t work well together, so this gets an F.

Ryan Newman #6 Kohler Generators Pink Ford Mustang-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

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

Ryan Preece #37 Kroger/Velveeta Chevy Camaro-This is just awful. Two different clashing styles that don’t look good on their own does not a good scheme make. F

Erik Jones #43 U.S. Air Force Special Warfare Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look, it has a great color scheme, and the car as a whole is amazing! A

Alex Bowman #48 Ally/Charlotte FC Chevy Camaro-I like the checkerboard motif. It’s a unique look, that isn’t over done. Add in a great color scheme, and you have earned an A.

Josh Bilicki #52 Byrna.com Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Josh Bilicki #52 Junction Fuels Ford Mustang-You really can’t go wrong with this throwback. It’s great, and it earns an A.

Garrett Smithley #53 Victory Lane Oil/Red Line Oil/Boom MOBILE Chevy Camaro-It’s horribly done, it’s ugly, and it just doesn’t work. F

James Davison #66 Rich Mar Florist/Hawaiian Hibiscus Ford Mustang-This is a great look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Justin Allgaier #77 Brandt Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Justin Haley #77 Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Bon Secours St. Francis Health Systems Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

B.J. McLeod #78 NASCAR Ignition Ford Mustang-The rainbow stripes work well on the black background, and the car as a whole looks amazing. A

Paint Scheme Grades-October 2, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quinn Houff #00 Eagle Rock Wealth Management Chevy Camaro-I think the light green isn’t needed, other than that, this works. A-

Kyle Larson #5 Tarlton & Son Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ryan Newman #6 Violet Defense Ford Mustang-The fade is great, the stripes aren’t. This gets a B.

Tyler Reddick #8 Cat Trial 11: Hot Wheels Chevy Camaro-A good color scheme and an awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Chris Buescher #17 Violet Defense Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same B grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry-This is a great scheme, with a smooth and simple look, which earns an A.

Ryan Preece #37 Natural Light Vodka Chevy Camaro-This is ugly, the stripes are horrid, and the pink and yellow color scheme just makes it worse. F

Anthony Alfredo #38 Dockside Logistics Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Cole Custer #41 Dixie Vodka Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Healthy Choice Power Bowls Chevy Camaro-Bad front plus good rear equals a C.

Paint Scheme Grades-September 25, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Boss Hoss Cycles Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Kevin Harvick #4 Subway Delivery Ford Mustang-The car is much too over designed, the black isn’t needed, and the green and yellow don’t work with the sublimated designs. F

Tyler Reddick #8 Food City/Childress Vineyards Chevy Camaro-Another instance of two different design schemes on one car, and while there isn’t anything wrong, there isn’t anything right either. C

Tyler Reddick #8 Realtree Chevy Camaro-Camo does NOT look good on a race car, and the white doesn’t help at all. F

James Davison #15 Greatest Generations Foundation Chevy Camaro-It’s a very well designed car. It isn’t over designed, and the color scheme is great. A

Martin Truex Jr. #19 Bass Pro Shops/SherryStrong.org Toyota Camry-This is a great scheme, with a great color scheme. Also, since Sherry Pollex has battled ovarian cancer, I won’t come down like I do most pinkwashing, since she has a real reason to use the color. This will apply for all drivers. If you run pink to support someone you know, you will get a pass. A

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Reese/Drawtite Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-This is another scheme where nothing is really wrong, but nothing is really right either. It’s just meh. C

Ryan Preece #37 Viva Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look, that isn’t over designed, and that will earn an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger Chevy Camaro-I like the new Kroger template better than the old one, but this one, with the four logos just looks awful. I can’t say anything good here. F

Garrett Smithley #53 Boom Mobile Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look, that isn’t over designed, and that will earn an A.

David Starr #66 Whataburger Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

BJ McLeod #78 International Materials Ford Mustang-I like the white front and stripe, the blue and red rear works, and this scheme is great. A

BJ McLeod #78 Honor And Remember Ford Mustang-Camo does NOT look good on a race car, and even the black roof can’t save this. F

Daniel Suarez #99 Coca-Cola Hispanic Heritage Month Chevy Camaro-I get what they were trying to do, but it’s not great. It looks jumbled, and forced, and it doesn’t work. Still, it isn’t horrible, so I’ll give it a C.

Paint Scheme Grades-September 18, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Trucker Appreciation Chevy Camaro-It’s not that I don’t like the stripes, I just think they’re over done. B+

Austin Dillon #3 Roland Chevy Camaro-The front is awful, the rear is great, they both cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Kyle Larson #5 Hendrickcars.com Patriotic Chevy Camaro-I really like the stars in the blank white space, I think they look great, and they get an A.

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Meyer Bacon Ford Mustang-It’s a great look, the bacon motif works, and the color scheme is great. A

Corey LaJoie #7 Shavelogic Chevy Camaro-This is a great look, smooth, simple, and has a great color scheme. A

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield/Tuesday’s Children Ford Mustang-The front is awful, the rear is great, they both cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Chase Briscoe #14 Cummins/Rush Truck Centers/Thank a Trucker Ford Mustang-It’s a great look, the color scheme is great, and I can’t say anything bad about it.

Joey Gase #15 Donate Life VA Chevy Camaro-I don’t like the swirls, or the yellow. Plain blue with some slight designs would work better. Still, this isn’t awful, so it gets an F.

Chris Buescher #17 Fastenal Patriotic Ford Mustang-I hate the wave on the side of this car. It’s not terrible, but it doesn’t look good. B

Christopher Bell #20 DEWALT Salute First Responders Toyota Camry-This…just doesn’t work. There are too many contrasting designs, and too many designs. This is just awful. F

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane/National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Ryan Preece #37 Kroger/Crest Chevy Camaro-Another smooth look, and it has a great color scheme, so this gets an A.

Erik Jones #43 Petty’s Garage Never Forget 9-11 Chevy Camaro-It’s got a great look, and it isn’t over designed, so this gets an A.

Garrett Smithley #51 Nurtec ODT/Nine Line Apparel/9/11 Tribute Chevy Camaro-A great tribute scheme can be done without a lot of bells and whistles. This is a perfect example of one. Nothing but what needs to be said. A

Josh Bilicki #52 Chesterfield Auto Parts Firetruck Ford Mustang-This is, by far, my favorite 9-11 tribute scheme. This looks great, I love the design, and I can’t say anything bad. A

Justin Haley #77 Shavelogic Chevy Camaro-This is a great look, smooth, simple, and has a great color scheme. A

Paint Scheme Grades-September 11, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light Throwback Ford Mustang-Same scheme as 2018, same A grade.

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Meyer Bologna Ford Mustang-A great look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Motorcraft Throwback Ford Mustang-I never really liked this scheme, and I still don’t. Everything from the door numbers to the wave is just bad. I’ll never like this. F

Ryan Preece #37 Kroger/Hershey’s S’mores Chevy Camaro-This isn’t great, but it does work. The color and design schemes work well, even though the template sucks. I’ll give this a B.

Anthony Alfredo #38 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Little Hug Chevy Camaro-The clashing of styles is really apparent, and, like many new Kroger schemes, it looks awful. This doesn’t work at all. F

Josh Bilicki #52 Juntion Fuels Throwback Ford Mustang-We may have a new front runner for best throwback of the year! I love the old MGD scheme, and this is a faithful replica! This is awesome, and it gets an A.

Justin Haley #77 Greenville Swamp Rabbits/Bon Secours Chevy Camaro-The shade of blue is kind of better, as are the cleaned up stripes. I’ll give this a C+

Paint Scheme Grades-September 4, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 UNITS Moving and Portable Storage Chevy Camaro-The cutting edge is a downgrade, and the addition of more black doesn’t help. This gets a C.

Quin Houff #00 UNITS Moving and Portable Storage Chevy Camaro-The cleaner look is good, but the black is too prevalent here. Switching blue and black would work better. C+

Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Shaping Black Futures Toyota Camry-It’s a good look, not over designed, and has a great color scheme, so this gets an A.

Chase Briscoe #14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-I love everything about this scheme! The silver works, the blue works, the stripes work, and this just looks great! A

Joey Gase #15 ProMaster Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Kaz Grala #16 Goettl Air Conditioning Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia PFG Toyota Camry-It’s a unique look, I like animal prints, and the car isn’t over designed, so it gets an A.

Erik Jones #43 Columbia PFG Chevy Camaro-It’s a unique look, I like animal prints, and the car isn’t over designed, so it gets an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Funfetti Chevy Camaro-I think the car is somewhat over done, and the stripes aren’t needed. It’s not bad, just a little over done. B

Garrett Smithley #53 True Brand/National Breast Cancer Foundation/Solid Start Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

David Starr #66 Midwest Mobile Tech Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

BJ McLeod #78 Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures/Gatorland Ford Mustang-It’s a unique look, I like animal prints, and the car isn’t over designed, so it gets an A.

BJ McLeod #78 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts 9/11 Tribute Ford Mustang-It’s a well done tribute scheme, not over designed, and tasteful. A