Category: paint scheme grades

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

Paint Scheme Grades-August 28, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Kyle Larson #5 Valvoline Chevy Camaro-Changing color from red to blue doesn’t really change much here. It’s still a blah scheme, and it earns a C.

Kyle Larson #5 Cincinnati Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the black would bring this up to an A. With the black, this gets a B+

Ryan Newman #6 Coca Cola Ford Mustang-The only thing that I can defend here is the shade of red. Everything else just doesn’t work. D-

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Childhood Cancer Awareness Month Chevy Camaro-This is a great looking scheme, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

Joey’s Gase #15 The Lisa Foundation Chevy Camaro-A smooth look, with a great color scheme will ALWAYS earn an A.

Matt DiBenedetto #21 Motorcraft/Ford Senior Master Technicians Ford Mustang-Same scheme as 2019, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-I’ve been wanting this for years, and I’m not the only one. I like the idea of the roof numbers facing the fans in the stands. This is great, so I’ll give it an A.

Michael McDowell #34 Martin Transportation Systems Ford Mustang-The changes this year, do not add or subtract from the total scheme, so it gets the same C it got last year.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Maxwell House Chevy Camaro-The white hood takes a D scheme down to a D-. The white hood looks awful.

Josh Bilicki #52 Zeigler Auto Group Ford Mustang-The color scheme is good, but I hate the design scheme. They cancel each other out, and this gets a C.

Garrett Smithley #53 Kendall Motor Oil Chevy Camaro-Black with red works well, and the car isn’t over designed, so I’ll give this an A.

BJ McLeod #78 Keen Parts/Corvette Parts Ford Mustang-A simple look is a plus. Add in the red lightning bold, and you have an A scheme.

Landon Cassill #96 Carnomaly Toyota Camry-This is a mediocre scheme, with a decent color scheme. I’ll give it a C.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 21, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Sherfick Companies Chevy Camaro-The major issue here is that there is too much white. Orange and black work well, but the white is visually distracting. It’s not bad, so I’ll give it a B+

Quin Houff #00 The Frank and Shirley Dick Family YMCA/Creek Enterprise Chevy Camaro-This would work well with just the sky blue and a white hood, but this is actually great, so it gets an A-.

Ryan Newman #6 Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs Ford Mustang-Red with yellow stripes, and hot dogs works very well, and this car looks great. A

Aric Almirola #10 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-Everything here works well, and this car has a great look. A

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

James Davison #15 Tilson Chevy Camaro-The white with the mountain works well, the car is well designed, this gets an A.

Martin Truex Jr. #19 Auto-Owners Insurance/Martin Truex Jr. Foundation/SherryStrong Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that always earns an A.

Ryan Preece #37 Kroger Chevy Camaro-his new template is much better than the old one. There is room for improvement, but it’s an upgrade. B

Anthony Alfredo #38 Elliott’s Custom Motorcoaches Ford Mustang-The shades of blue work well, and the stripes look good. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Hungry Jack Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that always earns an A.

Josh Bilicki #52 Saved By The King Ford Mustang-It’s a well designed scheme, great colors, and the whole scheme works, even though I never watched Saved By The Bell. A

Paint Scheme Grades-August 14, 2021

By David G. Firestone

Quin Houff #00 Fare/Share Chevy Camaro-It’s a tad over done. There are too many dots and stripes, and the gray is pointless. Still, it isn’t awful, so I give it a B.

Brad Keselowski #2 Wabash National Ford Mustang-I like this bold, and smooth look. It has a great color scheme. This gets an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Cowboy Channel Chevy Camaro-I like a good fade, and the design works, so this gets an A.

Ryan Newman #6 Socios Ford Mustang-I think that this car is way too over designed, and it just looks awful. The lava motif is what kills it for me. This can’t get anything higher than an F.

Tyler Reddick #8 Chevy Accessories Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #3, same C grade.

Aric Almirola #10 Go Bowling Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

James Davison #15 Project 44 Chevy Camaro-It’s a mediocre design scheme, with a mediocre color scheme, and that will earn it a C grade.

RC Enerson #15 Lucas Oil School of Racing Chevy Camaro-Way too much going on here, and the misuse of silver doesn’t help. I think that this is too over designed, so it gets an F.

Chris Buescher #17 Socios Ford Mustang-I think that the designs are a bit over done, and the use of black isn’t really needed here. Still it isn’t awful, so this gets a B-

Kyle Busch #18 Snickers Toyota Camry-The larger stripe on the front is a bit of a downgrade from last year. I think the older design worked better. Still, this is actually a great design considering, so this gets an A-.

Joey Logano #22 Verizon 5G Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #3, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Toyota Toyota Camry-If the colors were reversed, it would look a lot better. White over red works better than red over white. B-

Ryan Preece #37 Kleenex Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Anthony Alfredo #38 Bence Motor Sales Ford Mustang-This is a horrifically over designed mess with a bad color scheme, and no redeeming qualities. F

Anthony Alfredo #38 Golden Nugget Online Gaming Ford Mustang-My one complaint here is that the stars on the hood are bad. Other than that, this is a solid scheme. A

Ross Chastain #42 MyMcDonald’s Rewards Chevy Camaro-For all of the great schemes McDonald’s has had over the years, this is a major downgrade. I hate when a car looks like it was designed by several different people, and this is a perfect example. F

Erik Jones #43 Clean Harbors Chevy Camaro-Great looking scheme with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Bush’s Best Chevy Camaro-Even with the new and improved template, the two different styles do clash. With this new template, it isn’t as bad. B

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

Garrett Smithley #53 Skip Barber Racing School Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #15, same A grade.

Kyle Tilley #78 Blacktop Mojo Ford Mustang-A great fade works, and red to black is a great color scheme. Add in that it isn’t over designed, and you have an A scheme.

Kyle Tilley #78 Bremont Chronometers Ford Mustang-This is another scheme where a great color scheme cancels out a horrible design scheme, and the car is a C as a result.