Tag: aj allmendinger

The Final Paint Scheme Grades of 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ty Dillon #10 Alpine Partners Chevy Camaro-I’m not sure why, but I really don’t like this shade of blue with this scheme. It’s not bad, but it could be a lot better. B+

AJ Allmendinger #16 Celsius Sports Vibe Chevy Camaro-I like the look, the color scheme works well, and I like the stripes, A

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree/Ziploc Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

JJ Yeley #44 Fanatics Sportsbook Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a slight downgrade from the other scheme. A-

Michael McDowell #71 Tide Chevy Camaro-Tide has many great NASCAR schemes throughout history, and this isn’t one of them. It’s an ugly, over designed mess, that just looks awful. F

Daniel Suarez #99 Trackhouse Chevy Camaro-It’s an ugly, over designed mess, and this gets an F.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 30, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Throwback Chevy Camaro-While I think it’s odd a black mustang is on a Chevy, this is still an awesome retro look! A

Brad Keselowski #6 BuildSubmarines.com Ford Mustang-The look is still solid, and I can’t find fault with veterans’ names on sides. A

Kyle Busch #8 Morgan & Morgan Chevy Camaro-While I would prefer the fades, this is still an amazing look! A

AJ Allmendinger #16 Black’s Tire Chevy Camaro-Black looks much better than blue, and this scheme is better as a result. A

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Tree Top Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Pudgy Penguins Chevy Camaro-I don’t like the color or design scheme. I also rarely ever comment on this, but the black on the door numbers really derails the scheme. F

Paint Scheme Grades-August 16, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey Infinite Cool Underwear Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

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

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season Chevy Camaro-Much better than the original version. A

Noah Gragson #4 ArmorGuard Ford Mustang-Too many designs, and the orange and blue shades don’t work with each other. F

Justin Haley #7 Gainbridge Super League Chevy Camaro-Not a bad look, not over done, the design works. A

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro-I would love this if it were just the white and red stripes. I would like it more if the stripes were straight. This gets a B.

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Black’s Tire Chevy Camaro-Much better than the previous version, this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Kleenex Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #17, same A grade.

Katherine Legge #78 Desnuda Chevy Camaro-A smooth look, good color scheme, this gets an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 2, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Lime Chevy Camaro-I like the color, and it works with the apple motif. A

Noah Gragson #4 Zep Ford Mustang-I like this new look, removing the light blue works well. A

Noah Gragson #4 Rasmussen Air & Gas Energy Mustang-Not great, but a slight upgrade from last year. C+

Brad Keselowski #6 Kroger/Blue Buffalo Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Justin Haley #7 Gainbridge/TED Sports Indy Chevy Camaro-Black with red works very well, and the Indy motif works well. A

Kyle Busch #8 Slurpee Chevy Camaro-Black and pink would work better, but the car is still over designed. F

Kyle Busch #8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not a bad look at all.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Desi9n to Drive Chevy Camaro-A good look, a good design, and a good color scheme. A

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Gold Filters Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Denny Hamlin #11 ampm Toyota Camry-Good color scheme, bad design scheme earns a C.

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

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Delta Flooring Ford Mustang-A good look, good design, good color scheme. A

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

Will Brown #13 Mobile X Chevy Camaro-A great look, not over designed, looks great! A

AJ Allmendinger #16 Big Sipz Chevy Camaro-Why is over designed cars with yellow and black is a thing? This just looks awful! F

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ford Mustang-The color scheme looks odd. Not bad, not good, just odd. Add in a mediocre design scheme, and this gets a C.

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #60, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Trimble Ford Mustang-Too many designs, and while I normally like a fade, the white to yellow just doesn’t work. D

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Diet Cherry Coke Ford Mustang-Loving the throwback Diet Cherry Coke logos, and the red works well too. A

Chase Briscoe #19 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Patriotic Toyota Camry-Cleaning up the sides looks really good. This gets an A.

Christopher Bell #20 CRAFTSMAN Racing for a Miracle Toyota Camry-A great look, not over done, this looks great! A

Josh Berry #21 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #12, same a grade.

Josh Berry #21 PPG Ford Mustang-Mediocre color and design schemes earn a C.

Bubba Wallace #23 Xfinity Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #45, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Space Force/Leidos Toyota Camry-Too many designs. It’s not terrible, but it could be better. B

William Byron #24 All-Pro Auto Reconditioning Chevy Camaro-A great color scheme with an awful design scheme will always earn an C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters Ford Mustang-No real change in terms grade, new designs score on the same level as old designs. A-

Todd Gilliland #34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang-A great look, nothing wrong here! A

Todd Gilliland #34 Gener8tor Skills Accelerator Ford Mustang-While there have been some designs added, it’s still a great look with a great color scheme. A

Zane Smith #38 Vermeer Midwest Ford Mustang-I like the look, especially this shade of yellow. The design works well too. A

Zane Smith #38 Horizon Lobby Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Zane Smith #38 Michael Roberts Construction Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, bad design scheme earns a C.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry-This does not look good at all. Maybe with a different color scheme, but this just doesn’t work. F

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Hertz Toyota Camry-I may never say this ever again, but getting rid of the fade would elevate this scheme to a solid A. It just looks awkward, so this gets an A-.

JJ Yeley #44 Ultimate Tailgating RV Chevy Camaro-A solid fade with a great color scheme, and this gets an A.

Tyler Reddick #45 Upper Deck Toyota Camry-The lighter blue doesn’t work as well, and the scheme suffers as a result.

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-This is a really unique look. It resembles shattered glass with tape. I like this. A

Cody Ware #51 Arby’s New Angus Cheesesteak Ford Mustang-You can’t go wrong with a cheesesteak! A

Ty Gibbs #54 Sonic/Grillo’s Pickles Toyota Camry-A good color scheme with a good fade will always earn an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Castrol/Alyssa Thomas “The Engine” Ford Mustang-I love the basketball motif, it looks great, and it has a great color scheme. A

Jesse Love #62 C4 Ultimate Energy Solutions Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, not over designed, this gets an A.

David Starr #66 WNB Factory Ford Mustang-An ugly, over designed mess. F

Josh Bilicki #66 Purekick Hydration Ford Mustang-Not only is this a great look, but it’s an upgrade from last year. A

Josh Bilicki #66 Sherfick Companies Mustang-Too many colors and too many designs. F

Michael McDowell #71 DePaul Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, this gets a C.

Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Chevy Camaro-Another example of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. C

Daniel Suárez #99 Jockey/Folds of Honor Chevy Camaro-I think it’s a tad over designed, and the white on the rear is jarring. Still, it’s not bad, so this gets a B.

Paint Scheme Grades-May 31, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Jockey x Folds of Honor Chevy Camaro-The cutting edge designs aren’t good, and take an A scheme down to a C.

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not great, but holy hell is this better than camo! C

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-It’s not bad, but it is a downgrade from the regular scheme. Changing the colors to red, white, and blue while keeping the design would have been better. B+

Kyle Larson #5 HendrickCars.com H1100 Chevy Camaro-IndyCar schemes do not transfer well to NASCAR, and vice versa. However, this isn’t bad, though I could do without the orange and black. B

Brad Keselowski #6 BuildSubmarines.com Patriotic Ford Mustang-A good look, not over designed, and it looks amazing! A

Justin Haley #7 Gainbridge Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This new color scheme is much better, and the car gets an A as a result.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Patriotic Chevy Camaro-A very slight improvement, but camo still looks awful, and this gets an F.

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

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Chill Ford Mustang-Too many colors, and too many designs. F

AJ Allmendinger #16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, just the same. B+

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford Mustang-Black good, camo bad, both together equal out to a C.

Chase Briscoe #19 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Patriotic Toyota Camry-I might have graded this lower, however this is a big improvement over the last scheme. B

Christopher Bell #20 Rheem Patriotic Toyota Camry-Not better, not worse, just the same. C

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ultra Premium Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Bubba Wallace #23 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #35, same F grade.

William Byron #24 Axalta Patriotic Chevy Camaro-A great look, white works well as a primary color, this gets an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Patriotic Toyota Camry-Scaling down, or even eliminating the red stripes would work much better, but this gets a B+, since it isn’t that bad.

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Toyota Camry-Replacing white with another color would work much better. B

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 FunPops Chevy Camaro-Calling this car an ugly, over designed mess is an understatement. This gets an F.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Another example of a scheme rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Last year’s scheme was bad, and so is this scheme. F

Cody Ware #51 Jacob Construction/Evel Knievel Ford Mustang-It’s a good look, not over done, and I like this look a lot. A

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Irish Spring Patriotic Ford Mustang-Camo is bad enough, but the white on the front really makes it so much worse. F

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life/Veterans 1001 Chevy Camaro-A bit of a downgrade, since the car is more over designed, even with a better color scheme. D+

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Patriotic Toyota Camry-While the overall design would get a C, the addition of yellow and blue door numbers is very garish. It clashes with the rest of the scheme, and would have been better with red on white, or white on red. This gets a D as a result, since there are worse entries.

Daniel Suarez #99 Freeway Insurance Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Too many designs. The car is way too over designed, and this gets an F.

Paint Scheme Grades-May 10, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevy Camaro-I like the look, the purple neon flames look good, this gets an A.

Justin Haley #7 Katz Coffee Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme, the design is a little too over designed, this gets a C.

Kyle Busch #8 7-Eleven Chevy Camaro-It’s well-known that 7-Eleven has had some great paint schemes over the years, but this is over done. I hate the stripes on the front. This gets a C.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA 100 Chevy Camaro-Metallic gold is an underused color in racing, and I love this look! The blue works well, and the car looks great! A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Knauf Ford Mustang-Light blue doesn’t work nearly as well as black with the Menard’s template. This goes from an A to a C.

AJ Allmendinger #16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Josh Berry #21 Würth Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #12, same A grade.

Joey Logano #22 AAA Insurance Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Riley Herbst #35 BeatBox Toyota Camry-Too many colors, too many designs, this gets an F.

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

JJ Yeley #44 Barnett Southern Corporation Chevy Camaro-I loves me a good fade, and this is a good fade! This gets an A!

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-This is too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Sara Lee/Kraft Singles Ford Mustang-A red to white to yellow fade would work much better here. The stripe isn’t needed. This isn’t bad, so this gets a B.

Jesse Love #62 C4 Ultimate Energy Solutions Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Chad Finchum #66 Hart HVAC & Electric Ford Mustang-I like the shade of red, but that’s the only good thing I can say here. D-

Daniel Suarez #99 Kubota Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Paint Grades Tracker-April 19, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Corey LaJoie #01 Schluter Systems Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Flannel Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Cindric #2 Snap On Ford Mustang-Not bad, but last year’s scheme is better. A-

Noah Gragson #4 Rural King Ford Mustang-Nothing really wrong here. A

Brad Keselowski #6 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Rustik Oven Ford Mustang-The color works, the design works, this scheme looks great. A

Justin Haley #7 NationsGuard Chevy Camaro-The gray is pointless, and the car is a bit over design. C

Ty Dillon #10 Okuma Chevy Camaro-The blue is a tad over designed, but otherwise it looks great. A-

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Grizzly Nicotine Pouches Chevy Camaro-This is a good, solid look, nothing wrong here. A

Jesse Love #33 C4 Energy Chevy Camaro-Get rid of the snowflakes, and this would be perfect. A-

Zane Smith #38 Aaron’s Ford Mustang-I love this scheme, as it reminds me of the old Michael Waltrip Racing Aaron’s scheme. A

Ryan Preece #60 Boost by Kroger Ford Mustang-Pink is an awful color for a race car, and this shade of pink is the worst. F

Josh Bilicki #66 Manscaped Ford Mustang-The blue camo is just awful, and the car looks hideous as a result. F

Carson Hocevar #77 Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #7, same A grade.

Shane van Gisbergen #88 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro-Last year’s scheme was bad, this is just as bad. Too over designed, with too many colors. F

Paint Sheme Grades-March 1, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Corey LaJoie #01 AirMedCare Network Ford Mustang-I love this scheme as it reminds me of the old Mark Martin early 1990’s Valvoline scheme. A

Ross Chastain #1 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Austin Cindric #2 Menards/Delta Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Austin Dillon #3 Get Bioethanol Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Noah Gragson #4 TitleMax Ford Mustang-A little over designed, and I think red would work better as the primary color. Not bad, gets a B.

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

Denny Hamlin #11 Yahoo! Toyota Camry-Mediocre color scheme and a mediocre design always gets a C.

Ryan Blaney will driver the No. 12 BodyArmor Zero Sugar Ford Mustang-I love a good fade, and this is a good fade. The stripe works well too!

AJ Allmendinger #16 Action Industries Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-Either side across the whole car would work, but the combo just looks off. Colors are good, this gets a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Aaron’s Ford Mustang-Not bad, not great, just meh. C

Zane Smith #38 City of Refuge Ford Mustang-Ugly design, and awful colors will always earn an F.

Cole Custer #41 3D Systems Ford Mustang-I like the blue, and the design is smooth. A

Tyler Reddick #45 Xfinity Mobile Toyota Camry-A great look, great color scheme, great design scheme, this gets an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls-Too over designed, and too many colors. F

Cody Ware #51 Arby’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Gevalia/Entenmann’s Ford Mustang-A good simple look, a good simple color scheme, a solid A grade.

Michael McDowell #71 Group 1001 Chevy Camaro-I HATE THIS COLOR SCHEME! The design scheme isn’t great either. This gets an F.

Paint Scheme Grades-February 22-2025

By David G. Firestone

Justin Haley #7 Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Chevy Camaro-A solid look, not overdone, this gets an A.

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Celsius Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Christopher Bell #20 DEWALT/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang-Still a solid A grade, thought I do prefer the old scheme. A

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Toyota Camry-White works better as a background color, and there are a few too many designs. B+

JJ Yeley #44 Green River Whiskey Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Cody Ware #51 Parts Plus/Jacob Construction Ford Mustang-Simple, smooth, and not over designed. This gets an A.

Anthony Alfredo #62 Fortify Building Solutions Chevy Camaro-If the whole car was gray or yellow, I would like it more, and the car is a tad over designed, so this gets a B.

Michael McDowell #71 Go Bowling Chevy Camaro-Not awful, but a downgrade from last year. B

Carson Hocevar #77 Zeigler Auto Group Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

BJ McLeod #78 HitchGo Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Toyota Camry-Not bad, but a downgrade from last year’s set of schemes. B

Hélio Castroneves #91 Wendy’s Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from last year’s set of schemes. B

Paint Scheme Grades-February 8, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Corey LaJoie #01 DuraMax/Take 5 Oil Change Chevy Camaro-While I like black and red as a color scheme, this is somewhat over done, with the stripes on hood and roof. Still it isn’t bad, so it gets a B.

Ross Chastain #1 Trackhouse Chevy Camaro-Too over designed, and yellow and gray is an odd color scheme. F

Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner/eCascadia Ford Mustang-Not good, I like the stripes, but the design is over done. D

Noah Gragson #4 TrueTimber Chevy Camaro-I hate camo on race cars, this isn’t, has never been, and never will be a good look. F

Justin Haley #7 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

Kyle Busch #8 Bank OKZ Chevy Camaro-A little too over designed for my taste, but still really good. A-

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro– stripes are too over done, and it’s also a downgrade when compared to last year. B

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

Tim Brown #15 Dairi-O/Jerry Hunt/Hayes Ford Mustang-Good color scheme and a good design will always earn an A.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Tree Top Ford Mustang-Not only is this a good look, it’s a major upgrade from last year. A

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A

Todd Gilliland #34 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Erik Jones #43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry-A good look, unique, bold, and simple. A

Carson Hocevar #77 Delaware Life Chevy Camaro-The red really looks out of place here, and the design is slightly worse. C-

Shane van Gisbergen #88 Trackhouse Chevy Camaro-Blue is slightly better than gray. D-Camaro,Chevy,Camaro,Ford Mustang,Ford,Mustang,Toyota Camry,Toyota,Camry,