Tag: Carson Hocevar

Paint Scheme Grades-March 14, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Noah Gragson #4 Curate Ford Mustang-Get rid of the white and this is a solid A. With the yellow, this is an A-

Brad Keselowski #6 Trimble Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #60, same scheme grade.

Ty Dillon #10 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-The new front stripes are awful, and take a B down to a C.

Denny Hamlin #11 Yahoo! Toyota Camry-The addition of white does NOT help this scheme at all. It takes it from a C down to a D.

AJ Allmendinger #16 U-Save Chevy Camaro-It’s a bold and unique look, the stripes look good, and aren’t over done, this gets an A.

Chris Buescher #17 Smith’s/Farm Rich Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

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

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Tri State Vacuum & Rental LLC Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-I like the look, it works well, and the color scheme is good too. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 NOS Energy Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, still a B.

Cody Ware #51 Yeego.ai/Habit Burger & Grill Chevy Camaro-The purple is really odd here, there’s no real pattern, and it clashes with the rest of the scheme. This is an AI sponsor, so was this done by AI? C

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

Connor Zilisch #88 Jockey 150th Anniversary Camaro-I love the look, the gold works well, and the red stripe works well too. A

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Chevy Camaro-We have our first contender for worst scheme of the year, and this ugly, over designed disaster will be hard to beat. F

Paint Scheme Grades-February 28, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light For the Love of Texas Chevy Camaro-Much too over designed, especially when compared to 2025. Not terrible, so this gets a C-.

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

Brad Keselowski #6 Graza Olive Oil Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, it has a great color scheme, and it gets an A.

Ty Dillon #10 Patriot Mobile Chevy Camaro-NToning this down would earn an A. This gets a B.

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

Chris Buescher #17 Trimble Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same D grade.

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Concrete Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Josh Berry #21 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Jesse Love #33 C4 Energy Chevy Camaro-Too many colors, and too many designs, this gets an F.

Cole Custer #41 Bonanza Cabernet Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Chevy Camaro-Taking a bad scheme, and making it worse will ALWAYS earn an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Ram Self Storage Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same D- grade.

Cody Ware #51 Blue Highway Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the rear stripes will take this scheme from an A- to an A.

Cody Ware #51 Parts Plus/Costa Oil Chevy Camaro-Not a bad look at all. A

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

Michael McDowell #71 Katz Coffee Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Carson Hocevar #77 Chili’s Ride the ‘Dente Chevy Camaro-Black is a much better background color than white, and this gets an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-February 14, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Kyle Busch #8 Rebel Bourbon Chevy Camaro-I really like the barrel and mug motif, works well, and isn’t over done. A

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

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Ultra Premium Ford Mustang-In a vacuum, this would get an A, but compared to last year’s design, this gets an A-.

Chandler Smith #36 QuickTie Ford Mustang-Not terrible, but a major downgrade from 2025. C

JJ Yeley #44 Barnett Southern Corporation Chevy Camaro-In a vacuum, this would get an A, but compared to last year’s design, this gets an A-.

Tyler Reddick #45 Pala Casino Toyota Camry-Teal and pink is the WORST color combination on a race car that I’ve seen in a while. The design doesn’t help at all. F

Cody Ware #51 Jacob Companies Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Viva Ford Mustang-Smooth look, great color scheme, this gets an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Spectrum Chevy Camaro-The purple has no real purpose, and the car as a whole is over designed. F

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Chevy Camaro-I’m done with super heroes, and while this isn’t terrible, this isn’t great. C

Paint Scheme Grades-August 7, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner/eCascadia Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same D grade.

Austin Cindric #2 Menards/Frog Tape Ford Mustang-Green does NOT work with the Menard’s template. F

Austin Cindric #2 Autotrader Ford Mustang-A great look, can’t complain. A

Kyle Busch #8 zone Premium Nicotine Patches Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A- grade.

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

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Chill Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Joey Logano #22 Autotrader Ford Mustang-A great look, can’t complain. A

Zane Smith #38 Mystik Lubricants Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Onin Staffing Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, awful design scheme, evens out to a C.

Cody Ware #51 Evel Knievel/Parts Plus Ford Mustang-Reversing the colors works very well. A

Anthony Alfredo #62 Dude Wipes Chevy Camaro-Not a bad look at all. A

Casey Mears #66 Ford Mustang-\Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Casey Mears #66 SI Yachts/Gracie Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Michael McDowell #71 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-Too much is too much. F

Carson Hocevar #77 MINER Chevy Camaro-Yellow is pointless here, and the new design looks awful. F

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, same C- from last year.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 25, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Waterfowl Chevy Camaro-Too much going on here to get a high grade, but not bad enough to fail. C

Kyle Busch #8 BetMGM Chevy Camaro-This is a major downgrade from the previous schemes. By itself, it might get a B, but this gets a C.

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry-The yellow is really pointless, and distracts from what had been a good scheme. This went from at least a high B to a C.

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Core Power Ford Mustang-A smooth look and a great color scheme will always earn an a.

Christopher Bell #20 Coofandy Menswear Toyota Camry-Too many contrasting colors, and too many designs to get anything higher than an F.

Cole Custer #41 Texas A&M University Ford Mustang-The gray isn’t great, but white would be worse. Still, it’s a good scheme, so it gets an A-.

Cody Ware #51 Rexzilla Ford Mustang-Even if this wasn’t a Kick streamer, the over use of designs and colors would earn this scheme an F.

Anthony Alfredo #62 Lil’ Dude Wipes Chevy Camaro-This is not a good look. The “Bubble Bum” motif does not look good. Black and pink can work, but the design scheme is horrid. F

Michael McDowell #71 Gainbridge/WIMNA Chevy Camaro-First off, teal and orange without black is an odd look in an of itself. The design does it no favors, and this gets an F.

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-It’s not great, but this looks a whole hell of a lot better than previous Modo Casino schemes. All things considered, this gets a B.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 18, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Camo Chevy Camaro-Not only is this a downgrade from last year, it’s one of the worst camo scheme I think I’ve ever seen. F

Corey LaJoie #7 Gainbridge Assists Chevy Camaro-Nothing really wrong here, looks good! A

Denny Hamlin #11 National Debt Relief Toyota Camry-The car looks a little more cluttered, and it’s a downgrade. C-

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Thomas’ High Protein Bagels Ford Mustang-Orange can be a finicky color when used on race cars, but this shade of orange works well with black. This car looks good. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-Good color scheme, bad design scheme, all even out to get a C.

Zane Smith #38 Benebone Ford Mustang-The old scheme worked well, the new scheme, with red elements added, is a major downgrade. It goes from an A to a B.

Cole Custer #41 Sysco/RaceTrac Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, good design scheme, and you can’t go wrong with pizza! A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Jack Links Non-Vegan Chevy Camaro-Love the red meat design, and between pizza and red meat, I’m hungry. A

Michael McDowell #71 Carolina Handling Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, bad design scheme, all even out to get a C.

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-No change, neon design is awful, and this gets an F.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 11, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Kyle Larson #5 HendrickCars.com/Zac Brown Band Chevy Camaro-Two globes are a bit much, only one would be better. A-

Justin Haley #7 Fly Alliance Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme plus mediocre design scheme will earn a C.

Ty Dillon #10 Sugarlands Shine/Field and Stream Chevy Camaro-Camo is never good, but this is even worse than anything I’ve seen. Side note, am I the only one wondering why Field and Stream hasn’t been on the side of a stock car, given how many hunting and fishing companies sponsor NASCAR? F

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/International Delight Ford Mustang-The stripes do NOT work, the car looks cluttered. Sadly, this could have been a solid A scheme, but this gets a C.

William Byron #24 Relay Payments Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Riley Herbst #35 Hungry Jack Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Cole Custer #41 HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang-Replacing black with blue doesn’t work, as it really contrasts with the rest of the scheme. It just doesn’t work. F

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

J.J. Yeley #44 Epoxy Depot Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-Too much going on here, and the reverse flames look really weird. F

Alex Bowman #48 Ally/World Mental Health Awareness Day Chevy Camaro-Nothing really wrong here, in fact an upgrade from most Ally schemes. A

Cody Ware #51 Arby’s Steak Nuggets Ford Mustang-Good look, not really over done, and the steak nuggets look tasty. A

Ryan Preece #60 Sysco/Crumbl Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a good color scheme will always earn an A.

Josh Bilicki #66 Truan Equipment Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a good color scheme will always earn an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Classic Collision Chevy Camaro-I’m beginning to hate neon on black, and the design is nothing to write home about, so this gets a C.

Shane van Gisbergen #88 Jockey New Zealand Camaro-I like the look, even if I don’t get what they are going for. That said, it’s a tad over designed, in my opinion, so it gets a B.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 4, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Titan Risk Solutions Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from the white with red stripe masterpiece.

Justin Haley #7 Gainbridge Chevy Camaro-I like the see-through look, and the black works well. A

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Toyota Camry-Not sure what they are trying, but it looks really good. A

William Byron #24 Valvoline Blood Cancer United Chevy Camaro-The confetti is not a good look, way too cluttered, and the entire scheme suffers as a result. C

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Family Dollar Toyota Camry-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Erik Jones #43 Tri State Vacuum & Rental LLC Toyota Camry-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-Too. Many. Designs. F

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Totino’s Ultimate Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-Taking a bad scheme and making it worse will always earn an F.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 23, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro-Removing the yellow does nothing to help this scheme. F

Denny Hamlin #11 King’s Hawaiian Toyota Camry-A tad over designed but still great. A-

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-CAMO NEVER LOOKS GOOD ON RACE CARS! F

Todd Gilliland #34 Grillo’s Pickles Ford Mustang-Good look, not overdone, this gets an A.

Riley Herbst #35 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry-The gold star is really awful, and the flag motif is bad. This is awful, this gets an F.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from the previous scheme. B-

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree/STP Toyota Camry-The color scheme is great, but the design scheme is a bit too modern for STP. STP has a lot of great schemes on the #43, but this is just blah. C

Joey Gase #44 National Fire Prevention Week Chevy Camaro-Too over designed, good color scheme, I’ll give this a D.

Tyler Reddick #45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-A great look that is bold, unique, and not over designed always gets an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Jack Links Duos Camaro-Too over designed to get anything other than an F.

Cody Ware #51 Arby’s Jamocha Shake Ford Mustang-The fade works, the color works well, and the stripes are good. A

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Entenmann’s Little Bites/Capri Sun Ford Mustang-The confetti motif is too over designed, and the car has a very cluttered look to it. F

Casey Mears #66 SI Yachts Ford Mustang-A smooth simple and bold look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Michael McDowell #71 Fly Alliance Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme, but the design scheme is a bit over done. B

Carson Hocevar #77 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, but there are way too many designs here. Less is much more. C

Daniel Suarez #99 Coca-Cola Chevy Camaro-white here! This isn’t good. C

Paint Scheme Tracker-June 21, 2025

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Wendy’s Frosty Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #99, same F grade.

Austin Dillon #3 Boot Barn Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a slight downgrade from last year. A-

Noah Gragson #4 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang-Nothing really changes here. C

Ty Dillon #10 Ohio Logistics Chevy Camaro-Bold, unique, has a great color scheme, and not over designed. A

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Ford Mustang-I like the look, the Mexican motif looks good, this gets an A.

Cody Ware #51 Arrowhead Brass Ford Mustang-I LOVE metallic colors, and brass is a good look, combined with a great design scheme, and this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Colgate Ford Mustang-It’s simple, it’s bold, and it’s perfect! A

Carson Hocevar #77 Totalplay Chevy Camaro-Too many colors, and too many designs. F

Daniel Suarez #99 Telcel Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme, but too many stripes. B