Tag: Carson Hocevar

Paint Scheme Grades-August 1, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Busch Light Flavor Showdown Chevy Camaro-I like the unique fade, it looks good, and I give this an A.

Austin Cindric #2 PPG Patriotic Ford Mustang-I like the American flag motif. It works well. A

Austin Cindric #2 Freightliner Throwback Ford Mustang-This is now my favorite throwback! I was always a fan of the simple black schemes! A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Veterans Science Chevy Camaro-Too many designs and too many colors. f

Austin Dillon #3 Titan Risk Solutions Chevy Camaro-Not bad, but a downgrade from last year. A-

Austin Dillon #3 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-I rarely comment on this, but the silver 3 looks odd with the color scheme, and takes an A down to an A-.

Noah Gragson #4 A&W Root Beer Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Travel Centers of America Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Daniel Suarez #7 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-The blue skull motif works well, I can’t complain, this gets an A.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta/Desi9n to Drive Chevy Camaro-Not bad at all. A

Chase Elliott #9 LLumar Window Film Chevy Camaro-This cleaner look is a better look, and it goes from an A- to an A.

Ty Dillon #10 Sea Best Seafood Chevy Camaro-For a seafood sponsor this is a much better scheme. The color and design work. A

Ty Dillon #10 BREZTRI Chevy Camaro-Same issue as the #3, the orange #10 looks odd on the black and silver. A-

Ryan Blaney #12 BodyArmor Flash I.V. Ford Mustang-I like a good fade, and this is a good fade. This gets an A.

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-The red and black would work, the white tree motif would work, but together, it’s just meh. C

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Heinz Ketchup/Artesano Brioche Buns Ford Mustang-You can’t go wrong with red and a burger! A

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Coca-Cola Patriotic Ford Mustang-Too many designs to work. F

Chris Buescher #17 Kroger/Minute Rice Ford Mustang-Not bad, but a massive downgrade from last year. B+

Chase Briscoe #19 Free Bird Southern Spring Water Toyota Camry-Perfect look, great color scheme, this gets an A!

Chase Briscoe #19 Wix Filters Toyota Camry-Too ugly and over designed to get anything but an F.

Christopher Bell #20 Saia Freight + Logistics Patriotic Toyota Camry-I get what they are going for, but this could be improved with some more consistency. It’s not bad, so it gets a B.

Josh Berry #21 eero Ford Patriotic Mustang-This should be the new eero scheme, as it looks so much better than the plain blue scheme. A

Joey Logano #22 Hunt Brothers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Not really that much of an improvement. D

Bubba Wallace #23 Upper Deck Space Jam 30th Anniversary Toyota Camry-I love the space motif, it works well, and isn’t over done. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia PFG/Academy Sport Toyota Camry-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

William Byron #24 Anduril Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Better color scheme than an A grade earns an A grade.

Austin Hill #33 Bank OZK Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A- grade.

Austin Hill #33 FICO Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #8, same A grade.

Todd Gilliland #34 Gener8tor Skills Accelerator Patriotic Ford Mustang-Good color scheme, mediocre design scheme, this gets a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedbusch Development and Construction Ford Mustang-Good look, I like the cubes, and it’s not over designed. A

Zane Smith #38 Vermeer Midwest Ford Mustang-Getting rid of the patriotic stripe would elevate this to an A, this gets a B.

Zane Smith #38 Losi RC Ford Mustang-Good color scheme and awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Cole Custer #41 Haas/Standard Nuclear Ford Mustang-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Cole Custer #41 Sysco/Smoke Pit Ford Mustang-Not great, but a much better color scheme. B

Cole Custer #41 Air Lift Ford Mustang-A smooth look, a great color scheme, and this gets an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 Raid/Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-The color scheme is the only thing giving this scheme anything higher than an F. D-

Erik Jones #43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry-Not bad, but a downgrade from the green scheme. C

Tyler Reddick #45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry-The bottom design could be cleaned up for an A, but this gets a B.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Clemco Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Brazier Lumber Company Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Cody Ware #51 Super.com Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the fireworks would elevate this scheme to an A, but this gets a B.

Cody Ware #51 Sky Fund Aviation Chevy Camaro-New scheme for 2026, black and white. AIt’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Mariano’s/Athletic Brewing Ford Mustang-Getting rid of the yellow would elevate this to an A. A-

Ryan Preece #60 SimpleTire Ford Mustang-A good look, orange and black are a good color scheme, this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #60 Solomon Plumbing Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #6, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Thornton’s Ford Mustang-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Chad Finchum #66 Truan Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Corey Heim #67 Shield AI Toyota Camry-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C

Corey Heim #67 Field and Stream Toyota Camry-Good color scheme plus awful design scheme will always earn a C.

Michael McDowell #71 Delaware Life Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Not a great color scheme, white should replace gray. I also think that the car is a bit over designed. This gets a C.

Michael McDowell #71 NEFCO Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the white, and just going orange and blue would elevate this scheme to an A, this gets a B.

Carson Hocevar #77 Zeigler Auto Group Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The patriotic elements don’t really work, and this is a terrible look. F

BJ McLeod #78 Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 SuperFile Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to get anything higher than an F.

Daniel Suarez #97 Wendy’s Chevy Camaro-The red elevates this from an F to a D.

Paint Scheme Grades-June 27, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Noah Gragson #4 Hard Rock Casino Tejon Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #38, same C grade.

Denny Hamlin #11 Yahoo! Toyota Camry-It’s a bad look, the yellow is awful, and the white isn’t needed. It’s not terrible, so it gets a D.

AJ Allmendinger #16 EchoPark Automotive Chevy Camaro-A solid green would work much better. A-

Chris Buescher #17 Trimble/Liverpool FC Tea Ford Mustang-Good color scheme and awful design scheme average out to a C.

Christopher Bell #20 CRAFTSMAN Racing for a Miracle Toyota Camry-For a car designed by a small child, it’s a good look. A

Zane Smith #38 Michael Roberts Construction Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Brazier Lumber Company Ford Mustang-Too many designs. F

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

Carson Hocevar #77 Classic Collision Chevy Camaro-Getting rid of the white would elevate this scheme to an A. With the white, this is an A-

Paint Scheme Grades-June 20, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Kubota Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

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

Austin Dillon #3 Boot Barn Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Gold Filters Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This is a downgrade from both last years

Ty Dillon #10 The Fallen Outdoors Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Denny Hamlin #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Patriotic Toyota Camry-Not better than the regular scheme, not worse, same C grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2026, black with patriotic elements. FAmazing that last year’s camo design is actually better than this year’s scheme. F

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Patriotic Ford Mustang-Nothing wrong with this scheme. A

William Byron #24 Anduril Chevy Camaro-Good look, not over designed, this gets an A.

Austin Hill #33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Zane Smith #38 Hard Rock Casino Tejon/Hard Rock Cafe Ford Mustang-Not really amazing, not really awful, this gets a C.

Cole Custer #41 Texas A&M University/George H.W. Bush Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 DriveValue.com Toyota Camry-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Sycuan Casino and Resort Chevy Camaro-Mediocre design and mediocre color schemes combine for a C grade.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Changing the colors isn’t doing this scheme any favors, it’s still ugly and over designed. F

Ty Gibbs #54 Monster Energy Patriotic Toyota Camry-That bottom stripe is so awful, it takes an A scheme down to a C.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Scott 1000 Ford Mustang-It’s a great scheme but a bit of a downgrade from last year. A-

Casey Mears #62 Gracie Foundation Chevy Camaro-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Corey Heim #67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Patriotic Toyota Camry-Reversing the red and blue makes this scheme worse, and takes a C down to a D.

Michael McDowell #71 Defense Unicorns Chevy Camaro-Meh design scheme, meh color scheme, just meh, this gets a C.

Carson Hocevar #77 Spectrum Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Toyota Camry-I love the sunset motif, and I love the designs. This gets an A.

Connor Zilisch #88 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Kevin Magnussen #91 Qualcomm Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme plus an awful design scheme earns a C.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Cardell Cabinetry,Boot Barn,NAPA Gold Filters,The Fallen Outdoors,Anduril,Hard Rock Casino Tejon,Hard Rock Cafe,Texas A&M University,George H.W. Bush,DriveValue.com,Sycuan Casino and Resort,Scott 1000,Gracie Foundation,Defense Unicorns,Kevin Magnussen,Qualcomm,Ross Chastain,Kubota,Austin Cindric,Menard’s,Austin Dillon,Noah Gragson,Rush Truck Centers,Chase Elliott,Ty Dillon,Denny Hamlin,Bob’s Discount Furniture,Chris Buescher,Body Guard,Josh Berry,Motorcraft,Quick Lane,William Byron,Austin Hill,Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen,Zane Smith,Cole Custer,John Hunter Nemechek,Ricky Stenhouse Jr.,Alex Bowman,Ally Financial,Ty Gibbs,Monster Energy,Ryan Preece,Kroger,Casey Mears,Corey Heim,Mobil 1,O’Reilly Auto Parts,Michael McDowell,Carson Hocevar,Spectrum,Jimmie Johnson,Carvana,Connor Zilisch,Red Bull,Shane van Gisbergen,NASCAR Cup Series,NASCAR Cup,NASCAR,Chevy Camaro,Chevy,Camaro,Ford Mustang,Ford,Mustang,Toyota Camry,Toyota,Camry,By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Kubota Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

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

Austin Dillon #3 Boot Barn Patriotic Chevy Camaro-The aircraft motif works well here, and I can’t really complain. A

Noah Gragson #4 Rush Truck Centers Patriotic Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Gold Filters Patriotic Chevy Camaro-This is a downgrade from both last years

Ty Dillon #10 The Fallen Outdoors Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Denny Hamlin #11 Bob’s Discount Furniture Patriotic Toyota Camry-Not better than the regular scheme, not worse, same C grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Body Guard Patriotic Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2026, black with patriotic elements. FAmazing that last year’s camo design is actually better than this year’s scheme. F

Josh Berry #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Patriotic Ford Mustang-Nothing wrong with this scheme. A

William Byron #24 Anduril Chevy Camaro-Good look, not over designed, this gets an A.

Austin Hill #33 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade

Zane Smith #38 Hard Rock Casino Tejon/Hard Rock Cafe Ford Mustang-Not really amazing, not really awful, this gets a C.

Cole Custer #41 Texas A&M University/George H.W. Bush Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

John Hunter Nemechek #42 DriveValue.com Toyota Camry-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Sycuan Casino and Resort Chevy Camaro-Mediocre design and mediocre color schemes combine for a C grade.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Changing the colors isn’t doing this scheme any favors, it’s still ugly and over designed. F

Ty Gibbs #54 Monster Energy Patriotic Toyota Camry-That bottom stripe is so awful, it takes an A scheme down to a C.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Scott 1000 Ford Mustang-It’s a great scheme but a bit of a downgrade from last year. A-

Casey Mears #62 Gracie Foundation Chevy Camaro-Too many colors and too over designed, F

Corey Heim #67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Patriotic Toyota Camry-Reversing the red and blue makes this scheme worse, and takes a C down to a D.

Michael McDowell #71 Defense Unicorns Chevy Camaro-Meh design scheme, meh color scheme, just meh, this gets a C.

Carson Hocevar #77 Spectrum Patriotic Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

Jimmie Johnson #84 Carvana Toyota Camry-I love the sunset motif, and I love the designs. This gets an A.

Connor Zilisch #88 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Kevin Magnussen #91 Qualcomm Chevy Camaro-Good color scheme plus an awful design scheme earns a C.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Red Bull Chevy Camaro-I like the look, it’s done very well, this gets an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-May 16,2026

By David G. Firestone

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

William Byron #24 Axalta Chevy Camaro-I love the design, but there are some color combos that don’t translate well to flames, and orange and white is one of them. All in all, this gets a C.

Todd Gilliland #34 Long John Silver’s/Frank’s RedHot Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #4, same C grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 ACM Awards/Pinnacle Toyota Camry-A good color scheme and an awful design scheme will earn a C.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Dragons Chevy Camaro-Not amazing, but the best that Ally has looked all year! A

Cody Ware #51 Museum of the Bible Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A. The Museum of the Bible logo could be a little more original though.

Michael McDowell #71 RCA Chevy Camaro-It’s a great look, and it brings back some serious late 1990’s Hut Stricklin vibes! A

Carson Hocevar #77 MINER Chevy Camaro-This isn’t great, but compared with the other MINER scheme, this is a great improvement. C

Katherine Legge #78 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevy Camaro-A slight downgrade from last year. A-

Shane van Gisbergen #97 Safety Culture Chevy Camaro-No yellow, still awful. F

Paint Scheme Grades-May 2, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Kyle Busch #8 Nicokick x zone Watermelon/Circle K Chevy Camaro-Red is a much better fit than green. A

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

Joey Logano #22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #2, same A grade.

Bubba Wallace #23 Chumba Casino Toyota Camry-I don’t know why, but I love these kinds of eye designs. A

William Byron #24 Valvoline Chevy Camaro-This scheme works well, I love the simplified look, and the lack of white is a bold choice works well. A

Joey Gase #44 National Fire Prevention Week Chevy Camaro-Flame motifs have been around for decades, and it’s pretty hard to mess one up. Did a child design this? It looks awful! F

Ty Gibbs #54 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same F grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Ball Park Buns Ford MustangPatriotism and hamburgers are two things I can get behind! A

Chad Finchum #66 Cooper & Hunter Ford Mustang-I love the fade, but I hate the other designs here, so this gets a C.

Michael McDowell #71 Modo Casino Chevy Camaro-Too over designed to work well. F

Carson Hocevar #77 Spectrum Chevy Camaro-A very slight improvement from the last scheme. D-

Daniel Dye #78 Champion Container Corporation Chevy Camaro-Love the color scheme, hate the color scheme, it evens out to a C.

Paint Scheme Grades-March 21, 2026

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Moose Fraternity Chevy Camaro-A slight downgrade from last year. A-

Austin Dillon #3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Long Beard XR Chevy Camaro-Too over designed, and while the color scheme is decent, it doesn’t save the scheme. F

Noah Gragson #4 Long John Silver’s Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #34, same C grade.

Brad Keselowski #6 Solomon Plumbing Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, it’s very accurate, and I think this a good throwback. A

Daniel Suarez #7 NationsGuard Chevy Camaro-Not better, not worse, still a C.

Kyle Busch #8 BetMGM Chevy Camaro-This is too cluttered, too busy, and not even a good color scheme could save this from an F.

Denny Hamlin #11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same B+ grade.

Chris Buescher #17 Fifth Third Bank Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, the blue works well, and I think this a good throwback. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-Blue works better than gray and this scheme gets an A.

Todd Gilliland #34 Ruedbusch Development and Construction Throwback Ford Mustang-Admittedly, this scheme is over used, but this is a good interpretation of it. A

Riley Herbst #35 FRE Nicotine Pouches Toyota Camry-Decent color scheme, mediocre design scheme will earn a C.

Zane Smith #38 Mystik Lubricants Throwback Ford Mustang-I’m all for throwbacks, but I hated this in 2000, and I hate this now. This gets an F.

Erik Jones #43 Advent Health Toyota Camry-Petty Enterprise throwbacks usually are, and this is no exception. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Jack Links Non-Vegan Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ty Gibbs #54 SiriusXM Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ryan Preece #60 Kroger/Oscar Mayer/Heinz Throwback Ford Mustang-I like the look, it’s very accurate, and I think this a good throwback. A

Timmy Hill #66 Auto Direct USA Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Carson Hocevar #77 Chili’s Marg Machine Throwback Chevy Camaro-You can’t go wrong with a Dale Earnhardt Sr. throwback. This is a great scheme, and it gets an A.

Shane van Gisbergen #97 WeatherTech Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

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.