Tag: Carson Hocevar

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.

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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.

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.