Tag: kroger

Paint Scheme Grades-August 19, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Austin Dillon #3 Cowboy Channel Chevy Camaro-I love a good fade, and with the great color scheme, this gets an A.

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-I like the wing design, and the great color scheme will always earn an A.

Brad Keselowski #6 Socios.com Ford Mustang-This would work much better with a different color scheme, but with this scheme, it gets a C.

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

AJ Allmendinger #16 Dynagro Seed Chevy Camaro-Great design with bad color scheme will always earn a C.

Todd Gilliland #38 Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Preece #41 Purdue University Ford Mustang-Getting rid of some of the designs near the number would work much better, but this is still good, so this get an A-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Frosted Flakes Chevy Camaro-It’s a good look, not over designed, and this gets an A.

Kamui Kobayashi #67 Toyota Genuine Parts Toyota Camry-The cutting edge design isn’t over done, and it has a great color scheme. A

Paint Scheme Grades-August 12, 2023

By David G. Firestone

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

Kyle Busch #8 Kwik Trip/Kwik Star Chevy Camaro–Good color scheme, good design scheme, good look. A

J.J. Yeley #15 Grill Blazers Ford Mustang-I like the grill motif, and the color scheme is good. A

Harrison Burton #21 Motorcraft/Ford Senior Master Technicians Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Michael McDowell #34 Martin Transportation Systems Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 Rocket League Toyota Camry-Too many colors and too many design schemes will always earn an F.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Minute Rice Chevy Camaro-I like the new look, not too cluttered, and the color scheme is good. A

Alex Bowman #48 Ally/Detroit Pistons Chevy Camaro-I like the look, and the city motif works well. A

B.J. McLeod #78 South Dakota/FreedomWorksHere.com Chevy Camaro-I think the sides are a bit cluttered, but it is a good look. B

Paint Scheme Grades-June 17, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Lube Express Ford Mustang-I like the look of the design, and the color scheme works well, so this gets an A.

Kyle Larson #5 Valvoline Chevy Camaro-Much more red is much better this year, than last year, and this scheme goes up to a B+

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

Andy Lally #15 Camping World Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, this gets an A.

Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Construction Technology Toyota Camry-There is just too much going on, and the car looks beyond cluttered as a result. F

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Photo Mosaic Ford Mustang-I HATE photo mosaic schemes, especially this one, since it took an A scheme down to a C scheme!

Bubba Wallace #23 DoorDash Summer Pass Toyota Camry-If there was a darker color at play, it would work a lot better, but this has a decent design scheme, so this gets a B.

Justin Haley #31 Cirkul Chevy Camaro-Not a bad change, I do like the fruit motif, so this gets an A.

Ryan Preece #41 Autodesk Ford Mustang-Yes, Yes, YES! I love this look! It’s a great look, great color scheme, and I can’t give this less than an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Cottonelle Chevy Camaro-The dark blue is a downgrade from the white, so this gets a D.

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Pride Month Chevy Camaro-The day Ally scheme with the white hood looks really odd, and the scheme would work better with a blue hood. D-

Todd Gilliland #51 Serial 1 E-Bikes Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #38, same A grade.

Throwback Thursdays-2023 Throwback Rankings

By David G Firestone

So here are my current rankings for the best throwbacks of 2023. If another throwback comes along, it will be added as such.

1-William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Jeff Gordon’s 1998 Chromalusion Chevy Camaro. A

Even if this doesn’t change colors, this is still a great looking car, and it does take me back! This is another contender for best throwback of the year! A

2-Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Mark Donohue’s 1973 #16 AMC Matador. A

Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES! This is a damn good throwback of a damn good car from a dammed good driver in Mark Donohue! I can’t give this anything less than an A, and this is a top contender for throwback of the year!

3-Brennan Poole #15 Macc Door Systems Throwback Ford Mustang–New sponsor for 2023, based on Bobby Allison’s Hogdon scheme. A

I like the look, it’s very faithfully done, and the car works as a whole. A

4-Erik Jones #43 Allegiant Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Richard Petty’s 1969 STP Dodge. A

Another contender for Best Throwback of the year! A great look that was faithfully reproduced! This gets an A.

5-Erik Jones #43 STP Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Richard Petty’s 1984 Pontiac. A

At the time of writing, this is my favorite throwback so far! This is a great look, and earns an A.

6-Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Ricky Rudd’s 1990 #26 Quaker State Buick. A

This might be one of the most perfect throwback schemes, something which Justin Marks and Trackhouse do very well. Design, color, theme, and sponsor all come together to create another contender for best throwback of the year. A

7-Ty Gibbs #54 Shriners Children’s Throwback Toyota Camry–New sponsor for 2023, based on Bobby Labonte’s 1995 #18 NFL Hall of Fame Chevy. A

Yet another contender for best paint scheme of the year! This is amazing, and it really brings me back. A

8-Ty Dillon #77 Honest Charley Speed Shop Throwback Chevy Camaro–New sponsor for 2023, based on Joe Lee Johnson’s 1959 scheme. A

Great look, faithfully replicated, a good look all around. A

9-Michael McDowell #34 Fr8 Auctions Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Mark Martin’s #6 Folgers Coffee Ford Thunderbird. A

Yet another contender for best paint scheme of the year! I loved the old Mark Martin Folgers Coffee scheme from back in the day, and I love this now! This gets an A.

10-Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Dale Jarrett’s 2001 #88 UPS Ford. A

I love Dale Jarrett, and I love a Dale Jarrett Throwback! This gets an A!

11-Corey LaJoie #7 Nations Guard Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Don LaJoie’s old ride. A

A really great look, the vintage look is great, and I can’t not like this! A

12-Chase Elliott #9 LLumar Window Film Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Bill Elliott’s #9 Evernham Dodge. A

Simple, bold, a great look, and the perfectly replicated door numbers all add up to give this scheme an A.

13-Harrison Burton #21 DEX Imaging Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Jeff Burton’s 1998 Exide Ford Tarus. A

Exide Batteries had some good schemes back in the day, and this one is bringing back fond memories. A

14-Todd Gilliland #38 Serial 1 Throwback Ford Mustang–New sponsor for 2023 based on Elton Sawyer’s Barbasol schemes. A

I really miss the old schemes of the 1990’s, this is just another example of a great look. A

15-Ryan Preece #41 United Rentals Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Jeff Preece’s #4 late model scheme. A

It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

16-Brad Keselowski #6 Castrol Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on old Castrol GTX colors. A

I’m getting some serious early 1990’s John Force vibes from this, and I love it! John Force Castrol was ALWAYS a great look!

17-Kevin Harvick #29 Busch Light Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on his 2001 Goodwrench Chevy. A

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This might be one of my favorite throwback schemes EVER! This gets a solid A!

18-Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Foods Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Dale Jr.’s 2001 Budweiser/MLB All-Star Game Chevy. A

I’m kind of shocked this hasn’t been thrown back to more, but it’s still a good solid look. A

19-Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2023, ot a real throwback, but a great look, with vintage numbers, logos and design. A

The vintage logo is a great look, and I love the design, so this gets an A.

20-Chase Briscoe #14 Mahindra Tractors Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Tony Stewart’s 2000 Turkey Time winning Ford. A

This is a look that never gets old, no matter how many times it’s done. A

21-Christopher Bell #20 DeWalt Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2023, based on Matt Kenseth’s #17 DeWalt Ford from 2003. A

I like the look, the car is well designed, and this gets an A.

22-Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on spotter Kevin Hamlin’s 2007 #42 Texaco Havoline Chevy Camaro. A

I never really liked any non plain black Texaco Havoline schemes at the time, but they’ve grown on me, and this is a rather faithful throwback, so this gets an A in my book!

23-Ryan Newman #51 Biohaven/Jacob Co. Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Ryan Newman’s 2002 Mobil 1 scheme. A

Another faithful throwback and one that looks really good. A

24-Noah Gragson #42 Sunseeker Resort Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Jimmie Johnson’s 2014 Coca-Cola 600 winning scheme. A

This was a bold look back then, and it’s a faithful replica now. A

25-Kyle Larson #5 Hendrickcars.com Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Tony Stewart’s 2009 Xfinity Series Hendrickcars.com scheme. A

It’s a great look, very accurate, and the car has a bold look. A

26-Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Country Crock Throwback Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2023, based on Dale Jarrett’s 2001 #88 UPS Ford. B+

Where the #1 had more authentic logos, this is not as good, and the grilled cheese sandwich just doesn’t work as well. If this wasn’t a throwback, this would get an A, but the inaccuracies take it to a B+

27-Kevin Harvick #4 Sunny Delight Throwback Ford Mustang–New scheme for 2023, based on Kevin Harvick’s planned AOL Scheme. B+

The colors aren’t accurate, and the brand new Sunny Delight logo is kind of jarring. This gets a B+

28-Martin Truex Jr. #19 Auto Owner’s Insurance Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2023, based on a 2017 scheme. B

While it’s a good look, I don’t see how this scheme is based on 2017. Was it based on Auto Owner’s Insurance, Mattress Row, or Bass Pro Shop? It’s not a real throwback, since those would get solid A’s, but this gets a B.

Paint Scheme Grades-May 13, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express Throwback Chevy Camaro-I love Dale Jarrett, and I love a Dale Jarrett Throwback! This gets an A!

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light #Break4Busch Ford Mustang-The car is a little too cluttered. Getting rid of the corn would take this to at least a B+ if not an A-, but this gets a B.

Brad Keselowski #6 King’s Hawaiian/Guardians of the Galaxy Ford Mustang-I loves me a good fade, and the fade from orange to a space motif looks amazing! A

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Foods Throwback Ford Mustang-I’m kind of shocked this hasn’t been thrown back to more, but it’s still a good solid look. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Dutch Boy Throwback Ford Mustang-That shade of blue and shade of gold works well with the Menard’s colors, and the design scheme works well too. A.

AJ Allmendinger #16 Campers Inn RV Chevy Camaro-The red is really pointless here, and the green designs, as well as the shade do NOT look good. This gets a B, since it isn’t too over designed.

Chris Buescher #17 Fastenal Body Guard Ford Mustang-The gray and blue looked great. The gray and orange, not so much. This went from an A- down to a B.

Joey Logano #22 Shell/Pennzoil Throwback Ford Mustang-Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES! This is a damn good throwback of a damn good car from a dammed good driver in Mark Donohue! I can’t give this anything less than an A, and this is a top contender for throwback of the year!

Bubba Wallace #23 Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will ALWAYS earn an A.

William Byron #24 Axalta Throwback Chevy Camaro-Even if this doesn’t change colors, this is still a great looking car, and it does take me back! This is another contender for best throwback of the year! A

Tyler Reddick #45 McDonald’s Toyota Camry-For a company with two really good base colors, red and yellow, McDonald’s is really keen on using gray for some reason, and I have to say, it just doesn’t work. McDonald’s should stick to their simple, yet effective and iconic colors. Since this isn’t over designed, this gets a D.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Country Crock Throwback Chevy Camaro-Where the #1 had more authentic logos, this is not as good, and the grilled cheese sandwich just doesn’t work as well. If this wasn’t a throwback, this would get an A, but the inaccuracies take it to a B+

Alex Bowman #48 Ally Financial Throwback Chevy Camaro-I never really liked any non plain black Texaco Havoline schemes at the time, but they’ve grown on me, and this is a rather faithful throwback, so this gets an A in my book!

BJ McLeod #78 Camden Medical Center Chevy Camaro-A good color scheme combined with a mediocre design scheme will earn a C.

Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Throwback Chevy Camaro-This might be one of the most perfect throwback schemes, something which Justin Marks and Trackhouse do very well. Design, color, theme, and sponsor all come together to create another contender for best throwback of the year. A

Paint Scheme Grades-April 29, 2023

By David G. Firestone

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

Corey LaJoie #7 AeroVanti Chevy Camaro-I don’t like the yellow, other than that, this is a good scheme. A-

Kyle Busch #8 McLaren Custom Grills Chevy Camaro-Great color scheme, the smoke is a nice touch, and it isn’t over designed. A

Chase Briscoe #14 Mahindra Tractors “You Old Goat” Ford Mustang-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Riley Herbst #15 Mechanix/Monster Ford Mustang-There are two contrasting styles here, and they look odd together. F

A.J. Allmendinger #16 Black’s Tire Chevy Camaro-This is a great look, especially when compared to last year’s scheme. A

Bubba Wallace #23 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Camry-This is a good fade, and the fish motif works well. This gets an A.

Ryan Preece #41 Hunt Brothers Pizza Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #4, same A grade.

Noah Gragson #42 Wendy’s Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Erik Jones #43 Bommarito Automotive Group Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Cheez-It Chevy Camaro-Get rid of the blue stripes and this will be a solid A. With the blue stripes, this gets an A-.

JJ Yeley #51 Jacob Companies Ford Mustang-The new stripes don’t really detract from the scheme, and this gets an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-April 15, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light #Break4Busch Ford Mustang-I like the idea, but this isn’t well done. The dirt looks off, and it’s over designed. It’s not awful, so this gets a C.

Ryan Blaney #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Ryan Blaney #12 Menards/Maytag Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Chase Briscoe #14 Magical Vacation Planner Ford Mustang-I hate picture motifs, and this would be much better without it. With the mosaic, this gets an F.

JJ Yeley #15 Public SQ Ford Mustang-Same scheme as #51, same B+ grade.

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

Bubba Wallace #23 McDonald’s/Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry-I hate this look, it’s not great, the random white areas are just awful, and I can’t say anything good. F

Justin Haley #31 Tide Chevy Camaro-These new designs are too much. They don’t look good, and it takes a B scheme down to a D, I do like Tide as a car sponsor.

Erik Jones #43 Club Wyndham Chevy Camaro-A smooth look with a great color scheme and earn an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Irish Spring Body Wash Chevy Camaro-This is a better look with the cleaned up sides. This goes from a C to a B

Austin Hill #62 Realtree Chevy Camaro-As much as I hate camo, this isn’t bad. The lack of orange helps, and this gets a C.

Anthony Alfredo #78 Dude Wipes Chevy Camaro-I like the look here, the color scheme is good, and the car looks great. A

BJ McLeod #78 GUNK Chevy Camaro-I would like this with smaller logos. The giant GUNK logo is so visually distracting, that it takes an A grade down to a B+

Paint Scheme Grades-April 1, 2023

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will ALWAYS earn an A.

Brad Keselowski #6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Corey LaJoie #7 OpTic Gaming Chevy Camaro-The paint splatter motif could be better, but the giant logo along with it is just horrible, and I can’t give this higher than an F.

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

Bubba Wallace #23 MoneyLion Toyota Camry-This is even worse than last year, and that fade helps NOTHING! F

Noah Gragson #42 Black Riffle Coffee Resort Chevy Camaro-The small stripes alone would get an A, but this looks so awful, it gets taken down to a C.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Blue Buffalo Chevy Camaro-I get the use of blue, but there are too many blues here. Add in that the front is a bit over designed, and this gets a C.

Cody Ware #51 Public SQ Ford Mustang-If the black on the front was replaced with the fade, this would get an A, it’s still good enough to get a B+

Jimmie Johnson #84 Club Wyndham Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, not over designed, and it gets an A.

Daniel Suarez #99 Quaker State Chevy Camaro-This color scheme works a little better than the Freeway Insurance color scheme. B-

Paint Scheme Grades-March 25, 2023

By David G. Firestone

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

Kyle Busch #8 Lenovo Chevy Camaro-A slight difference between last year and this year doesn’t really change anything. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Body Armor Ford Mustang-Very clean, very sharp, great color scheme, gets an A.

Chase Briscoe #14 HighPoint Ford Mustang-A slight difference between last year and this year doesn’t really change anything. A

Jenson Button #15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang-I like the basic, yet bold design, and the color scheme is great! A

J.J. Yeley #15 Barnett Southern Corporation Ford Mustang-It’s a little over designed, especially in the front. It’s got a good color scheme, and that earns an A.

Chris Buescher #17 Violet Defense Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same C- grade.

Kevin Harvick #29 Busch Light Ford Mustang-Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This might be one of my favorite throwback schemes EVER! This gets a solid A!

Todd Gilliland #38 Wellcare Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same B grade.

Todd Gilliland #38 Gary Martin Hays & Associates Ford Mustang-This isn’t pinkwashing, and I like the look here, smooth, clean and bold. A

Ryan Preece #41 Autodesk/HaasTooling.com Ford Mustang-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Tyler Reddick #45 Xfinity 10G Network Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will ALWAYS earn an A.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Nature Valley Chevy Camaro-This is another example of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. This cleaned up scheme is still awful, and gets the same F grade as last year. F

The Final Paint Scheme Grades of 2022

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #1 Worldwide Express/Advent Health Chevy Camaro-The blue is bad, and it looks out of place. The car is over designed, and looks terrible. This gets an F.

JJ Yeley #15 World Supercross Championship Ford Mustang-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

JJ Yeley #15 Rad Cats Ford Mustang-I like the vintage look here, and it has a great color scheme. A

Chris Buescher #17 Fastenal Ford Mustang-I like the look, the hexagons are good, and the car has a bold look. A

Todd Gilliland #38 Boot Barn Ford Mustang-The flag motif works, the desert motif could work, they just look off together. This gets a C.

Ty Dillon #42 U.S. Space Force Chevy Camaro-I like the look, the space motif is a great look, and it’s unique, and bold with a great color scheme. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #47 Kroger/Nature Valley Chevy Camaro-It’s very rare that a paint scheme changes, and I can’t decide if it’s better or worse. This gets the same F the previous scheme did.

Landon Cassill #77 Mutoh/General Formulations Chevy Camaro-Another example of a good color scheme canceled out by a bad design scheme. C

Daniel Suarez #99 Freeway Insurance/CommScope Chevy Camaro-I hope that this isn’t a new template, and changing from black to white improves nothing at all.