Tag: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup

Paint Scheme Grades-November 3, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Joey Gase #00 Nevada Donor Network Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #55, same A- grade.

Brad Keselowski #2 Thomas Built Buses Ford Fusion-Black and red works with the Penske template, and the shades used are really good.  Nothing wrong here! A

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/Tachi-S Chevy Camaro-The white stripe with Tachi-S is visually distracting, and it clashes with the rest of the scheme.   It takes an A scheme down to an A-.

Matt Kenseth #6 Wyndham Rewards Pink Ford Fusion-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Hermie Sadler #7 Virginia Lottery Chevy Camaro-The shades of green used aren’t great, and while the car is somewhat over designed, but it’s not as bad a some of the schemes, so I’ll give it a B-.

Ross Chastain #15 Terino Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as #66, same A grade.

Ryan Newman #31 E-Z-GO Chevy Camaro-The car is a little over designed, but it has a great color scheme.  All things taken in to account, I give this a B+.

Ryan Newman #31 Next Generation Mini Excavators Chevy Camaro-My only complaint is that the the honeycomb design isn’t really needed here.  Otherwise the scheme is great,and I give it an A-

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s/Luber-finer Ford Fusion-Same scheme as Love’s, same A grade.

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Chili Beans Chevy Camaro-The new design is neither an upgrade, or a downgrade from the other scheme, so I will give it the same A- I previously gave them.

Kyle Larson #42 First Data-Clover Chevy Camaro-The car is beyond over designed, and the color scheme is not only not good, but it clashes with the design scheme.  Then again, this is the kind of design scheme that clashes with itself. F

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Pioneer Records Management Chevy Camaro-Plain Petty blue…if I need to say anything more than that, then I give up. A

Cole Whitt #72 Moen Chevrolet Camaro-It’s just a meh scheme, with a color scheme that could be tweaked a little bit.  It’s worth a C-

Paint Scheme Grades-October 20, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Joey Gase #00 PFK Foundation Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

DJ Kennington #7 Wilride Transport Chevy Camaro-The light blue doesn’t really work with the black, and the design doesn’t exactly help either. Still, it isn’t needlessly over designed, so I’ll give it a D+

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Bacon for Life Ford Fusion-The color scheme is great, and I love the bacon motif. The stripes are good, and the whole car looks great. A

Ryan Blaney #12 Menard’s/Riggs Workwear Ford Fusion-The new Menard’s template looks even better in red than it does in yellow, and the car has a great look all around! A

Clint Bowyer #14 Peak Ford Mustang-We have our first 2019 scheme.  The color scheme is good, but the car as a whole is over designed. Peak has had some good schemes in the last few years, but this isn’t great. Still, I’ve seen worse, so I’ll give it a C.

Ryan Newman #31 Liberty National Pink Chevy Camaro-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Chris Buescher #37 Bush’s Chili Beans Chevy Camaro-The design on the side under the numbers is pointless, but otherwise the car as a whole looks great. All things considered, I’ll give it an A-.

Cody Ware #51 Jacob Companies Chevy Camaro-White should not be the primary color here. If it was red, it might get an A, but this isn’t that bad, so I’ll give it a B+.

Corey LaJoie #72 Winn-Dixie Chevy Camaro-The design is simple and the color scheme works quite well here. Nothing bad about this scheme! A

Jeffery Earnhardt #96 iK9 Toyota Camry-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

David Starr #97 Vroom Brands Toyota Camry-A smooth, simple look with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 13, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Outdoors Ford Fusion-Another example of a paint scheme rearranging deck chairs on the Titianic.  The scheme is neither better nor worse than last year.  I’ll give it the same C it got last year.

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Nightvision Chevy Camaro-It’s a very toned down scheme, and the metallic gold works quite well.  Nothing wrong here. A

Clint Bowyer #14 HaasV F1/Rush Truck Centers Ford Fusion-The two sponsors work well together, the scheme as a whole looks good, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A

Ross Chastain #15 Protect Your Mellon Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Tarkett Ford Fusion-The new Menard’s template works well, and the scheme as whole looks great! A

William Byron #24 Hendrick Autoguard Chevy Camaro-My one complaint is that the white/silver stripes are pointless, and need to be eliminated.  Other than that, it’s a great scheme.  A-

Ryan Newman #31 Waste Masters Recycling Chevy Camaro-I still think that the side stripes are pointless, but the color scheme works, and the scheme is much more subdued than last year, so I’ll give it an A-.

Harrison Rhodes #52 The Medicine Shoppe Chevy Camaro-Orange and blue can be iffy, but the shades used here work very well, and the design is bold but not over done. A

Paint Scheme Grades-October 6, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Ross Chastain #7 Sokal Chevy Camaro-This is another one of those designs that would look better with a different color scheme.  Neither the color scheme or the design are bad by themselves, but together they just don’t work. It’s not a bad scheme, but it could be worked upon. B-

Chase Elliott #9 NAPA Chevy Camaro-There are slight changes to the scheme, but they neither add or subtract from the B+ grade I gave it.

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1/Advance Auto Parts Ford Fusion-My only complaint here is that the blue on the Mobil 1 aspect could be replaced with blue.  Other than that, it’s a great scheme. A-

Daniel Suarez #19 Lenox Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look with a great color scheme, and that will always earn an A.

JJ Yeley #23 Adirondack Tree Surgeons Toyota Camry-It’s an ugly over designed mess with a bad color scheme, and that will always earn an F.

Chris Buescher #37 Maple Cheerios Chevy Camaro-It’s a good look, I like the color scheme, and I don’t think it’s over designed. A

Timmy Hill #66 Terino Toyota Camry-A light to dark blue fade works very well, and the lack of other designs earns this scheme an A.

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Auto-Owners Insurance/Sherry Strong Toyota Camry-It’s a great color, and the design works very well. A

Jeffery Earnhardt #96 Susan B Komen Toyota Camry-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Paint Scheme Grades-September 29, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Landon Cassill #00 Dairi-o Chevy Camaro-The toned down elements look better, but I just don’t like the yellow used.  In the end, it’s worth an A-

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/VORASURF Chevy Camaro-Not a bad look at all.  I love the science designs on the side, and the color scheme is great. A

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Get Grilling America Ford Fusion-This scheme works well.  The wood motif works, the meat looks good, and the car looks great. A

Clint Bowyer #14 IT Savvy Ford Fusion-New sponsor for 2018, orange top, green bottom, white stripe, circuit motif across whole car. A

Justin Marks #15 GoPro Motorsports Chevy Camaro-It’s an ugly, over designed mess, but it has a good color scheme, so I’ll give it a D.

Daniel Suarez #19 Comcast Business Toyota Camry-Same scheme as last year, same D- grade.

Erik Jones #20 Craftsman Toyota Camry-It’s a smooth look, with a great color scheme, and that always earns an A.

Alon Day #23 Best Bully Snacks Toyota Camry-It’s a great shade of blue, and I like the subtle blue stripes on the sides.  It’s a great look. A

Chris Buescher #37 Cheerios Zero Hunger Zero Waste Chevy Camaro-This car needs more black.  White and yellow isn’t the greatest color combination in existence, and the addition of black would work better. B+

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Throwback Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last 2002, same A grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Throwback Patriotic Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last 2001, same A grade.

Gray Gaulding #52 Live Hotel and Casino Ford Fusion-The red doesn’t work as well with the Jacob Companies elements as the blue does.  Still, it’s not a bad scheme, and I’ll give it a B+.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Chevy Camaro-Get rid of the black and this would earn an A, but with the black, this earns a B+.

Paint Scheme Grades-September 22, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Auto Trader Ford Fusion-This new design is a step up from the Penske template, but it’s still not great. The new design is a bit overdone, and has a difficult color scheme.  It’s not unbearable, so I’ll give it a C.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Frost Chevy Camaro-The color scheme is good, but I think the overall design is somewhat over done.  Less could have been a lot more with this scheme.  C

Kevin Harvick #4 Mobil 1 Chevy Camaro-I love the new color fade, and the rest of the car looks great.  This scheme gets an A.

Paul Menard #21 Menards/Aquafina Ford Fusion-Another example of the new Menard’s template working quite well.  I can’t see anything wrong with this scheme! A

Joey Gase #23 BK Racing Toyota Camry-Same basic scheme as BK Racing, same F grade.

William Byron #24 Axalta Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as 2015 #24, same A grade.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Zynga Poker/World Poker Tour Ford Fusion-The blue laser motif doesn’t work here, and the red poker chips look forced in as well.  This is not a scheme that can’t get higher than an F.

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Vegas Strong Chevy Camaro-The black front works.  The rest of the scheme doesn’t. B-

Jeffrey Earnhardt #96 iK9/Xtreme Concepts Toyota Camry-Black with red and silver works very well, and the whole scheme works well, as it’s not over designed. A

Jeffrey Earnhardt #96 American Soldier Network/Xtreme Concepts Toyota Camry-Same scheme as iK9, same A grade.

Paint Scheme Grades-September 15, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Joey Gase #00 Eternal Fan Chevy Camaro-Too many colors, and the car is extremely over designed. F

Austin Dillon #3 Dow/Molykote Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as last year, same C grade.

Aric Almirola #10 Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford Fusion-I don’t like the shade of blue they used, and the designs on the white is distracting. All things considered, I give it a B+.

Clint Bowyer #14 DeKalb Ford Fusion-Great color scheme, and the wing design looks really good in black and yellow. Nothing wrong here. A

Clint Bowyer #14 Mobil 1/Rush Truck Stops Ford Fusion-The design works well here, and the color scheme works well with the scheme. A

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 John Deere Ford Fusion-The color scheme is decent, but the car is somewhat over desgined.  This is another one of those schemes that would work better with a different color scheme.  It’s worth a C-.

Michael McDowell #34 Kroger Race for Riley Ford Fusion-A good color scheme with a good color scheme will always earn an A.

Michael McDowell #34 Speedco/Rotella Ford Fusion-The shades of blue and yellow are good, and the smooth look earns an A.

Chris Buescher #37 Natural Light Resume Chevy Camaro-It’s an ugly over designed mess of a resume for Brian Starr.  This is supposed to get this poor kid a job, but it will probably not work out that well. F

Alex Bowman #88 Axalta/Church Brothers Chevy Camaro-Same scheme as Axalta, same F grade.

Kasey Kahne #95 Drumont Jets Chevy Camaro-Great color scheme, but the side design is a bit over designed.  I also think that the black is pointless here.  This scheme is getting a B-.

Paint Scheme Grades-September 8, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s Big Mac 50th Anniversary Throwback Chevy Camaro-Metallic gold is a great look, and while this isn’t really a throwback, it still works very well. A

Austin Dillon #3 American Ethanol Throwback Chevy Camaro-Well, this is my favorite throwback of 2018!  I loved the Silver Wrench back in 1995, and I love this faithful throwback.  This is the 2018 Paint Schemie for Best Throwback Scheme winner. A.

Joey Gase #23 AgriSupply/Carolina Cooker Toyota Camry-This is a great looking throwback, it’s quite accurate, and it has a great look.  I can’t give this less than an A.

Michael McDowell #34 Love’s Truck Stops Throwback Ford Same scheme as last year, same A grade.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 STP Throwback Chevy Camaro-I’m still not sure as to why the last minute change was made, but this is a great looking scheme! Anything Petty ran is a good look, and this is a great look. A

BJ McLeod #51 Jacob Companies Chevy Camaro–New scheme for 2018, based on Russ Wheeler’s #18 Hardees Chevy Lumina from Days of Thunder. A

JJ Yeley #52 Trading View Throwback Chevy Camaro-It’s a smooth look, with a great design. A

Corey LaJoie #72 BCT The Blockchain Terminal Toyota Camry-Liked theFina Oil Chevy back in the day, and I like this now.  This is a great look, and I hope it makes another appearance in 2019. A

Paint Scheme Grades-September 1, 2018

Matt Kenseth #6 Oscar Meyer Throwback Ford Fusion-First off, this is a fauxback, not a throwback, the second part about this is that is that this looks too modern to be a decent throwback.  If this was raced during any other race, I would give it a higher grade.  As a throwback, this gets a B+.

Ty Dillon #13 Geico Throwback Chevy Camaro-This is a throwback that is from 2008.  While I liked the Jimmie Johnson’s throwback, I didn’t really like this when it first debuted, but I’ve decided that this is worth a B+.

Matt DiBenedetto #32 Keen Parts/Charlie Brown Ford Fusion-The fade works very well, the color scheme is great, and the Charlie Brown motif works well with the scheme.  This scheme gets an A.

David Ragan #38 DiGard Throwback Ford Fusion-The Citgo throwback works well, though I do think the door numbers should be a tad thinner.  It’s stll a great scheme that earns an A.

Kyle Larson #42 DC Solar Throwback Chevy Camaro-Don’t get me wrong, I love Davey’s white to black Havoline scheme.  The color changes are jarring, and really don’t work with the design scheme.  Still, it’s a decent scheme, so I’ll give it an A-.

A.J. Allmendinger #47 Kroger Throwback Chevy Camaro-My only complaint here is that the back logos are too cluttered, but it’s not terrible, so I’ll give it an A-

B.J. McLeod #52 Jacob Companies Ford Fusion-New scheme for 2018, same as #51. A-

Timmy Hill #66 Rewards.com Throwback Toyota Camry-Full disclosure, I never liked this scheme.  I didn’t like it in 2000, and I don’t really like it now.  It’s not terrible, I’ve certainly seen worse.  All things considered, this gets a B-.

Jeffery Earnhardt #96 Nine Line Apparel Throwback Toyota Camry-This is one of the best throwback schemes this year!  It looks amazing, and is faithful to the original.  I can’t say anything bad about this, so I won’t. A

Paint Scheme Grades-August 11, 2018

By David G. Firestone

Brad Keselowski #2 Wabash National/Supreme Ford Fusion-Red and white Penske template works well, and this is a great shade of red.  Not a bad look at all. A

Matt Kenseth #6 NESN Ford Fusion-It’s an ugly, over designed mess, but in a different way than last year.  Give credit to NESN, they have horrible cars, but they are creatively horrible. F

Chase Elliott #9 Sun Energy Chevy Camaro-This toned down look is amazing!  The flames on the front work well, and the car has a great look overall. A

Kyle Busch #18 Skittles Throwback Toyota Camry-The best Skittles NASCAR scheme EVER gets a second chance at Darlington.  Ernie Irvan’s Skittles scheme was leaps and bounds above the rest of the Skittles schemes.  I’m glad to see this scheme get a second chance.  A

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Crunchy Mint Toyota Camry-Admittedly, I’m not a fan of green on race cars.  This is a great shade of green, and the simplistic scheme works well.  A

Paul Menard #21 Menard’s/Libman Ford Fusion-Is there any sponsor that the new Menard’s template can’t give an amazing look?  I don’t think so!  This is another great look for the Menard’s template. A

Joey Logano #22 Pennzoil Throwback Ford Fusion-Steve Park had a great Pennzoil scheme.  This amazing scheme faithfully replicates that scheme, and it looks amazing! A

Spencer Gallagher #23 Allegiant Toyota Camry-Too much going on with this scheme.  Add in a decent color scheme that doesn’t quite fit the design scheme, and you have a D+.

William Byron #24 Axalta/Imron Chevy Camaro-One shade of gray would have been enough, but let’s add more.  Also, let’s add a hideous shade of yellow that completely clashes with the rest of the scheme, and a bad design, and you have a ready-made F scheme.

William Byron #24 Hertz Chevy Camaro-Great smooth look, with a great color scheme will always earn an A.

Ryan Newman #31 CAT Throwback Chevy Camaro-Another underrated scheme that got a great throwback.  This is an amazing look, and it gets the A it deserves.

Ryan Newman #31 Lucas Oil Chevy Camaro-The only good thing I can say is that I think the color scheme is decent. D+

Chris Buescher #37 Kleenex Wet Wipes Chevy Camaro-I like the color scheme and overall design.  The stripes give it a cluttered look, and are pointless.  It takes an A scheme down to a B+.

Chris Buescher #37 Velveeta Chevy Camaro-Simple look with a great color scheme will always get an A.

David Ragan #38 A&W Ford Fusion-Good look, Front Row template works very well with this color scheme, and the car looks great. A

Kyle Larson #42 Credit Chevy Camaro-The geometric designs are not a good look, and there are too many shades of blue. It’s not terrible, but not great, so all things considered, I give it a C-.

Darrell Wallace Jr. #43 Mile 22 Ford Fusion-The only bad thing I can say about this scheme is that the pixelized Mark Wahlberg isn’t needed.  A-

Jimmie Johnson #48 Kobalt Throwback Chevy Camaro-A great scheme is a great scheme.  This scheme from 2012 was great then, and is great now. A

Josh Bilicki #51 Jacob Companies Chevy Camaro-The blue is good, and the scheme is smooth, simple, and amazing. A

Alex Bowman #88 Nationwide Childrens Chevy Camaro-I think the stripes are a little over done, but otherwise the scheme as a whole is great. A-

Jeffery Earnhardt #96 Nine Line Apparel Chevy Camaro-The black American flag motif doesn’t work, and the stripe on the side doesn’t work.  It’s a mess on the sides, but the hood and roof designs work well.  So, I’m going to give this scheme a C-.