Tag: SS

2016 Paint Scheme Tracker-November 4, 2015

By David G. Firestone

STEWART-HAAS RACING #4

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, designed around a Busch throwback can. A+

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, designed around a Busch Light can. A+

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy John’s Chevy SS–No change. A+

Kevin Harvick #4 Outback Chevy SS–New scheme for 2016, mountain design starts near brake duct, instead of at front of car. B+

Kevin Harvick #4 Ditech Chevy SS–No change. A+

STEWART-HAAS RACING #10

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue with white lettering on sides, white and black stripe across hood and roof. A+

Danica Patrick #10 TaxAct Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, white front, red TaxAct X logo, gray back. A+

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #24

Chase Elliott #24 NAPA Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, blue with white stripes across side which start at brake duct. A+

STEWART-HAAS RACING #41

Kurt Busch #41 Monster Energy Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, black with yellow and white numbers and lettering. A+

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78

Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry–Other than the switch from Chevy to Toyota, there are no major changes. A+

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 TaxSlayer Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, red top and front, white bottom and back, gold designs separate the two. A+

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Chevy SS–New scheme for 2015, reminiscent of old Mountain Dew/Amp Energy scheme. A+

 

 

Paint Scheme Grades-October 31, 2015

By David G. Firestone

First we have 2016 paint scheme…

Chase Elliott #24 NAPA Chevy SS-It’s a smooth look, very good color scheme, and it looks great! It earns an. A+

Now on to 2015 paint schemes…

Jamie McMurray #1 Cessna/Bad Boy Buggies Pink Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F

Greg Biffle #16 Ford Performance Ford Fusion-It’s a simple design with a great color scheme, and I love the spray design on the door numbers. A+

Carl Edwards #19 Xfinifty Toyota Camry-Let’s be honest, it’s a slightly better redesign of the Great Clips scheme, and even then, it’s only B- level. Too many dark-on-dark designs.

JJ Yeley #26 Adirondack Tree Surgeons Toyota Camry-The mediocre color scheme and insanely overdone design scheme combine to earn an F. There is no part of this scheme I can defend.

Paul Menard #27 Menards/Tarkett Chevy SS-With the Menard’s template, or any template for that matter, some color schemes work, other color schemes don’t. The purple isn’t great, but it isn’t awful. I’ll give it a B+.

Bobby Labonte #32 C&J Energy Services Ford Fusion-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Ryan Ellis #33 Science Logic Chevy SS-A great color scheme and an awful design scheme combine for a D+ grade.

Travis Kvapil #33 Chevy SS-A timeless look with a great color scheme will earn an A+ ever single time.

David Gilliland #38 Jerry Cook Tribute Ford Fusion-Great looking throwbacks will ALWAYS deserve an A+.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plaid Chevy SS-If you paint your car with a houndstooth design and it ends up looking like a picnic table cover, you deserve to get a D-.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plaid Chevy SS-Plaid doesn’t look good on clothes, and it looks even worse on race cars. The only thing saving this scheme is a good color scheme. D-

Michael Annett #46 Flying J/PJ Fresh Chevy SS-Good color scheme, and I LOVE the tomato sauce and pepperoni motif! It looks great and earns an A+.

Timmy Hill #62 Royal Teak Ford Fusion-Royal Teak has had a lot of great color schemes this year, and this is another one. Great color scheme, great design, no complaints. A+

Michael Waltrip #98 Maxwell House Toyota Camry-Same as Clint Bowyer’s Maxwell House Toyota, same A+ grade.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 17, 2015

By David G. Firestone

First we start with some 2016 paint schemes…

Kevin Harvick #4 Jimmy John’s Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Kevin Harvick #4 Outback Chevy SS-As much as I like the color scheme, the new mountain design looks kinda forced, and the face that it eminates from the brake duct doesn’t do it any favors. B+

Kevin Harvick #4 Ditech Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same A+ grade.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Nationwide Chevy SS-A brand new design, the old Amp Energy scheme but with Nationwide colors, and I have to say…it works very well. I can’t say anything bad about this scheme. A+

Now on to the 2015 schemes..

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s All Day Breakfast Chevy SS-Black doesn’t work with McDonald’s, red or yellow would work. The design doesn’t remind of McDonald’s either. Nothing works, so I’ll give it an F.

Jamie McMurray #1 HALO 5 Chevy SS-Calling this car over designed would be an understatement. The color scheme doesn’t really fit the design. It earns an F.

Austin Dillon #3 Dow Great Stuff Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same B- grade.

Alex Bowman #7 Pink Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Alex Bowman #7 Accell Pink Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Sonic Ford Fusion-Another case of design elements on the side, all of which would work by themselves, but look horrible together. The color scheme is good, but the design kills the color scheme, and earns an F.

Tony Stewart #14 Rush Truck Stops/Arctic Cat Chevy SS-New scheme for 2015, same as Rush’s but with Artic Cat on quarter panels. A+

Alex Kennedy #33 Little Joe’s Auto Chevy SS-Pinkwashing is an automatic F.

Cole Whitt #35 Rich Logistics Ford Fusion-Overall, I like the design, but the grid pattern looks forced. Get rid of that, and it would be a solid A scheme with a great color scheme. The grid takes it down to a B+

David Gilliland #38 Love’s/Tire Pass Ford Fusion-Same as Love’s, same A grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Dark Plaid Chevy SS-The dark plaid design works very well, and the black and red color scheme fits the design perfectly. A+

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plaid Chevy SS-It reminds me of an old Cincinatti Red uniform, and while the Reds uniform looked great, this looks…the word “meh” comes to mind. The stripes are way too thin to look good. Still the color scheme is good, and I’ll give it a C-.

Michael Annett #46 TMC Transportation Chevy SS-The Dale Jr. Style lettering works well in yellow, and the black background works well too. I give it an A+

AJ Allmendinger #47 Dillon’s Chevy SS-Same as Kroger’s, same A+ grade

Timmy Hill #62 Becker Autos Chevy SS-Simple design, great color scheme, no complaints, A+.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 HALO 5 Chevy SS-Calling this car over designed would be an understatement. While the color scheme does fit the design, the color scheme can’t save the scheme. It earns an F.

Reed Sorenson #98 VIP Racing Experience Ford Fusion-Simple design, great color scheme, no complaints, A+.

Paint Scheme Grades-October 10, 2015

By David G. Firestone

First we have four new 2016 schemes…

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Chevy SS-A mainstay of NASCAR sponsorship, Busch makes its return in 2016, along with Busch Light as the primary sponsor of Kevin Harvick’s car. This design, based on a throwback can is great, and I can’t say anything bad about it. A+

Kevin Harvick #4 Busch Light Chevy SS-Based on a Busch Light can, everything I like about Busch also applies here. A+

Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry–No change A+

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 TaxSlayer Chevy SS-The colors scheme is really good, and the design works well. I like the gold designs and door numbers too. A+

Now on to the 2015 schemes…

Jamie McMurray #1 Naturemade Gummies Chevy SS-No. Redeeming. Features. At. All. F

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Pink Ford Fusion-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Walmart/SlimFast Ford Fusion-Same as Walmart scheme, same B- grade.

Greg Biffle #16 Roush Performance Parts Pink Ford Fusion-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Kyle Busch #18 Halloween M&M’s Toyota Camry-M&M’s always has top notch M&M’s Halloween schemes, and this scheme is no exception. The color and design work very well, and earn an A+.

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s Pink Toyota Camry-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Ryan Blaney #21 PPG Automotive Finishes Ford Fusion-Great color scheme, the blue works well, and the paint streaks to the white rear looks really good. A+

Jeb Burton #23 Dr. Pepper Pink Toyota Camry-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Brett Moffitt #34 Dockside Logistics Ford Fusion-Great color scheme and great design scheme earns an A+.

Landon Cassill #40 Cars For Sale Pink Chevy SS-In keeping with Driver Suit Blog policy, all pinkwashing schemes earn an automatic F.

Kyle Larson #42 Target Plaid Chevy SS-Plaid does not look good on race cars, no matter what. D-

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Red Vest Chevy SS-When I first heard about this scheme I thought the red would improve the scheme, but it actually takes a B- scheme down to a C-.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.#88 Nationwide/Plenti Chevy SS-I’m not sure if the Plenti designs are meant to be confetti, butterflies, birds, or what, but they take a B+ scheme down to a C+.

Michael McDowell #95 Thrivent Financial/Habitat For Humanity Ford Fusion-The use of gray can be a minefield, but this works well, and the overall design looks good too. A+

The Driver Suit Blog-2016 Paint Scheme Tracker-October 7, 2015

STEWART-HAAS RACING #10

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, blue with white lettering on sides, white and black stripe across hood and roof. A+

FURNITURE ROW RACING #78

Marin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row Toyota Camry–Other than the switch from Chevy to Toyota, there are no major changes. A+

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS #88

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 TaxSlayer Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, red top and front, white bottom and back, gold designs separate the two. A+

Paint Scheme Grades-September 26, 2015

Jamie McMurray #1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevy SS-Same as Daytona scheme, but reversed, same A+ grade.

Jamie McMurray #1 FlirMPX Chevy SS-Bit of a stretch with the color scheme, however, the great design scheme works well, and the scheme as a whole is great. A+

Alex Bowman #7 Road Rippers Chevy SS-Same as Toy State scheme, same D- grade.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Lowes Foods Ford Fusion-I’m not a fan of most shades of green used on race cars these days, but the darker the better. This is a shade of green that works quite well, and the scheme is good too, so it earns an A+

Danica Patrick #10 GoDaddy Pink Chevy SS-It’s that time of year again, pinkwashing time. The whole idea of putting pink on everything during the month of October has run its course, so I will continue to fail any scheme that follows, like this scheme. F

Jeff Gordon #24 Ride With Jeff Chevy SS-557 people paid $124 to have their name put on the hood of Jeff’s car and this solid A+ scheme is the result.

Jeff Gordon #24 Axalta Final Race Chevy SS-I’m glad Axalta decided to do something unique for Jeff Gordon’s final full-time race at Homestead. Originally, it was going to be the same Axalta scheme he ran all season, but this one works well too. I have to give it an A+

Josh Wise #32 Beer Frost/Skuttle Tight Ford Fusion-This is a nod to the Tide Ride throwback, and I hope they don’t change it! That is a great shade of orange, the numbers look great, and the scheme earns an A+.

Cole Whitt #35 Taco Bell Ford Fusion-The Taco Bell scheme worked well on the #34 last year, and it works well on the #35 this year. A+

Kyle Larson #42 Linksys Plaid Chevy SS-Target is going all in on plaid this year, since apparently, it’s the next big thing in fashion. That said, this car needs work. The tan plaid is too light, and the design is mediocre at best. I like the color scheme, so I’ll give it a B-.

AJ Allmendinger #47 Food For Less Chevy SS-Same scheme as Kroger, same A+ grade.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowes/Hitachi Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2015, same as Lowe’s. B-

David Ragan #55 Aaron’s Partners Of The Year Toyota Camry-Same scheme as Aaron’s, but with their partners of the year on the hood. A+

Ryan Preece #98 Chevy SS-Now if I really have to explain why this is a great scheme, you probably haven’t been paying attention. This is as perfect a throwback as can be! A+

Paint Scheme Grades-September 19, 2015

Kevin Harvick #4 Budweiser Make It Home Chevy SS-I’m considering this a throwback, since it reminds me of Kenny Schrader’s scheme from his Hendrick days. It looks great, and earns an A+.

Alex Bowman #7 Jewel-Osco Chevy SS-The color scheme is good, the design is good, but those stripes on the door number kill an A+ scheme. They serve no purpose, and are not part of Jewel-Osco’s color scheme, and take the scheme down to a B-.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Go Bowling/Draft Kings Ford Fusion-Same as Medallion Bank, same B+ grade.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Walmart Ford Fusion-Not a bad scheme, color is great, but the design needs some work, as it looks forced, and doesn’t work. B-

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Cargil Ford Fusion-See Walmart Above. B+

Kyle Busch #18 M&M’s/American Hertiage Toyota Camry-Same as M&M’s Crispy same B- grade.

Jeffery Earnhardt #32 Beer Frost/Corvette Parts Ford Fusion-Same as Corvette Parts, same F grade.

Mike Bliss #33 Harry Gant Throwback Chevy SS– Based on Harry Gant’s Skoal Bandit scheme he raced through much of his career, I couldn’t say anything bad about this scheme with a gun to my head. A+

David Gilliland #38 Love’s Truck Stops/Children’s Miracle Network Ford Fusion-Same as Love’s Truck Stops, same A grade.

Aric Almirola #43 Waffle House Ford Fusion– Same scheme as last year, same B- grade,

Timmy Hill #62 Champion Machinery Chevy SS-The plain scheme with Champion Machienry decasl looks good, and earns an A+.

Michael McDowell #95 WRL Contractors Ford Fusion– It’s amazing how much better this scheme looks without the Larry the Lobster crap on it. It takes the scheme up to an A+.

Paint Scheme Grades- September 5, 2015

Kasey Kahne #5 Hendrick Ride Along Chevy SS-I was thinking it would be a Terry Labonte or Ricky Rudd throwback, but this Geoff Bodine scheme from 1983 is a good scheme, the door number looks good, the designs are great, and the color scheme is great. A+

Alex Bowman #7 “Tiger” Tom Baldwin Throwback Chevy SS-New scheme for 2015, pays tribute to “Tiger” Tom Baldwin’s modified car. It’s a great look, and the bars on the side, and air filter decal is unique, but it works very well. A+

Ryan Blaney #21 SKF Manufacturing Day Ford Fusion-It’s a redesign of a good scheme, and I really can’t find fault with it.A+

Joey Logano #22 Shell Pennzoil Mario Andretti Throwback Ford Fusion-I had no idea what Shell had planned, but I didn’t think that it would be based on Mario Andretti’s 1988 24 Hours of LeMans Porsche. That being said, it is a great throwback scheme, with a bold look that is better than their current scheme! I want this to be the Shell/Pennzoil scheme! A+

JJ Yeley #23 Beds For Kids Toyota Camry-Not a throwback per se, but more of a fauxback scheme. The color scheme looks good, I like the removal of the Dr Pepper number circle, but that stripe just looks forced and awkward. If it wasn’t looping over the tires, I might like it better, but it takes an A+ scheme down to a B-

Justin Allgaier #51 Brandt Throwback Chevy SS-Already a fauxback design, they redesign the numbers, giving them a Rowdy Burns style look, and make EST 1953 more prominent. It was a great look, and it’s still a great look. A+

Martin Truex Jr. #78 Furniture Row National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month Chevy SS-I was really wondering what Furniture Row Racing would do here. They do have some classic schemes, but they don’t look that good. Instead, they turned their logos and number teal to create awareness for ovarian cancer. It is a smart move that earns an A+.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 29, 2015

Trevor Bayne #6 Advocare Mark Martin Throwback Ford Fusion-Not my favorite Mark Martin throwback scheme, but it works with the V’s replace by A’s. I’ll give it an A+.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Winn Dixie Throwback Ford Fusion-Based on a later Mark Martin throwback scheme, the modern numbers and logos take an A+ scheme to a B-.

Clint Bowyer #15 Buddy Baker Throwback Toyota Camry-I rarely hand out the second + to an A+ scheme but for this throwback to Buddy Baker’s 1974 scheme because the team went the extra mile and hand painted it. The extra plus is worth one 1/3 of a letter grade in the final ratings. A++

Greg Biffle #16 Ortho Throwback Ford Fusion-Great design, great color scheme, bonus points for vintage contingency decals. A+

Jeb Burton #23 Estes Cat Throwback Toyota Camry-I’ll be honest, when I heard of the throwback race, I thought Ryan Newman would use this scheme. That said, it is still a great scheme based on Ward Burton’s 2002 Daytona 500 winning scheme. A+

JJ Yeley #23 Voodoo Grills Toyota Camry-Same scheme as #83, same F grade.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s Throwback Chevy SS-Vintage logos, a unique vintage look, and vintage door numbers all add up to an A+.

Josh Wise #32 Beer Frost/Corvetteparts.com Tide Throwback Ford Fusion-You can NEVER go wrong with a Tide Ride scheme. A+

Aric Almirola #43 STP 1972 Throwback Ford Fusion-STP throwbacks are, without exception, always great. A+

Michael Annett #46 Pilot/Flying J Throwback Chevy SS– A good color scheme and decent design, ruined by modern logos. The vintage Pilot logo is good but can’t keep the grade above a C+.

Matt DiBenedetto #83 James Madison University Toyota Camry-Blue, black and gold is a good color scheme, but it doesn’t transfer well to this paint scheme. It looks forced. I think that if the blue and gold were reversed it might help. The design and logos are good, so I’ll give it a B+

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #88 Valvoline Buddy Baker Throwback Chevy SS– The only bad thing I can say is that the Dale Jr. number design is present on this throwback scheme, but it’s too good of a scheme for me to complain, and I give it an A+.

Timmy Hill #98 Big Daddy RV’s Ford Fusion-The logo may be a bit gaudy, but the paint scheme is good, and I’ll give in an A+.

Paint Scheme Grades-August 22, 2015

By David G. Firestone

We have our first 2016 paint scheme, and I will grade it as normal. I know that the scheme might change.

Danica Patrick #10 Nature’s Bakery Chevy SS-New sponsor for 2016, and for the first new scheme, it looks much better than anything I have seen on Danica’s car thus far. However, since this may not be the final scheme for 2016, I will take it with a grain of salt. I will give in an A+.\

Now on to the 2015 schemes…

Brad Keselowski #2 Miller Lite/Luke Bryan Ford Fusion-Same as Miller Lite, but with Luke Bryan on the hood, I’ll give it an A+.

Alex Bowman #7 APC Chevy SS-The scheme looks decent, but if the black were replaced by white, it would look better. The APC color scheme would look better with a white background. Still, it’s a decent scheme, but it has a B- look to it.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Transportation Impact Ford Fusion-Transportation Impact’s attempt to use the Petty C around the numbers as part of the design scheme look awful, and the whole scheme is much awkward. If that lightning bolt was removed, it would be an A scheme, but because of the bad design, it earns a C-.

Sam Hornish Jr. #9 Blue Emu Ford Fusion-Another attempt to use the Petty C in the scheme, but this works much better. It’s much smoother, and it works. Sadly, the front nose design looks odd, and the red C near the door number doesn’t fit with the whole scheme. I’ll give it a B+.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. #17 Cargil David Pearson Throwback Ford Fusion– A very accurate throwback from David Pearson’s Holman-Moody days. Bonus point to Cargil for adding the vintage lettering on the sides. You can’t give this scheme anything lower than an A+.

Jeb Burton #26 Rocky Ridge Toyota Camry–Leave it to BK Racing to completely miss the point of the THROWBACK RACE at Darlington! I got it wrong, this was run at Bristol. The color scheme is good, but it can’t save this scheme, which shouldn’t be running at a throwback race. I give it an F.

Paul Menard #27 Menard’s/Knauf Chevy SS-Some templates don’t work with certain color schemes, and this is a perfect example. The sky blue/neon yellow color scheme is awful, and the design is keeping it afloat. I give it a D-

Josh Wise #32 Tom Siple Foundation Ford Fusion-The Tom Siple Foundation was created in 2008 after Tom Siple died of cancer. The foundation exists to give terminally ill and severely disabled individuals a chance to hunt before their time comes. It’s a great charity, and they have a great paint scheme, earning an A+.

Travis Kvapil #33 Chevy SS-Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.

Brett Moffitt #34 No Escape Ford Fusion-If the lettering and door numbers weren’t so bright I would be able to give it a better grade, but I can’t give this anything better than a C-.

Cole Whitt #35 Dockside Logistics Chevy SS-Same as #34 Dockside scheme, same A+ grade.

David Gilliland #38 Cash Crash Ford Fusion-The Front Row template can work very well with the right color scheme, but this isn’t the right color scheme. The green is too bright, the red clashes with it, and the hood design is awful. I’ll be kind and give it a C+.

Landon Cassill #40 Hillman Automotive Chevy SS–Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.

Kyle Larson #42 Clorox Chevy SS-Same scheme as last year, same D-grade.

Kyle Larson #42 Target/Cartwheel Chevy SS-Not only is this a great design and color scheme, I would love to see it reversed and made the primary scheme. An A+ scheme for sure.

Kyle Larson #42 Mello Yello Chevy SS-I love a good, accurate throwback, and this is a perfect example of one. It looks just as good now as it did then, I give it an A+.

Aric Almirola #43 Armour Ford Fusion– The yellow roof numbers have been going on too long, they look awful, and it takes an A+ down to an A-.

Jimmie Johnson #48 Lowe’s Throwback Chevy SS-If the cream was replaced by white, I would give it an A+ but because is isn’t it takes it down to a B-.

David Ragan #55 Aaron’s Ken Ragan Throwback Toyota Camry–New scheme for 2015, throwback to David’s father Ken’s 1990’s car. -This is a scheme that throws back to Ken Ragan’s old scheme. I love a good, accurate throwback, and this is a perfect example of one. It looks just as good now as it did then, I give it an A+.

Reed Sorenson #62 Chevy SS–Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.

Matt DiBenedetto #83 Cosmo Motors Toyota Camry-The only good thing I can say about this scheme is that it has a decent color scheme. C-

Timmy Hill #98 Ford Fusion-Great color scheme with a smooth design will always earn an A+.