Top 10 Best NASCAR Paint Schemes

Top 10 Best NASCAR Paint Schemes

A List compiled by Brian Cotnoir

Since the days of Winston Cigarettes, NASCAR has been a haven for Advertising.    Most NASCAR fans can associate their favorite Products with a NASCAR driver's sponsor.  If I say STP motor oil, practically every NASCAR fan thinks, Richard Petty.  If I say Budweiser Beer, every NASCAR fan will tell you Dale Earnhardt Jr or Kevin Harvick (or Darrel Waltrip or Bill Elliot if you're an Old School NASCAR fan).  Dupont= Jeff Gordon, Valvoline=Mark Martin, and Denny Hamlin=FedEx.   And over the years, those sponsors have given us some pretty Iconic Paint Schemes.  Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s iconic Black #3, Richard Petty's Petty Blue #43 winning 200 races, and Jeff Gordon's Rainbow Warrior Paint scheme.  So, today, I am paying homage to the Best Paint Schemes in NASCAR History.

Now a little clarification first: 1.) These are my Personal Opinion, so I'm sure some of you will have different opinions than me.  If you think I missed an obvious one, just let me know in the comment section.  2.)  I am not considering any Specialty Paint Schemes that were used for a 1-3 race (So, no All-Star Race paint schemes or a 1 Race Sponsorship Deal), so don't be surprised if I don't reference amazing Paint schemes like Dale Sr.'s 1996 Atlanta Olympics Car or Darrel Waltrip's Chrome  & Orange Western Auto Chevy.   I am only considering the Paint Schemes that run on an almost Weekly basis for 1-3+ seasons in NASCAR.  So without further adieu here is my Top 10 Best NASCAR Paint Schemes

10.) Bill Elliot & Casey Atwood, Red Dodge, 2001-2003

Dodge's Brief Return to NASCAR in the early 2000's was headlined by NASCAR legend Bill Elliot being teamed up with Rookie Driver Casey Atwood in a pair of almost identical Red Dodge Intrepid's.  The Green on Atwood's #19, was part of a Sponsorship deal with Mountain Dew, which in hindsight was the worst advertisement in NASCAR history.  Other than a few races where Atwood ran a car where it said Mountain Dew all over his car, you can't even tell that Mountain Dew Sponsored the Car.  What were we all just supposed to see that Green 19 on Atwood's Roof and think to ourselves "Man, I sure could go for a Mountain Dew, right now".  (?)

9.) Darrel Waltrip, Mountain Dew Car, 1982

Speaking of Mountain Dew; how pretty is this Buick Regal NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip drove to the championship in 1982?  A nice color combination of Green and White, with a little bit of Red.  Now this is a car that makes me want to go get a Mountain Dew!

8.) Dave Blaney, AMOCO, 2000

Okay, it's been 18 Years since this Paints scheme was run, and I still have no idea what AMOCO is, but I at least remember this iconic paint scheme from NASCAR driver and open wheel racing legend, Dave Blaney.  This was the paint scheme run Blaney ran for Bill Davis Racing in 2000, right before they switched manufacturers from Pontiac to Dodge.  The Paint Scheme Blaney used for AMOCO when he ran for Dodge was nice too, but I think the Pontiac one was way cooler.  It's such a bizarre combo of colors, it's got Red, White, and Blue stripes that make you think of a Barber Pole or Patriotism but it's also got that Black Roof wit the golden #93.  This was a cool car, I'd like to see it run on Throwback Weekend at Darlington one year.

#7.) Richard Petty, STP, 1972-1974

I love Richard Petty's, Petty Blue #43, but when STP came on to sponsor him, adding that little bit of Orange to the car, really made his car stand out even more.  There are been many variations over the years of the Petty Blue and STP Orange (or is it Red? I can't really tell), but I think this one is his best looking car.

#6.) Mark Martin, Valvoline, 1998-2000

Mark Martin ran three different paint schemes for Valvoline in the 1990's, but in my opinion the one he ran at the end of the decade the coolest.  I like the Splatters of Red, white, and blue, and the #6 on the car reminds me of a buzz saw.  It was cool, it was edgy, and it is definitley a paint scheme that only could've worked for NASCAR in the 1990's.  This paint scheme was also continued with driver Johnny Benson when the sponsorship moved to MB2 Motorsports.

#5.) Kasey Kahne, Red Bull, 2011

I'm very disappointed that Red Bull Racing didn't stick around longer in NASCAR.  When you figure they shovel hundreds of Millions of Dollars into Formula 1 to run not one, but TWO F1 teams, you'd think they could've gave some more funding to Research & Development at their Cup Team.  Red Bull Racing only won 2 races in NASCAR, one with driver Brian Vickers at Michigan in 2009, and the other in 2011 at Phoenix with driver Kasey Kahne in  Kahne's only season with the team.  Kahne's #4 car stood out more than any other Red Bull driver's Paint scheme.  I honestly believe that had Kahne stuck at Red Bull Racing and they didn't shut down, he'd probably would have one more races driving for Red Bull then he did driving for Hendrick.

#4.) Davey Allison, Texaco Gold & Black, 1987-1989

Oh I love this paint scheme so much!  This was the Paint Scheme Davey Allison drove at the beginning of his career and it's so cool!.  It's equal part's black and white, it's got the Orange Texaco Logo on the Hood, the Blue Ford Emblem, and of course those gorgeous Gold numbers.  I'm surprised there haven't been many uses of gold colored paint in NASCAR.  Texaco always had cool paint schemes with every driver they sponsored, but they really did strike gold with their first paint scheme, and it's another one I always hope they bring back for Throwback weekend at Darlington.

#3.) Sterling Marlin, Coors Light "Silver Bullet", 2001-2006.

Another Iconic Paint Scheme that came in the early 2000's.  Personally, I think Coors had some ugly paint schemes in NASCAR.  But the one Sterling Marlin drove for Chip Ginassi in the early 2000's was so pretty!  It reminds me a lot of the chrome car Darrell Waltrip drove once in the 1990's.  Marlin had a lot of success driving the Silver Bullet car.  He got Dodge's first win in their return to NASCAR at Michigan, and he easily would've one that 2002 championship had he not been injured in that wreck at Kansas, but on the plus side, we got that awesome moment of Jamie McMurray winning his 1st race in second start ever as an injury replacement for Marlin.

#2.) Joe Nemechek, Burger King, 1995-1996.

I don't know why, but the Burger King Cars in NASCAR this past decade all look so ugly, whether it was on Tony Stewart's cars, or the often under performing (and now Bankrupt) BK Racing cars, they just look so....meh.  I mean, compared to the Burger King car run by Joe Nemechek in 1990's, the others are just so plain and boring.  It's a shame Nemechek never got this car in victory lane.   It would've looked so good.

And the #1 Paint Scheme in NASCAR History in my Opinion is

#1.) Chad Little, John Deere, 1997-2000

What a great Paint Scheme this is.  You've got that John Deere Green matched with that sunny Yellow, on that #97 car and it just looks so cool.  This sponsorship and paint scheme started  off on Little's Xfinity (then Busch) Series Car and made the transfer to the Cup Level (but the number did change from 23 to 97).  Little would bring the sponsorship from John Deere and this awesome paint scheme to Roush Racing.  Little would eventually be replaced at Roush, by some rookie driver by the name of Kurt Busch (I think, he's still running in  the Cup Level ;) ), who would run the John Deere car for the remainder of the 2000 season.  However, the following year Busch's sponsorship changed Rubbermaid, which is a shame, because Busch easily would've brought John Deere car to Victory lane had they still sponsored them.

Well That's my List.  I hope you all like it.