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Aric Almirola will go back to one of the great moments in NASCAR history. The No. 43 STP Ford will run the same design that Richard Petty used in 1984 when he won his 200th NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway in front or President Ronald Reagan.





Kyle Larson's No. 42 was inspired by the car Kyle Petty drove at SABCO Racing for Felix Sabates in 1995. Sabates is the co-owner of Chip Ganassi Racing (Photo: Chip Ganassi Racing)

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Ty Dillon not only wants to win a race, he wants to be one of just two drivers to have won in the No. 13. The other drove the paint scheme Dillon's car will sport at Darlington – Johnny Rutherford. Rutherford drove the No. 13 for Smokey Yunick (photo courtesy Germain Racing).

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[h=2]Earnhardt unveils Darlington throwback scheme[/h] Tuesday, 18 July 2017


By RACER Staff / Image by Nigel Kinrade/LAT

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s throwback scheme for September's Bojangles' Southern 500 will feature the Nationwide colors and pay homage to the AC Delco car from his back-to-back Xfinity Series championships in 1998 and 1999.
"Once I got into the AC Delco car in '98, I inherited this car from Steve Park," Earnhardt said at the unveiling, which was held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. "This scheme actually originated from my father racing in [an exhibition in] Japan. So I sort of inherited this car, this scheme and this team, and they took me in as an unproven rookie, and they taught me a lot about how to drive racecars and we had a ton of success winning the two Xfinity Series championships and about 13 races along the way. We had a blast, and it's a paint scheme and a part of my career I really hold dear. I think this car is a great representation of that time, and I think the Nationwide logos and colors match really well.

"I appreciate the freedom from Nationwide to be able to do this. It means a lot to me, I'm sure it means a lot to our fans as well. It's a great-looking car; I can't wait to get to Darlington and take it out on the track."
Since 2015, NASCAR, its teams, drivers and broadcast partner NBC have created a full-blown throwback campaign to celebrate the sport's original paved superspeedway, which began hosting NASCAR events in 1950. Last year saw 35 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams change to throwback paint schemes.
"With the new throwback program it's even more exciting," Earnhardt said. "It's a great opportunity for teams, drivers, owners, anyone really to really nod the cap to the history, and you can be as creative as you like, and we've seen some of the teams over the last couple years push the bar, push the standard pretty high. We've seen some really incredible effort put into that, not only with the design of the cars but the uniforms, the drivers even, facial hair ... and it's fun. I think we all enjoy that. It means a lot to be able to walk into the garage and peek around and see who's done what.
"It has to make the folks that are getting this sort of acknowledgement feel great that they're being remembered, and what they meant to the sport is being acknowledged. ... And Darlington is the perfect place to do it."
Earnhardt, who was in middle school during the period NASCAR is celebrating this year (1984-1989), remembers the track tearing up the tires and cars of that era. It's a physical track that's smoother with today's cars, but it's still not too hard to get the famed Darlington Stripe.
"It is a great racetrack, extremely tough challenge for team and driver," he said. "It's got so much history, it means a lot to win there. It's very tough to get around and when you do run well there you know as a driver that you had a big role in that. At other racetracks maybe the car is a bigger equation whereas at Darlington the driver has a lot more to do with the success of the team. So that's a great feeling because when you run well there you know you earned it.
"I've been going there a really long time. It's location allowed us to be able to go when we were kids, so I seen a lot of races there and definitely understand that it demands respect. And I never, they talked about the Darlington stripe, that was just a topic of conversation every time you would go there. And I would hear that so much as a kid, and it's easier to get than you think."

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Bowyer's Darlington scheme to honor Martin
Tuesday, 25 July 2017
Clint Bowyer will honor one of the most successful drivers in Xfinity Series history during the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 3.
Revealed Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bowyer's No. 14 Stewart-Haas Ford will honor Mark Martin with its throwback paint scheme. It will be with the same colors, design and same sponsor, Carolina Ford Dealers, that adorned Martin's car as he drove to 43 Xfinity Series for Bill Davis between 1988 and 1991.

"If you want to associate yourself with a winner and all that's good about our sport and its history, then you aren't going to do any better than Mark Martin," Bowyer said. "I'm proud to say I got to race with and against Mark in my career, and it's an honor to have him join us at Darlington in September.
"When the folks at SHR and Carolina Ford Dealers came up with this idea, I was pretty pumped up for it. Then I saw the paint scheme and I knew it was going to be one of the best in Darlington."
With a total of 49 Xfinity Series wins, Martin is second on the all-time wins list. He also earned 40 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories and finished second in the championship five times. Additionally, Martin has five IROC Series championships and seven Camping World Truck Series wins.
Martin was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2017.
"Carolina Ford Dealers won in the state of South Carolina almost 30 years ago, so I think they're probably due for another win in South Carolina this September with Clint," Martin said. "Seriously, this is a really cool deal and brings back a lot of memories. This was a good time and I hope the race fans enjoy it as much as I will seeing it out on the track.
"Darlington is one of my favorite places on earth and I'm not going to miss this one."

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Danica Patrick salutes Robert Yates for Darlington

Monday, 14 August 2017


By Kelly Crandall / Images by Harold Hinson Photography & Jeff Bloxham/LAT


Danica Patrick will drive a Robert Yates car after all.
Years ago, when Yates was still an active car owner in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, he tried to hire Patrick. Admitting he has always been a supporter of hers, the NASCAR Hall of Famer wanted to put her in his iconic No. 28 Ford.
"Her dad (T.J. Patrick) was for it, but she wanted to win in IndyCar," Yates said. "She did the right thing."
In three weeks at Darlington Raceway, things will come full circle.
On Monday, Yates joined Patrick at Stewart-Haas Racing (pictured) where the unveiled her throwback paint scheme for Darlington's Southern 500. The livery of the No. 10 Ford that Patrick will run resembles the No. 88 Quality Care car Dale Jarrett drove for Yates from 1996 through 2000.
After the cover was pulled from the car and Yates could understand and appreciate the honor, he hugged Patrick. He then proudly proclaimed that he's always rooted for her.
"That's so cool. What an honor," Patrick said of Yates' support. "He's seen not hundreds, but thousands of drivers come through and for him to cheer for me makes me feel good. And makes me want to do better even more at Darlington so he can have a smile on his face."
Admittedly, Patrick didn't realize the connection between her and Yates at first.
Near the end of her teenage years, Patrick went to England to cut her teeth in the British open-wheel racing system. When she returned, Ford – the manufacturer she was involved with at the time and now currently drives for – tried to help Patrick make it into the top levels of stock cars.
That's where Yates saw his chance. However, Patrick went the IndyCar route. She eventually transitioned to full-time NASCAR competition in the Xfinity Series in 2012 and moved into the Cup Series the following year.
"Back in the early days when I came back from England ... (he was) trying to get me into the 28 through the Ford system," Patrick said. "I didn't even know he knew my name.
"That is not necessarily the route that I went but, ironically enough, here we are. What's meant to be will find its way."
In five previous starts at Darlington, Patrick has a career-best finish of 22nd (2014).
"I'm pulling for Danica to do something outstanding there," Yates said of the Sept. 3 race. "I've always pulled for her. And in the respect of some people saying she doesn't deserve to be out there, I stand up and advocate for her.
"I hope she wins. I hope she makes (everyone) completely wrong and she's come close to it. I pull for her."


Danica Patrick's design resembles the Quality Care Ford once driven by Dale Jarrett at Robert Yates Racing (Photo: Kelly Crandall)

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Earnhardt reveals paint scheme for final race

Wednesday, 02 August 2017


By Kelly Crandall / Images courtesy of Axalta & by F. Peirce Williams/LAT

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final paint scheme as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver will resemble his first.
Wednesday night, the Hendrick Motorsports driver appeared on QVC as part of his #Appreci88ion to unveil his Axalta Chevrolet for Homestead-Miami Speedway. The car's livery will bring fond memories for longtime 'Junior Nation' fans as the scheme mimics the Budweiser Chevrolet that Earnhardt drove in his first five starts in 1999.
Notable is the primary red car with black stripes and black roof. NASCAR's only officially licensed artist, Sam Bass, designed the scheme. Bass also designed Earnhardt's first paint scheme.
"We actually talked to some of the guys on the team to get the proper paint codes so that we knew that we were doing the right thing and doing this from the top to the bottom as good as we possibly could," Earnhardt said. "It was important to me that the car replicated the actual racecars as close as possible. Sam (Bass) was incredibly involved in the design back in the late '90s. He was involved in the designs of a lot of our cars and him and my father were great friends. Sam did do a lot of these designs at DEI."
In his Cup Series debut, Earnhardt finished 16th at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt's first full season occurred in 2000 and although he came up short in capturing Rookie of the Year honors to Matt Kenseth, Earnhardt did earn his first two career wins at Texas and Richmond (pictured below).
Earnhardt also became the first rookie to win the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After pitting for fresh tires, Earnhardt charged through the field and passed former champions Dale Jarrett and his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Throughout his tenure at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. the primary Budweiser scheme changed very little for Earnhardt. And before Earnhardt left his late father's company for Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt won 17 races in a Budweiser-sponsored car, including his first Daytona 500 in 2004.
In April, the 42-year-old announced this season would be his last after 18 full seasons. To date, Earnhardt has won 26 career races in the Cup Series. He is 22nd in points entering Watkins Glen this weekend.

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Sieg to honor late brother with Darlington paint scheme

Tuesday, 29 August 2017


By Kelly Crandall / Images by Logan Whitton/LAT, The Decal Source

Ryan Sieg will honor his late brother this weekend during the Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway.
As the NASCAR community prepares for the third season of throwback events at the famed speedway, RSS Racing announced Tuesday that Ryan will run a paint scheme on his No. 39 Chevrolet once used by his older brother Shane Sieg, who died last week just days shy of his 35th birthday.

The design is one Shane, a former Camping World Truck Series competitor, ran in 2003 while driving late models. In a NASCAR Southeast Series race, Shane drove it to victory lane at Huntsville Speedway.
"This is the ultimate tribute for my family," Ryan Sieg said in a statement. "My brother had a love for racing and I'm honored to carry this scheme at Darlington. For my family and our friends this is a very special tribute.
"I just want everyone to smile when they see the car on the track this weekend."
From 2003 to 2011, Shane Sieg made 68 CWTS starts and four Xfinity Series starts in 2004. He was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR in August 2011 for violating its substance abuse policy and for actions detrimental to stock car racing per the CWTS rulebook.
A family operation that has run in NASCAR since 2009, the RSS in RSS Racing stands for Ryan Shane Sieg Racing.

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Chase Elliott pays tribute to his NASCAR Hall of Fame father, Bill, with the very first paint scheme he drove in the Cup Series in 1976 (Photo: Hendrick Motorsports)

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Matt Kenseth's design resembles the one he drove to his first NASCAR win in 1998 at Rockingham Speedway (Photo: Joe Gibbs Racing)

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AJ Allmendinger will run a scheme that mimics one Terry Labonte drove in 1986 (Photo: JTG Daugherty Racing)