History Lesson: A Nod To The Greats
The concept of a “throwback weekend” could not become a reality without cars that look the part. To that end, a majority of teams are adopting retro paint schemes this weekend with classic designs and logos.

Here’s a look at some of the paint schemes that pay homage to cars from years past.

Brad Keselowski – No. 2 Miller Lite Ford
The Miller High Life scheme is a throwback to NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison’s 1983 championship season.

Austin Dillon – No. 3 American Ethanol Ford
Dillon’s colors this week honor grandfather – and team owner – Richard Childress, who started 285 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as a driver.

Kasey Kahne – No. 5 HendrickRideAlong.com Chevrolet
The No. 5 paint scheme honors the No. 5 All-Star Racing Chevrolet driven by Geoffrey Bodine in 1984, Rick Hendrick’s first year in NASCAR.

Trevor Bayne – No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Bayne’s car is a tribute to the 1998 No. 6 Ford driven by Mark Martin to a career-high seven wins.

Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 9 Winn Dixie Ford
Winn Dixie joins Hornish with a scheme reminiscent of the one Mark Martin drove to Victory Lane 39 times in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Denny Hamlin – No. 11 Sport Clips Toyota
The red-and-white paint scheme is similar to the No. 11 driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in the 1970s.

Clint Bowyer – No. 15 Buddy Baker Tribute Toyota
This hand-painted scheme is the same as the No. 15 driven by Buddy Baker in 1974.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. ­– No. 17 Cargill Ford
The No. 17 is a replica of the No. 17 driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson for Holman-Moody from 1968-71, when he won two of his three championships.

Jeb Burton – No. 23 Estes Toyota
Burton’s paint scheme honors the colors his father Ward drove to victory in the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500.

Chase Elliott – No. 25 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
The design of the No. 25 honors Elliott’s NASCAR Hall of Fame dad, Bill, and the car in which he won the Winston Million in 1985.

Josh Wise – No. 32 Corvetteparts.net Ford
Wise will run the paint scheme used by Ricky Craven when he beat Kurt Busch in the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington in the closest race in NASCAR history. It was also the last time the No. 32 visited Victory Lane.

Landon Cassill – No. 40 #Snap Honor Chevrolet
Sterling Marlin ran this “Proud to be an American” paint scheme in 2001, shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

Kurt Busch – No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet
Busch honors car owner Gene Haas’ first paint scheme, with driver Jack Sprague in 2002.

Kyle Larson – No. 42 Mello Yello Chevrolet
The iconic Mello Yello paint scheme was originally featured in “Days of Thunder” and later run by Kyle Petty.

Aric Almirola – No. 43 STP Ford
Almirola’s sponsor and colors honor boss Richard Petty, and his 1972 Plymouth – the first year of the historic pairing.

Justin Allgaier – No. 51 Brandt Chevrolet
Allgaier’s red paint scheme is a nod to racing legend A.J. Foyt’s car driven in the 1970s.

David Ragan – No. 55 Ol’ Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
Ragan is honoring his father Ken with a paint scheme he raced in 1987.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – No. 88 Valvoline Chevrolet
The Valvoline paint scheme honors one driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in the early 1980s, including his 1982 Southern 500 win.