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Then and Now: Famous past schemes and their 2017 Darlington tributes
By | Published: June 9, 2017 50
David Taylor | Allsport
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Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images
Rusty Wallace drove this car upon his move to drive for Roger Penske, starting with the 1991 season. This paint scheme was run for much of the time from 1991 to 1995, a stretch that saw Wallace win 23 races.
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@TooToughToTame (Darlington Raceway's official Twitter account)
Brad Keselowski is honoring the black deuce driven by Rusty Wallace from 1991 to 1995 with his No. 2 Team Penske Ford.
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Dale Earnhardt drove the No. 3 Wrangler Jeans Chevrolet from 1982 to 1987. It was his first paint scheme with Richard Childress Racing, the team he joined in 1984 and raced for the remainder of his premier series career. The Intimidator earned 25 victories driving the iconic Wrangler Jeans paint scheme, including the 1987 Southern 500 win at Darlington Raceway.
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Richard Childress' grandson Austin Dillon is one of two drivers honoring Dale Earnhardt's Wrangler Jeans scheme that he drove to Victory Lane 30 years ago at Darlington. Dillon will pilot the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet adorned with the iconic yellow and blue scheme.
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Stewart-Haas Racing
Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Ford throwback paint scheme was inspired by classic Busch Beer commercials
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Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images
Geoff Bodine drove the No. 5 car for Rick Hendrick from 1984 to 1989, tallying seven wins. Four of those wins came in the yellow painted car including the 1986 Daytona 500.
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Hendrick Motorsports
Kasey Kahne is honoring Hendrick Motorsports' early beginning in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.
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Stewart-Haas Racing
Danica Patrick's Darlington throwback scheme will honor Robert Yates Racing and the No. 88 that Dale Jarrett drove to the Monster Energy Series championship in 1999.
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David Taylor | Allsport (via Getty Images)
Here is a look at Dale Jarrett's 1999 Robert Yates Racing Ford on the track in Miami on the weekend that he won the championship.
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Denny Hamlin’s throwback paint scheme is the “Flying 11,” which was inspired by Ray Hendrick. As a child, Hamlin watched Hendrick race this paint scheme at Southside Speedway in Virginia.
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Ray Hendrick was known as 'Mr. Modified' for scoring over 700 short track victories. He also made starts in the NASCAR XFINITY Series as well as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, earning a combined five top-five finishes.
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Johnny Rutherford drove the No. 13 for Smokey Yunick back in 1963, winning in his debut. It still stands as the only time the No. 13 has logged a victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
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Ty Dillon is honoring Smokey Yunick's No. 13 Chevrolet, driven by Johnny Rutherford, with his No. 13 Germain Racing Chevy.
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Stewart-Haas Racing
Mark Martin drove this paint scheme from 1988-1990 in the XFINITY Series.
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Jonathan Merryman/NASCAR.com
Clint Bowyer will drive the No. 14 Carolina Ford Dealer Ford Fusion with a paint scheme that honors his pal Mark Martin.
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Kyle Petty drove for the historic Wood Brothers Racing team from 1985-88, collecting two wins and 48 top-10s. He piloted the No. 21 Ford for half that period, in 1987 and 1988, winning the '87 Coca-Cola 600.
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Wood Brothers Racing
Ryan Blaney is honoring Kyle Petty's 1987 Ford Thunderbird with his No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford Fusion.
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@TeamPenske
Joey Logano's No. 22 Team Penske Ford will honor a Jimmy Vasser IndyCar scheme when Logano drives it in Darlington.
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BK Racing
Corey LaJoie is honoring Davey Allison's XFINITY Series ride from 1984-85 with the look on his No. 23 BK Racing Toyota.
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Hendrick Motorsports
Bill Elliott's premier-series debut came in 1976 at Rockingham, N.C., in this No. 9 Ford. More than 40 years later, his son's No. 24 takes a cue from its paint scheme.
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Hendrick Motorsports
Chase Elliott will offer a tribute to his NASCAR Hall of Famer father, Bill Elliott, with this powder-blue No. 24 Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports.
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Ryan Newman is also honoring Dale Earnhardt's 1987 winning Darlington scheme on his No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
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ISC Archives via Getty Images
Bobby Allison pilots the No. 12 Buick on his way to winning the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Go Fas Racing
Matt DiBenedetto's No. 32 will follow the lead of Bobby Allison's Daytona-winning car when NASCAR throwbacks take to the track at Darlington Raceway.
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Getty Images
Richard Petty piloted this scheme to the 200th and final win of his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at Daytona International Speedway
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Richard Petty Motorsports
Aric Almirola is honoring the car Richard Petty drove to his 200th win, which came at Daytona International Speedway, on the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford.
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The Piedmont Airlines look that adorned Terry Labonte's cars early in his career will again fly at Darlington on Labor Day weekend.
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JTG Daugherty Racing
AJ Allmendinger's JTG Daugherty Racing entry will connect the dots to NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte, a two-time series champ and a two-time Darlington winner.
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David Taylor | Getty Images
Derrike Cope was the original driver of the 1994 Mane ‘n Tail No. 12 car owned by Bobby Allison Motorsports (shown here in 1995 at the NASCAR NAPA 500 in Atlanta Motor Speedway).
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GMR Marketing
The paint scheme on Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet was inspired by a Lowe's delivery truck from 1986.
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Premium Motorsports
And Derrike Cope will become the only driver to drive his own throwback with the original color scheme when he drives the No. 55 for Premium Motorsports in Darlington.
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David Taylor | Allsport
Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove this paint scheme in 1998 and 1999 in the XFINITY Series, winning a combined 13 races and the championship both seasons.
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@nationwide88 (Nationwide Insurance official Twitter page for NASCAR)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive a No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet with a paint scheme that resembles his former car.
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Racing One
Alan Kulwicki drove this paint scheme during his rookie season of 1986, finishing with one top-five and four top-10 finishes.
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Leavine Family Racing
Michael McDowell will drive a No. 95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet with a paint scheme that honors Kulwicki.
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Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images
Sam Ard won two titles in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series and won 22 races over a three-year stretch from 1982 to 1984.
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Stewart-Haas Racing
Cole Custer is honoring Sam Ard with his No. 00 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.
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Brad Doty was a sprint car driver and a friend of Michael Annett's father. A 1988 accident left him paralyzed.
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JR Motorsports
Michael Annett honors Brad Doty with his No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
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JR Motorsports via Twitter
Ricky Hendrick drove the No. 17 during his the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the 2001 season. That year, he won at Kansas.
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JR Motorsports
William Byron will honor the late Ricky Hendrick's paint scheme in the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet.
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Matt Tifft will pay tribute to this Dale Earnhardt No. 19 NASCAR Winston Cup Series car from 1977. Earnhardt drove this Belden Asphalt Malibu in one start during the 1977 season at Charlotte Motor Speedway -- just his fourth start in the premier series and he only raced 25 laps before technical issues ended his run.
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Matt Tifft
Matt Tifft will honor that Dale Earnhardt paint scheme with his No. 19 Ron Jon Surf Shop/Surface Sunscreen Beach Cruiser Toyota.
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Davey Allison drove this paint scheme in 1989, winning twice -- at Talladega and Daytona.
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Joe Gibbs Racing
Erik Jones will pay tribute to one of his major influencers in Allison, donning these colors on his No. 20 Toyota Camry at Darlington.
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GMS Racing
Spencer Gallagher and GMS Racing will honor Michael Waltrip's 1986 No. 23 Hawaiian Punch Pontiac with their No. 23 Chevrolet in Darlington.
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Stewart-Haas Racing
Kevin Harvick will honor his sponsor, Hunt Brothers Pizza, and its early days in NASCAR to commemorate 10 years of partnership.
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ISC Archives via Getty Images
A.J. Foyt drove this paint scheme to victory in the 1964 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
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Jeremy Clements Racing
Jeremy Clements will pay tribute to Foyt's scheme (as well as Clements' grandfather Crawford, who served as Foyt's crew chief for the 1964 Daytona win) on his No. 51 Chevrolet at Darlington.