Vote for your favorite Darlington throwback paint scheme in these exciting matchups

Darlington’s throwback paint scheme fun adds an extra layer of spice this year as the top eight vote-getters for best paint scheme go head-to-head in a bracket format. If March Madness is college basketball’s favorite time of year, the pageant of paint schemes might be called Darlington Delirium. Voting is open in the first round of Southern 500 bracketology, so cast your ballot now. And of course discuss the seeding -- our selection committee based it on the top eight in voting for Darlington’s Best in Show fan award through Aug. 15. RELATED: Vote for your four favorite schemes The first round pits these eight looks honoring NASCAR's past against each other as the theme for 2018 is "Seven Decades of NASCAR." William Byron vs. Brad Keselowski: Byron's No. 24 Chevrolet will be wrapped by Sam Bass's "Hot Summer Nights" design honoring Jeff Gordon's rainbow car while Keselowski's No. 2 Ford is a nod to Rusty Wallace's 1990 ride. Chase Elliott vs. Matt DiBenedetto: Elliott's No. 9 Chevrolet's paint scheme honors his cousin, Casey Elliott. DiBenedetto's pink-and-blue lightning bolt look for the No. 32 Ford hearkens back to Jeff Burton's No. 99 car with Exide branding from 1996-2000. Derrike Cope vs. Jimmie Johnson: Cope's No. 99 yellow-and-red Bojangles' theme matches the current race sponsor and throws it back to the partnership's start in 1993. Johnson's No. 48 "Last Ride for Kobalt" paint scheme is a nod to the one he captured Hendrick Motorsports' 200th win with in 2012 at Darlington. Kyle Busch vs. Clint Bowyer: Two current season heavyweights square off with Busch's Ernie Irvan "Rainbow of Flavor" scheme on the No. 18 Toyota battling the No. 14 Ford's tip of the hat to Ned Jarrett's 1965 Ford Galaxie. RELATED: See all the throwback schemes | Buy tickets now! First-round voting will be open through Aug. 20. Those four winners will create the semifinal matchups, open to voting Aug. 21-25. Championship round voting will be open Aug. 26-31, with the winner being announced before the start of the Bojangles' Southern 500 (2 p.m. ET Sept. 2, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).