Top 5 throwback paint schemes to look out for in NASCAR Cup race in Darlington

The NASCAR circus is just a little over a week away from Darlington Raceway. The Goodyear 400 held at 'The Lady in Black' is one of the most promising weekends of stock car racing for fans from all walks of life.

Older and younger fans of the sport come together and embrace what has been a staple of the Darlington weekend now in stock car racing, with the throwback weekend.

Known for its capacity crowd waiting to see their favorite throwback paint schemes in action on the 1.3-mile-long track, Goodyear, the sport's official tire supplier, is also going to crank things up a notch this season.

The Akron, Ohio-based tire manufacturer announced special throwback lettering on its tires for use in Darlington to complement the paint schemes. As a result, fans are in for one of the most authentic throwback weekends at the venue till date.

With Joey Logano managing to take a trip to Victory Lane during last year's event, it remains to be seen which NASCAR Cup Series driver will be taking full advantage of the opportunity at hand.

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5 paint schemes to watch out for during the 2023 NASCAR Darlington Cup race

With teams rolling out their throwback paint schemes throughout the first two weeks of May leading up to the event, here are some of the catchiest and most authentic throwback liveries announced by the teams:

5. Joe Gibbs Racing - Christopher Bell

Driver of the #20 Toyota Camry TRD fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, Christopher Bell will be honoring Matt Kenseth on his visit to Darlington Raceway this month.

The #20 Toyota will be seen sporting the 2003 Cup Series champion's paint scheme from 2003, which ties in perfectly with Bell's current sponsor DeWalt. The power tools manufacturing company also sponsored Kenseth to his championship success 20 years ago.

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4. Trackhouse Racing - Daniel Suarez

Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez will be seen behind the wheel of an unmistakeable #99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 colored in Quacker State green. The sole mexican driver on the grid will be paying his respects to the classic paint scheme from Ricky Rudd's days in the sport.

Rudd was seen driving the #26 Buick Regal in the sport's 1989 season, sponosored by the American motor oil brand. Interestingly, Ricky Rudd's only victory of the 1991 season in the #26 Buick also came at Darlington Raceway.

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3. Hendrick Motorsports - Alex Bowman

Driver of the #48 Chevy at Rick Hendrick's racing outfit, 30-year-old Alex Bowman is all set to commemorate his throwback weekend paint scheme to his spotter Kevin Hamlin.

A long time friend of the Tuscon, Arizona native, Hamlin has seen the ups and downs of Bowman's career. Kevin Hamlin also had a season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2007, which forms the basis of Bowman's throwback paint scheme.

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2. Trackhouse Racing - Ross Chastain

Ross 'The Melon Man' Chastain and his aggressive antics will bee seen adornignthe 1.3-mile-long Darlington Raceway surface, with the Alva, Flordia native sporting one of Dale Jarrett's paint schemes.

The #1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be seen adorned in the white and brown UPS paint scheme with worlwide express on the side. Dale Jarrett drove the UPS-sponsored car during the 2008 season of the sport.

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1. Legacy Motor Club - Erik Jones

It only seems fit for Erik Jones to pay respects to one of the greats in NASCAR, who also happens to be involved with the team he races for. The #43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver will be seen driving at Darlington with the iconic blue-orange STP color scheme popularized by 'The King' himself.

STP is a manufacturer of motor oils and lubricants who sponsored not only Richard Petty during his dyas in NASCAR, but also appeared on Bubba Wallace Jr.'s car during his days at Richard Petty Motorsports.