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#1: Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing, Busch Light Throwback Chevrolet Camaro, #48: Alex Bowman, Hendrick Motorsports, Ally Throwback Chevrolet Camaro Darlington
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Here Are the 2025 Darlington Throwback Paint Schemes

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It’s almost that time of year again, where NASCAR gathers to honor its history with a wide array of colorful throwback schemes at Darlington Raceway.

This year, NASCAR’s Xfinity and Cup series will make the trek to the 1.366-mile South Carolina racetrack. It’s a celebration of sorts for not just the teams, but the venue itself, as it’s Darlington’s 75th anniversary.

Xfinity will begin its race on Saturday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage from the CW. Then, Cup will air Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.

Below are the paint schemes that have been revealed so far; this list will continue to be updated until Darlington race weekend. If a driver isn’t listed, they either are not running a throwback or haven’t announced it at this time.

Cup

Austin Cindric

Cindric’s No. 2 pays homage to Dale Earnhardt‘s No. 2 that he ran in 1979 and 1980. Earnhardt took home his first of seven championships in this scheme.

Noah Gragson

Gragson and Front Row Motorsports are running a design that commemorates Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s debut in 1996.

Kyle Larson

For the second year in a row, Larson is throwing it back to Terry Labonte. This one features tiger stripes and a bright yellow No. 5, resembling the Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes car from 2003. Labonte won his final race in this scheme at Darlington.

Chase Elliott

The No. 9 of Elliott is a nod to Ken Schrader‘s No. 25 from the 1990s.

Ty Dillon

Ty Dillon’s No. 10 nearly duplicates Patty Moise’s No. 45 from 1989 at Daytona International Speedway.

Denny Hamlin

Carl Edwards‘ No. 99 Office Depot car from 2006 and 2007 is the throwback for Hamlin’s No. 11 this year.

Ryan Blaney

Blaney’s honoring his dad Dave Blaney and his 2006 Xfinity Series win at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Christopher Bell

Bell has a pair of throwbacks this weekend, both honoring Rick Ferkel, his racing mentor. The No. 20 Cup car has the same color scheme as Ferkel’s yellow No. 0 winged Sprint Car. Ferkel passed away Jan. 1, 2024.

Josh Berry

The No. 21 of Berry and Wood Brothers Racing will sport different colors than its usual red-and-white scheme. The organization will honor Jim Clark‘s green-and-yellow No. 82 from Team Lotus’ winning 1965 Indianapolis 500 entry, where the Wood Brothers served as a pit crew. Like Darlington, it’s also the team’s 75th anniversary this year.

Joey Logano

This orange, red and white No. 22 of Logano honors three-time Cup champion Cale Yarborough‘s car from 1976.

William Byron

It’s another tribute to Jeff Gordon for the No. 24 car, this time the silver scheme Gordon ran in his final full-time season in 2015.

Todd Gilliland

This scheme is special to Front Row Motorsports, specifically rear tire changer Justin Fox, as it’s honoring his great-grandfather, Ray Fox.

Zane Smith

The classic 1970s Long John Silver’s logo returns this weekend to Smith’s No. 38.

Cole Custer

Custer’s No. 41 nearly replicates Jimmy Spencer‘s red and white Target car from the early 2000s.

John Hunter Nemechek

Nemechek’s also throwing back to one of his father’s paint schemes. This layout is similar to Joe Nemechek‘s No. 42 Bell South car, though with green and black colors instead of blue, red, orange and yellow.

Erik Jones

Jones’ No. 43 honors John Andretti with the same red and Petty Blue design from 1998.

JJ Yeley

Yeley and NY Racing’s No. 44 is similar to Bill Elliott’s 1985 red, white and gold Coor’s car.

Alex Bowman

Three of Hendrick Motorsports’ cars throw back to the same driver they honored last year. Bowman’s No. 48 will be black with white numbers, logo and on the bottom edge. This design is significant for the team, as Jimmie Johnson earned Hendrick’s 200th win at Darlington in 2012.

Cody Ware

Ware and Rick Ware Racing are paying tribute to the team’s competition director Tommy Baldwin, who was Ward Burton’s crew chief for three years. Burton drove the memorable Caterpillar car in the late 1990s.

Xfinity

Nick Leitz

Leitz’s No. 07 resembles Scott Riggs‘ Valvoline design from the mid-2000s.

Carson Kvapil

JR Motorsports’ No. 1 of Kvapil is similar to Jamie McMurray‘s Bass Pro Shops scheme from 2010. McMurray won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 that year.

Parker Retzlaff

This throwback sports a layout like Ernie Irvan‘s Kodak No. 4 in which he won the 1991 Daytona 500.

Justin Allgaier

Allgaier’s car is very similar to the one he won last year’s race with. It honors Brandt’s history and has the same design and colors as one of the company’s trucks.

Sammy Smith

Rock on! Smith’s No. 8 is going back to 2003 with a scheme likened to Tony Stewart‘s 3 Doors Down car.

Daniel Dye

Dye and Kaulig Racing are paying tribute to Adam Petty‘s No. 45 Spree car from 1999.

Josh Williams

Williams’ No. 11 is inspired by Mark Martin‘s No. 01 Army car from 2007.

Garrett Smithley

Terry Labonte‘s red and white MW Windows car from 1993 is Smithley’s throwback this year.

William Sawalich

The No. 18 of Sawalich mimics Kyle Busch’s car from 2016 when he won 10 races. It also features a retro Starkey logo.

Christopher Bell

The No. 18 Xfinity car also honors Ferkel.

Brandon Jones

Jones’ car looks like Matt Kenseth‘s yellow and black Dollar General car from 2013.

Harrison Burton

Harrison Burton’s honoring his dad Jeff Burton with a design similar to the No. 99 from 2000.

Dean Thompson

Thompson and Sam Hunt Racing are reflecting on Jamie McMurray‘s 2009 Talladega Superspeedway win with this blue and yellow flames design.

Jeb Burton

Burton’s throwback scheme is a nod to his father, Ward Burton, from 1994.

Kyle Sieg

The Sieg brothers honor Robert Yates Racing, with Kyle Sieg running Ricky Rudd‘s No. 28 Havoline design from 2002.

Greg Van Alst

Greg Van Alst is replicating Ryan Reed‘s No. 16 Lilly Diabetes car that he won at Daytona in 2015. Both drivers compete with Type 1 Diabetes.

Ryan Sieg

Ryan Sieg’s No. 38 resembles Dale Jarrett‘s white Quality Care/Ford Credit No. 88 from 1999.

Sam Mayer

Haas Factory Team is honoring Kurt Busch‘s Daytona 500 victory from 2017. Mayer’s No. 41 even features green on the hood that represents the grass that got stuck on Busch’s car.

Anthony Alfredo

Alfredo’s No. 42 car has the same color and design as Sterling Marlin’s Coor’s car from 2005, as well as the number font of Jamie McMurray’s No. 42 from that year.

Brennan Poole

What’s up, Doc? Poole’s No. 44 of Alpha Prime Racing will have a similar scheme as Jeff Gordon’s Chromalusion Purpleen car from 2001, with a cartoon caricature of Poole on the hood and side of the car.

Mason Massey

Massey’s No. 45 resembles Jimmy Spencer‘s No. 23 No Bull car from 1999.

Nick Sanchez

Sanchez’s No. 48 has the same design and colors as Bobby Unser‘s NTT IndyCar Series car from the 1975 Indianapolis 500.

Jeremy Clements

Harry Gant‘s No. 33 Skoal Bandit car from 1985 is the basis for the No. 51’s design, driven by Clements.

Leland Honeyman

Honeyman’s No. 70 will sport the yellow and chocolate colors that Jeff Green drove to an Xfinity championship in 2000.

Ryan Ellis

Ellis is throwing back to himself, specifically his childhood Legend Car from 2001. It features a blue background and checkered flag pattern around the wheels.

Connor Zilisch

The No. 88 of Zilisch pays tribute to Buddy Baker‘s Crisco Oldsmobile from 1987.

Matt DiBenedetto

DiBenedetto’s also representing a 2000 Jeff Burton design.

Joy Tomlinson

Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor and involved with photos, social media and news editing. A California native, Joy was raised watching motorsports and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.

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