With the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the 2026 NASCAR season has officially begun.
For the past few months, the pieces have begun to fall into place for the rosters in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, with sponsor combos — and subsequent paint schemes — released to the public.
There are new faces in new places, and new paint schemes, too. As of Feb. 6 — one week before Daytona — here are five liveries that stand out above the rest.
William Byron
William Byron debuted his new-look No. 24 Valvoline Chevrolet in the Clash.
While the Next Gen has the number moved forward, Hendrick Motorsports nicely has the No. 24 highlighted with the red-blue-white differential.
The No. 24 on the side and bumper is in white, but the No. 24 by the headlights is in red. It is a nice color change that might go unappreciated by some, but the distinction adds to the beauty of the scheme.
The mixture of the three different colors and differing lines are a welcome sight instead of just using one or two base colors with a simple number.
In addition to the Clash, you’ll see Byron pilot his Valvoline Chevy at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring, Texas Motor Speedway and the fall race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Zane Smith
Green can be a tough color to make paint schemes pretty, as there are multiple shades. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For yours truly, Front Row Motorsports used the right shade of green to make Zane’s Smith No. 38 Speedy Cash Ford pop.
The white contrast of the car number, plus sponsors on the quarter panels and on the hood allow the car color to shine without an overwhelming amount of green.
Another aspect that makes this scheme stand out is the black lines on the front fenders with the red outline. It separates the hood from the sides of the racecar, so again, not a green overload. Kudos, FRM.
Speedy Cash will adorn Smith’s No. 38 Ford in five races: the Daytona 500, Texas, Nashville Superspeedway and both Kansas Speedway races.
Ryan Preece
It may have been a one-off, but it deserves recognition. Ryan Preece won the Clash in the No. 60 Kroger/Coca-Cola Ford, and it was gorgeous.
On a night with beating and banging, Preece’s RFK Racing No. 60 featured the traditional Coke colors, but also reminded me of the wintry Christmas Coca-Cola design. Considering the Clash was postponed, featured precipitation during the event and it snowed at Bowman Gray post-race, that adds to the beauty of the scheme.
The silver No. 60 also stood out against the red-and-white colors prominence.
Here’s hoping we see that paint scheme on track more, although unfortunately, we will not have a race-win diecast.
Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier normally has the red No. 7 BRANDT paint scheme on his JR Motorsports Chevrolet, so this one is a welcome change.
Furthermore, this paint scheme replicates a never-before-used paint scheme from Sam Bass, who originally designed it for Dale Earnhardt.
Chef’s kiss for the special meaning the scheme has to JR Motorsports, the Bass and Earnhardt families, but it’s also cool that it’s sponsoring Allgaier.
Earnhardt is one of the all-time greats. He made 676 Cup starts. Allgaier is also an NOAPS veteran with 504 starts. How cool that a paint scheme designed for one legendary veteran will be used by another accomplished veteran.
Black, white, and gray are the three most-used colors. The red, though, accentuates the beauty of this No. 7. The red outline on the hood allows the hood to shine, then the front to stand out as well. And the red door number will be easy to spot on the racetrack, especially under the lights.
Also worth noting is how the sponsors on the quarter panels are just clean. Simple font, easy to read and spot and in a pure white color.
Justin Haley
In the Truck Series, Justin Haley’s No. 16 Kaulig Racing RAM will be backed by Celsius for five races.
If you’ve been following RAM: Race for the Seat, you’ve seen the contestants piloting vehicles with the same paint scheme. RAM is funding this challenge, and the manufacturer wants to be prominently featured in its return to NASCAR.
Beyond that, Brenden Queen’s No. 12 will have the RAM black-and-yellow color scheme with the Cummins red. Likewise, Daniel Dye’s No. 10 will have the RAM colors with the Mopar blue-and-white color.
So Haley’s No. 16 Celsius is a stark contrast from the RAM primaries. It’s primarily white with black mixed in and an orange undertone. The yellow roof number, combined with the red Craftsman logo on the windshield, are incredibly noticeable.
As other companies back Kaulig trucks, such as the All-Star No. 25, RAM and the team must find a way to satisfy those sponsors while still displaying the manufacturer’s logo. Haley’s No. 16 Celsius Ram is an outstanding blend of that.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.
I don’t know when I look across the starting grid and don’t see a dayglo orange with petty blue and a white 43 I simply cannot find 5 good paint jobs
Back to the sweet tea good gentleman.