Southern 500 paint schemes take shape

For the third consecutive year, Darlington Raceway is set to host its popular throwback weekend September 3 with the Bojangles' Southern 500.

This year, the time period the speedway has chosen to honor is 1985-89. Although the event is still some ways off, teams are starting to release their paint schemes.

Some are memories from the organization's past. Others have chosen more memorable paint schemes from throughout the sport's history.

All are enjoyable to look at.

Here's a look at the paint schemes that have been announced thus far:

Brad Keselowski will honor a former Team Penske driver. The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford will be decked out in black, resembling Rusty Wallace's paint scheme from the early 1990s. Keselowski also ran a similar scheme at Michigan last season.

Austin Dillon will run a paint scheme mirroring the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt Sr. once drove. Earnhardt drove the car to a victory at Darlington in 1987.

Ryan Newman's paint scheme will be the same as teammate Austin Dillon. It honors former Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt Sr.

In what's likely his final Darlington race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will pay homage to the the ACDelco car he drove in 1998-99 when he won back-to-back XFINITY Series championships.

Kevin Harvick's No. 4 Ford will have a look inspired by classic "head for the mountains" Busch Beer commercials. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver won the 2014 Southern 500 at Darlington.

Hendrick Motorsports has decided to pay tribute to its roots. Kasey Kahne's No. 5 Chevrolet will resemble a car Geoff Bodine drove for the organization from 1985-89 with support from Levi Garrett.

Ty Dillon not only wants to win a race, he wants to be one of just two drivers to have won in the No. 13. The other drove the paint scheme Dillon's car will sport at Darlington – Johnny Rutherford. Rutherford drove the No. 13 for Smokey Yunick (photo courtesy Germain Racing).

Wood Brothers Racing is also going back to its past with Ryan Blaney's paint scheme. The No. 21 Ford was designed after the Citgo Ford Thunderbird Kyle Petty drove for the Wood Brothers.

Aric Almirola will go back to one of the great moments in NASCAR history. The No. 43 STP Ford will run the same design that Richard Petty used in 1984 when he won his 200th NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway in front or President Ronald Reagan.

 

Clint Bowyer will honor one of the most successful drivers in Xfinity Series history. The No. 14 Stewart-Haas Ford will honor Mark Martin with its throwback paint scheme, using the same colors, design and same sponsor, Carolina Ford Dealers, that adorned Martin's car as he drove to 43 Xfinity Series for Bill Davis between 1988 and 1991.