NASCAR Cup Series: Top 10 Darlington paint scheme wish list

DARLINGTON, SC - SEPTEMBER 02: Paul Menard, driver of the #21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford, leads Clint Bowyer, driver of the #14 Carolina Ford Dealers Ford, and Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 STP Chevrolet, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on September 2, 2018 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

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14 FEB 2002: Jimmie Johnson driving the #48 DIGITAL IMAGE – Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images /

Jimmie Johnson – Jimmie Johnson Rookie Car

For over 20 years, Lowe’s has sponsored a NASCAR Cup Series team. That era will come to a close after 2018 when they depart from Jimmie Johnson’s #48 Chevrolet. The loss is monumental, as Johnson has carried the company as his sole primary sponsor for his entire career. With Lowe’s, Johnson has become one of NASCAR’s most prolific drivers ever. He has earned seven championships, 83 race wins, and a number of other notable statistics.

How did Lowe’s honor such an occasion? With a paint scheme dedicated to Brett Bodine’s 1995 car that put Lowe’s on the hood for the first time? Maybe an homage to Johnson’s seventh Cup Series championship in 2016?

Nope. Instead, we got a tribute to a 2012 race in which Johnson earned Hendrick Motorsports’ 200th victory. Woo hoo. Sure, it is still a throwback, but a rather lazy one.

It would have been awesome if Johnson could have raced in his original Lowe’s colors, silver and blue. His rookie car had one of the best paint schemes that he ran and it deserves to see the light of day again. The team more or less ran the same paint scheme until 2009, by which time Johnson had captured four championships and 47 race victories. It is a shock that Lowe’s would not choose to honor this design. Maybe they will run it at the end of the year.

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