NASCAR Cup Series: Top 10 Darlington paint scheme wish list

Derrike Cope – Yes, another Jeff Burton tribute

Sure, Matt DiBenedetto sported throwback to Jeff Burton’s 2000 car, and it was spectacular, but I think we are missing a big opportunity here. Jeff Burton ran some of the coolest paint schemes of the late 1990s and early 2000s. We should honor as many as we can.

“The Mayor” amassed 21 victories during a career that spanned over 20 seasons. There was one stint in Burton’s career where he seemed totally in control of his car and racked up plenty of wins and top 10 finishes.

This stint came from 1997 to 2000 when Burton won 15 races and finished as high as third place and no lower than fifth in the championship standings. He was a top competitor and his results showed it.

Because of these incredibly overlooked results, I think it is only fair to honor Burton with yet another paint scheme.

Burton piloted the #99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford for over eight seasons before he was replaced by Carl Edwards. The car number was synonymous with his name for a bright era in NASCAR history.

After Edwards left Roush Fenway Racing in 2014, the #99 car rarely saw the race track again. In 2018, it has made a comeback to the Cup Series with several drivers behind the wheel.

Derrike Cope drove the #99 StarCom Racing Chevrolet in this year’s Bojangles’ Southern 500. His car’s paint scheme honored the 1993 car he drove, which was sponsored by Bojangles. While that tribute is definitely respected, I wonder how many Derrike Cope tributes we really need.

Hopefully, in the future, we can get a #99 car in that classic Jeff Burton purple.