NASCAR: The throwback paint scheme we had to wait for is finally here
By Randy Smith
Though the official 2021 NASCAR throwback weekend has come and gone, one throwback paint scheme will be on the track this Sunday.
The May race at Darlington Raceway served as NASCAR‘s official “throwback weekend” this season, and many drivers ran different paint schemes honoring the drivers and cars of yesteryear.
Several drivers honored legends such as Neil Bonnett and Alan Kulwicki. Drivers including Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. ran throwback paint schemes based on old cars they had run themselves.
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Truex was able to win the Goodyear 400 in a car reminiscent of his Furniture Row Racing days, featuring a matte black paint scheme.
However, there was one throwback paint scheme that didn’t race in the spring but is set to do so this weekend instead.
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Wood Brothers Racing and Matt DiBenedetto did not race their throwback paint scheme during the throwback weekend. They elected to run it in this Sunday’s Cook Out Southern 500.
The Southern 500 weekend had served as the official throwback weekend for NASCAR since the inception of it in 2015. But with two races at the track “Too Tough To Tame” this year, that was changed. However, Wood Brothers Racing senior vice president and co-owner John Wood previously explained how there was no rule to not run the throwback paint scheme outside of the throwback weekend.
The team elected to stick to tradition by running it for the race fans in which fans have become accustomed to seeing such paint schemes.
He added that the team knew they were going to run it during the fall race “long before the decision came to change the throwback weekend to the spring race”.
The throwback paint scheme scheme will honor Elliott Sadler and the 20th anniversary of him winning the 2001 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in what was Motorcraft’s first year sponsoring the #21 Ford.
We got a fun one this weekend. Our @MQL_Racing Mustang looking like an oldie. pic.twitter.com/ByuFmqWvRh
— Wood Brothers Racing (@woodbrothers21) August 30, 2021
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With DiBenedetto not having qualified for the playoffs, he will be looking to win not only to honor the paint scheme and Wood Brothers Racing with what would be his first win and the team’s 100th, but to secure a ride for a next year.