It was 1998 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Jeff Gordon’s No. 24, beloved for its kaleidoscope of rainbow stripes, emerged from the garage reborn. The DuPont-sponsored redesign traded nostalgia for a sleek, futuristic sheen, igniting a firestorm among fans who cherished the original’s wild vibrancy. The whispers were sharp: too modern, too detached from the Winston Cup’s gritty soul. Fast forward to 2025, and the echoes stir anew at Darlington Raceway, the hallowed “Lady in Black.” Kyle Larson, a titan of the sport, and Chase Elliott, a driver woven into the fabric of fandom, stand at the center of a throwback tempest.
Two machines, two visions. One was crowned a masterpiece; the other was branded a betrayal. As the Goodyear 400 looms, the air hums with a question: Will this clash of paint and pride redefine the weekend or vanish in the roar of engines? Darlington’s throwback weekend is no mere sideshow; it’s a ritual, a pilgrimage where every curve of chrome and splash of color is weighed against the sport’s storied lineage. For Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), a team synonymous with excellence, the stakes are higher still. Their latest unveilings have split the faithful, pitting a meticulous nod to glory against a muted misstep. The stage is set, and the drivers are poised; history demands its due.
Kyle Larson dazzles as Chase Elliott’s throwback falls short
Hendrick Motorsports rolled out their 2025 Darlington throwback schemes with the swagger of a dynasty, but the spotlight has landed unevenly. Kyle Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet is the undisputed star, an epic reprisal of Terry Labonte’s 2003 Kellogg’s Corn Flakes design. That original scheme, born in the twilight of Labonte’s Hall of Fame career, graced his No. 5 Chevy during his last Cup Series triumph at Darlington on August 31, 2003. The paint was a feast of bold primaries: a crisp white base slashed with jagged red and blue accents, the Kellogg’s logo emblazoned in crimson, and a vivid yellow No. 5 that popped against the Carolina sun.
It was a fitting capstone for “Texas Terry,” a two-time champion whose 22 wins included two at the treacherous 1.366-mile oval. Kyle Larson’s 2025 tribute mirrors it down to the finest detail, the red swoosh curling around the hood, the blue trim framing the doors, and that eye-catching yellow number, a beacon of authenticity. Set to debut at the same track where Labonte etched his legacy, it’s a throwback that doesn’t just nod to history; it grabs it by the throttle and roars.
Then there’s Chase Elliott’s No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet, meant to honor Ken Schrader’s early ‘90s Kodak No. 25, a scheme that once prowled the circuit with untamed flair. Schrader’s original, fielded by Hendrick from 1989 to 1996, was a visual anthem of its era: a deep forest green body, crisp white accents, and a snarling tiger graphic clawing across the hood, all underscored by Kodak’s signature yellow lettering. It was a car that embodied NASCAR’s rough-and-tumble ‘90s spirit: aggressive, unapologetic, and dripping with personality. Schrader piloted it to four wins and 47 top-10s, cementing its place in HMS lore. Elliott’s rendition, however, is a shadow of that legacy.
This paint scheme is Grrreat
Terry Labonte’s iconic winning ‘03 paint scheme is making a comeback at the very track where he took his final victory lap.
All the #NASCARThrowback details: https://t.co/2luZ7MojBt pic.twitter.com/w3LK2wVSEM
— Hendrick Automotive Group (@HendrickCars) March 26, 2025
The green has faded to a drab, grayish hue, dulled further by UniFirst’s corporate branding, a sea of logos that drowns out any hint of nostalgia. The tiger? Vanished. The Kodak yellow? Replaced by a sterile white No. 9 that blends into the background. What remains is less a throwback and more a compromise, a design that prioritizes sponsor dollars over the soul of the original.
For Chase Elliott, NASCAR’s “Golden Boy,” the 2020 Cup Series Champion with seven consecutive Most Popular Driver awards and a fervent fanbase, this feels like a personal slight. HMS has a storied throwback pedigree (Elliott’s 2022 tribute to Jimmy Means earned Best in Show), but this effort lacks the punch Darlington demands. With no wins in 14 starts at the track, Elliott’s muted scheme adds a bitter note to an already elusive quest.
Kyle Larson’s No. 5 channels HMS’s championship DNA, a bridge to a moment of triumph. Elliott’s No. 9, meanwhile, bends under the weight of modern sponsorship, sidelining history for a paycheck. It’s a tale of two teams within one garage, one honoring the past, the other stumbling into the present.
Fans weigh in: A social media firestorm
The unveilings hit social media like a spark to dry grass, and the reactions tell the story. HMS teased Kyle Larson’s scheme on X with a playful, “This paint scheme is Grrreat ,” a nod to Kellogg’s mascot Tony the Tiger. Fans pounced. “LOVE this paint scheme!!!! Two great drivers as well!” one wrote, linking Larson’s star power to Labonte’s legacy. Another zeroed in on a detail lost in modern NASCAR’s sea of muted numbers: “FINALLY A YELLOW NUMBER ON THE 5,” they cheered, celebrating a choice that mirrors the 2003 car’s bold visibility. A third fan waxed poetic: “This is perfection—Terry’s last win, Darlington, yellow number, all of it. Larson’s gonna shine.” The praise wasn’t just for aesthetics; it was for authenticity, for a design that feels like a time machine to a Sunday afternoon 22 years past.
Chase Elliott’s reveal drew a collective groan. “How did @TeamHendrick do incredible on this and terrible on Chase’s?” one fan demanded, the disbelief palpable. The comparisons flew fast: “This is way better and why couldn’t @chaseelliott car look this good,” another lamented, while another sighed, “Larson gets this amazing throwback, then we have Chases… : ( .” Some dug deeper, dissecting the missteps: “No tiger, no yellow, no Kodak vibe—what’s the point? UniFirst ruined it.” The sentiment crystallized around a single idea: Chase Elliott, the fan-favorite heir to HMS’s throne, had been shortchanged. Darlington’s throwback weekend thrives on nostalgia, and fans expect HMS, a team with 304 Cup wins and 11 championships, to deliver. Larson’s scheme is a love letter to that legacy; Elliott’s is a corporate memo.
The backlash underscores a broader truth: paint schemes aren’t just aesthetics in NASCAR; they’re emotional touchstones. Kyle Larson’s No. 5 evokes cheers and memories of Labonte’s steady hand. Chase Elliott’s No. 9 stirs frustration, a reminder that even a Golden Boy can’t escape the sponsor’s shadow. As the Goodyear 400 sets to take precedence on April 6th, 2025, the fans have spoken: Larson reigns, Elliott reels, and Darlington’s verdict looms large.
The post Fans Call Out Shocking Golden Boy Snub as Rick Hendrick & Co. Take Social Media by Storm With Bold HMS Legend Tribute appeared first on EssentiallySports.