We still remember when NASCAR first decided to shake hands with Darlington for the throwback weekend. The entire concept made so much sense, and some of us at the office still foam in the mouth at the thought of Tony Stewart’s 3 Doors Down look. However, in 10 years, a lot has changed, and with 2025 Throwback Weekend closing in, a weird statistic has us scratching our heads: only 19 total entries out of the 38 from the Cup Series field. Is the ‘Most Popular Driver’ Chase Elliott’s warning coming true? Have we really “rode the horse to death”? Well, NASCAR’s ‘Wild Thing’ Kyle Busch thinks otherwise.
“I feel like the fans really love it, and even if some drivers may think it’s a little overblown or whatever, it’s not for us. It’s for the people in the grandstands,” Busch pointed out during an interview with Dalton Hopkins. In all honesty, we think #RowdyNation will love this take. First, let’s set the record straight: Throwback Weekend hasn’t lost its luster. The best way to put it would be, “what’s left that hasn’t been done already,” which isn’t exactly a bad thing, but it has its aftereffects.
“I feel like the fans really love it, and even if some drivers may think it’s a little overblown or whatever, it’s not for us. It’s for the people in the grandstands”
I asked @KyleBusch about #ThrowbackWeekend and if it’s losing its spark overtime#NASCAR #Goodyear400 pic.twitter.com/sDjtJ5sa2T
— Dalton Hopkins (@PitLaneCPT) April 5, 2025
Like, many fans didn’t enjoy Kurt Busch’s 2019 scheme. While Kurt just wanted to show some love to his ’69 Camaro, the color scheme came out looking like the most generic 1969 paint job. There was nothing new to it, and it just felt like a copy-and-paste job. Keep in mind, this was the #1 in NASCAR we are talking about.
Then, we have Christopher Bell’s 2020 throwback to his 2019 rookie cup season. We did some digging around, and the primary reaction from most fans regarding this throwback was: “Why do something this lazy?”. See, people don’t hate or aren’t “over” the tradition that started back in 2015. It’s just that fans hate lazy throwback renditions, and this kind of leads to the entire “maybe Throwback Weekend is losing its luster” thought.
If anything, Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team were bashed by the NASCAR community for their half-hearted attempts with the Ken Schrader tribute. The throwback scheme is expected to be bold and celebrate the personality from that era of racing. Yet, the No. 9 team went with a plain, subtle Uni First scheme that doesn’t necessarily scream Schrader or have a throwback element to it.
The interesting part about this whole ordeal is that Elliott’s teammate, Kyle Larson, is all in for the Darlington Throwback scheme. His No. 5 Chevy will be paying homage to Terry Labonte with a scheme dedicated to his racing career in the early 200os. And let’s just say this paint scheme is in the running to be the best of the bunch at Darlington Raceway.
Speaking of best throwback schemes, there are a few other contenders who can stand tall alongside Kyle Larson and his paint scheme.
Some of the best looking Darlington week throwback schemes from Cup Series
Starting off, we have an iconic Dale Earnhardt scheme that will be featured on the No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Austin Cindric will pilot the yellow and blue car that depicts the No. 3 Wrangler from Dale Sr.’s early days of racing in NASCAR. Now, we all know that NASCAR is a family sport, and Ryan Blaney is making the most of the Darlington weekend to celebrate his family’s racing heritage. The Penske driver will celebrate his father, Dave Blaney. While the color scheme isn’t an identical match, Menards and the No. 12 team have done a good job.
Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing is celebrating the return of Carl Edwards to the sport after his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The No. 11 car will be wrapped in red and black colors, depicting Edward’s Office Depot scheme while he drove for Roush Fenway Racing. But if there’s one car that will catch everyone’s attention this weekend, it will be the No. 24 Chevy from Hendrick Motorsports.
The points leader, William Byron, will celebrate Hendrick Motorsports vice-chairman Jeff Gordon. Byron will pilot the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet with a silver paint scheme that Gordon ran at Homestead Miami Speedway during his last win in 2015. Even if you miss the colors on the car, the shining flames stretching from the front bumper to the rear are going to make up for it. And this alone makes the #24 car stand out from the rest.
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