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Gallery: All NASCAR throwback paint schemes for the Southern 500

Check out all NASCAR Sprint Cup throwback paint schemes for this weekend's Southern 500 at Darlington, including the stories behind them.

Greg Biffle, Alan Kulwicki throwback scheme

Greg Biffle, Alan Kulwicki throwback scheme

Roush Fenway Racing

Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

McMurray is going back to the 90s with this Mac Tonight paint scheme we last saw on Bill Elliott's No. 94 car 19 years ago.
Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

Photo by: Team Penske

Keselowski's paint job pays tribute to the 1972 design for the Miller's beer can.
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

The red, white and blue will be showcased on Dillon's No. 3, mimicking the Piedmont Airlines car run by Ricky Rudd en route to RCR's first win in 1983.
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

This paint scheme should look familiar to anyone who has seen the famed 1979 Daytona 500. The scheme, complete with gold wheels, was run by Cale Yarborough, who was part of that unforgettable battle with Donnie Allison for the race win.
Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Jim Utter

Kahne's look goes back to the early 1980s when Terry Labonte drove for Billy Hagan. Labonte is also the former driver of that No. 5 for Hendrick Motorsports.
Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Photo by: Roush Fenway Racing

This design is certainly well-known, made famous by former Roush driver Mark Martin in the mid-1990s.
Regan Smith, No. 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet

Regan Smith, No. 7 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Tommy Baldwin Racing

The colors of this car go back to the days of underdog champion Alan Kulwicki, and it's not the only tribute to Kulwicki on this list...
Danica Patrick, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Danica Patrick, No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Stewart-Haas Racing

Not quite a throwback, but it still makes the list since it isn't the status quo. This different-looking Nature's Bakery livery is to promote their double chocolate brownies.
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Joe Gibbs Racing

Hamlin is going back to early days of NASCAR HOF'er Darrell Waltrip. This was one of the many looks for the No. 11 car he drove for Junior Johnson.
Casey Mears, No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet

Casey Mears, No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Germain Racing

The No. 13 team is honoring legendary crew chief, Smokey Yunick. This look was on Marvin Panch's 1961 Daytona 500 winning car, which Yunick prepared.
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Tony Stewart, No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Jim Utter

This old school red and block car with Coca Cola on the side and 358 C.I. on the hood is definitely going to turn some heads, throwing back to Bobby Allison's ride from 1970 to 1973.
Clint Bowyer, No. 15 HScott motorsports Chevrolet

Clint Bowyer, No. 15 HScott motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: HScott Motorsports

Bowyer's Darlington car honors Benny Parsons, who drove a red car with blue wheels to the 1973 championship. It also has some great pictures of Benny on the hood.
Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford

Photo by: Roush Fenway Racing

This throwback goes beyond a simple color scheme. Hooters backed Alan Kulwicki during his shock 1992 championship run and is making a surprise return to NASCAR at Darlington. And for the race, it will even say 'Underbird' on the nose.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Photo by: Roush Fenway Racing

Another Darrell Waltrip throwback. DW drove a No. 17 car that resembled this to his first ever NASCAR win in 1975.
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Joe Gibbs Racing

No, it's not the Interstate Batteries paint scheme Bobby Labonte made famous. Before him, there was Dale Jarrett, who drove a car identical to this to the 1993 Daytona 500 win.
Carl Edwards, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Carl Edwards, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Joe Gibbs Racing

Another JGR throwback pays tribute to the No. 20 Home Depot car Tony Stewart drove to his first of three championships in 2002.
Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Photo by: Joe Gibbs Racing

Another old sponsor is making their return to NASCAR for the Southern 500. Tide is back and it looks great. The 'Tide Ride' won 20 races between 1987 and 2006, including Waltrip's 1989 Daytona 500 triumph, Rudd's 1997 Brickyard 400 win, and Craven's famously spectacular victory at Darlington in 2003.
Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford

Photo by: Wood Brothers Racing

This throwback is a nod to longtime Wood Brothers driver and one of NASCAR's best, David Pearson. Specifically, his 1976 season.
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford

Photo by: Team Penske

This car is a throwback to former NASCAR Cup champion Bobby Labonte, who drove this Shell paint scheme in the Xfinity Series from 1996 to 1998.
David Ragan, No. 23 BK Racing Toyota

David Ragan, No. 23 BK Racing Toyota

Photo by: BK Racing

This old school Dr. Pepper look will be showcased on Ragan's car with the famous phrase, "I'm a Pepper" on every side.
Chase Elliott, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Chase Elliott, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Hendrick Motorsports

Elliott is ditching his traditional blue NAPA paint scheme for the yellow and black NAPA trucks of days long past with the 1963 NAPA logo.
Paul Menard, No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Paul Menard, No. 27 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Richard Childress Racing

Menard is honoring one of his racing heroes -- Open-wheel legend Al Unser Jr. This car resembles Unser's 1993 Daytona 500 ride, his one and only NASCAR start.
Josh Wise, No. 30 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet

Josh Wise, No. 30 The Motorsports Group Chevrolet

Photo by: The Motorsports Group

Josh Wise picked a sponsor and a throwback scheme on the week of the race. This orange scheme and blue number mimics the car Dale Earnhardt drove at Charlotte in 1976 for his second career Cup start.
Ryan Newman, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Ryan Newman, No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Richard Childress Racing

Newman's car is a double throwback of sorts. Along with mimicking the design from Rudd's first win (just like Dillon's car), he also has the old Caterpillar logo on the hood.
Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 GoFas Racing

Jeffrey Earnhardt, No. 32 GoFas Racing

Photo by: Uncredited

The fourth generation racer will pay tribute to his legendary grandfather with the blue and yellow scheme that throws back to Dale Earnhardt's Wrangler car.
Chris Buescher, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Chris Buescher, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Photo by: Front Row Motorsports

Buescher's sponsor Love's Travel Stops is turning in their bright yellow livery for this old school look from 1981.
Landon Cassill, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Landon Cassill, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Photo by: Front Row Motorsports

Cassill's car pays tribute to J.D. McDuffie, who despite never winning, started 653 Cup races from 1963 to 1991 when he tragically lost his life in a crash at Watkins Glen.
Kurt Busch, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Kurt Busch, No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Stewart-Haas Racing

This alternate Haas Automation paint scheme has the name VF1 on the hood, which is the name first vertical machining center produced by Haas Automation in 1988.
Kyle Larson, No. 42  Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Chip Ganassi Racing

This retro Target scheme honors Eddie Cheever's 1990 ride for the Indianapolis 500.
Aric Almirola, No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford

Aric Almirola, No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford

Photo by: Richard Petty Motorsports

Does this one even need an explanation? Almirola is of course honoring Richard Petty, who had this look on his Oldsmobile in 1979, where he won his seventh and final title.
Michael Annett, No. 46 HScott Motorsports Chevrolet

Michael Annett, No. 46 HScott Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: HScott Motorsports

Annett's car is a throwback to the Pilot Flying J of the1970s.
A.J. Allmendinger, No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

A.J. Allmendinger, No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: JTG Daugherty Racing

Allmendinger's car is almost identical to the car driven by former NASCAR ROTY Bruce Hill during the 1977 season. The main difference is that A.J. has sponsorship, courtesy of Kroger.
Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

Johnson's car pays tribute to Dale Earnhardt's rookie season in 1979 with Rod Osterlund.
Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet

Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Furniture Row Racing

This is a different look for the No. 78 car, which is honoring Auto-Owners Insurance 100th anniversary.
Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 BK Racing Toyota

Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 BK Racing Toyota

Photo by: Action Sports Photography

This Orange Crush Soda throwback will be displayed on DiBenedetto's car with an old school number design as well.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Jeff Gordon), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Jeff Gordon), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Hendrick Motorsports

Dale Jr.'s Darlington throwback is Hendrick's best effort to replicate the 'Gray Ghost' driven by Buddy Baker. Unfortunately, Earnhardt remains sidelined so Jeff Gordon will be behind the wheel at Darlington.
Michael McDowell, No. 95 Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet

Michael McDowell, No. 95 Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Leavine Family Racing

McDowell's car will honor Richard Childress. Before his was an owner, he raced himself in a No. 3 car with a similar paint scheme to this. And just last weekend, McDowell won his first ever NASCAR race, driving for RCR.
Cole Whitt, No. 98 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet

Cole Whitt, No. 98 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet

Photo by: Premium Motorsports

Cole Whitt will be throwing back to the car LeeRoy Yarbrough drove to the 1969 Daytona 500 victory.
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