In NASCAR, 4th of July weekend is always pretty special. For decades, we were down in Daytona Beach, under the lights with a lot of special paint schemes popping off the track. Well, we don’t race in Daytona anymore on this weekend. Instead, we head a little further to the northwest in Chicago for a street race, which has become a marquee event in its own right. For the last couple of years, there has been a lot of hype around this date on the schedule. That’s rightfully so. It’s an unprecedented race in a lot of ways for NASCAR. And though things have changed through the years, one tradition still holds strong: awesome NASCAR paint schemes the week of the 4th of July.
2025 is no different. Teams and sponsors go out of their way to make their cars look great in front of the Chicago crowd. We have some awesome paint schemes again this year for our viewing pleasure. Here are the best NASCAR Cup Series paint schemes that will run in the streets of Chicago this weekend.
I will always have a soft spot for the Andy’s Frozen Custard schemes. I dig the colors. The baby blue, the red, and the yellow; they really work well together. And I like how the yellow fades into the blue with the scattered dots at the front and above the door. It gives an old-school KA-POW comic book vibe, and I’m totally here for it. I also like the frozen custard cone on the door. It makes me want some ice cream myself! It’d really hit the stop with the heat wave we’ve been living through lately. Mostly, this scheme just works for me. I like it. It looks sharp on the track, and I’m glad that they’re bringing it back for this race weekend in Chicago.
Generally speaking, I’ve always been fond of the apple beer cars. Even back when Brad Keselowski ran the Redd’s Apple Ale car. And it seems that they’ve only gotten better with time. Busch Light did a great job with this one. It’s very red, but the green leaves and the rim on the basket really pop against the backdrop. Speaking of the backdrop, I like how the fruits don’t fade into it. They pop out with their polished shine. They almost look juicy and irresistible. I’m not a Busch Light fan, but this makes me want to try their apple offering. So, in that sense, it does its job. I also like the blue trim around the number 1.
Admittedly, I don’t like pickles. That said, this is one hot car. It’s a perfect scheme, really, for the sizzling heat of the summer. Just look at the pickle guy on the hood! He looks like he’s sitting outside, enjoying his summer, getting ready to grill some brats and have a couple of cold ones. I like how the sponsor feeds into the heatwave with this one. The green around the bumper flows up and torches into yellow, orange, and red flames down the sides to advertise their spicy pickles. It’s a nice touch. I’m looking forward to seeing this one on the track, for sure.
We can’t have a best paint schemes list on a July 4th week without having an obligatory patriotic scheme or two on the list. There are a couple of teams that went this route in the Cup Series. However, there are many more in the Xfinity Series. We’ll tackle their schemes in another article. But of the patriotic schemes in the Cup Series, Chase Briscoe’s Bass Pro Shops one is easily the best. Bass Pro Shops always has good patriotic liveries. This car doesn’t look too different than some of the cars we’ve seen Truex Jr. run in the past. I’d call it a classic look. And classics are classics for a reason. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, eh?
Kyle Busch has had some banging paint schemes in his 20+ year career. This one might be my favorite. In any case, it’s a classic Slurpee scheme with a new cutting-edge look. The pink complements the blue and the Slurpee drink on the hood looks downright delicious. I can feel my hands getting sticky just thinking about it. I like the black accents to the overall design of the car. Essentially, the car just looks clean. Well, as clean as a Slurpee can be, anyway. It’ll be a thrill to see this thing snake around the tight corners of the Chicago Street Course. Hopefully, he can put together a pretty solid race in the Windy City and bring this beauty home clean. He ran pretty well at COTA earlier this season.
That does it for us, Daily Downforce readers. What’s your favorite paint scheme of the weekend? Let us know! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates. And have a fun and safe 4th of July!
