NASCAR Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway is rapidly approaching and JR Motorsports may have just taken the crown for the best throwback paint scheme of 2023.
On Wednesday’s Dale Jr. Download, it was revealed that Josh Berry will pilot a throwback scheme honoring Hut Stricklin for the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Darlington Raceway on May 13th. The scheme will pay homage to the No. 8 Circuit City paint scheme that Stricklin utilized between 1996 and 1998 when he raced for the Stavola Brothers.
Here is a video of the official reveal, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mike Davis showed the scheme off to Stricklin, who was this week’s Dale Jr. Download guest:
Had a special @TooToughToTame unveil with our friend @HutStricklin7. @tirepros | @joshberry pic.twitter.com/DFlNmQiYVv
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) April 19, 2023
Stricklin carried the scheme on his No. 8 Ford Thunderbird when he achieved his career-best race in the NASCAR Cup Series. That race was the 1996 Southern 500 at Darlington.
On that day, Stricklin led an incredible race-high 143 laps and looked poised to be heading to victory lane. However, Jeff Gordon found the handle on his car late in the event and got around Stricklin with 16 laps remaining to score the victory.
Stricklin would snag his career-best finish of second that day.
Tire Pros will serve as the primary sponsor for the race, and it’s always really cool when modern sponsors bend their brand guidelines to make perfect throwback schemes, and Tire Pros did just that with Berry’s No. 8 that will run at Darlington.