Livid Fans Tear Down HMS’ “Unbelievably Embarrassing” Tribute to NASCAR Legend

The “Firestorm” is coming back on the track. When it first splashed across Jeff Gordon‘s car in 2009, it became an instant hit, staying with him deep into his career. That DuPont-sponsored ride was a stunner, catching eyes from all over the stands. Now, William Byron is bringing it back as a nod to the legend himself while marking the HMS team’s 40-year anniversary. But it looks like the fans online aren’t totally sold on the revival of the paint scheme.

A tribute that isn’t getting the cheers many expected

Jeff Gordon, the current Vice Chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, won four NASCAR Cup Series championships and 93 wins under his belt behind the wheel of the iconic number -#24. To honor his legacy, Hendrick Motorsports unveiled a throwback paint scheme on social media this Thursday, the last of the four Hendrick schemes for Throwback Weekend.

The car seemed to feature a striking black, orange, and yellow design with those classic flames that decked out many of Gordon’s rides in the late 2000s. Over the years, various versions of the scheme popped up, adapting as NASCAR shifted into its sixth-generation car in 2013. Now, 15 years since its first race day roar, the #24 is reviving the Firestorm look for Darlington Raceway’s Throwback Weekend.

Byron, who won at Throwback Weekend in Darlington last year, is gunning to drive the iconic paint scheme into Victory Lane again, aiming to notch his fourth NASCAR Cup Series win of 2024. This year, Darlington’s going to feel like a blast from the past, with the Hendrick Motorsports crew rocking throwback vibes—William Byron will channel Jeff Gordon, Alex Bowman will tip his hat to Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson will honor Terry Labonte, and Chase Elliott will salute Dale Earnhardt Jr.

But not everyone’s feeling the nostalgia. Fans aren’t exactly thrilled with the team’s latest paint scheme reveal of William Byron’s car. 

NASCAR fans were quick to call out HMS for tweaking the paint scheme a bit too much

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Right after Fox: NASCAR dropped the pictures on Twitter with the caption, “William Byron’s No. 24 for Darlington. #NASCAR,“ fans didn’t hold back with their reactions. Let’s just say the reviews were pretty blunt. One fan blurted out, “It’s so awful hahah,“ and another chimed in, “Gradient on the nose looks better in the merch pics.“

One critic labeled the Firestorm paint scheme as “boring,” complaining, “How boring. They already ran this maybe not 100% but come on.” Another pointed out a mismatch, saying, “It’s more like they made the front the half the 2013 axalta and the rear half 2014 axalta it’s got nothing to do with 2009.” And the disappointment didn’t stop there—comments like “So disappointed,” “Unbelievably embarrassing,“ and just plain “Ew,” popped up too.

So, what’s your take? Do you also feel like it missed the mark from the 2009 Firestorm vibes?