I e-mail the processed logos to my colleagues John Harvey and Robert Daski. I try to throw in a humorous line, just to break up the monotony. Like a gentle nudge at Atlanta Motor Speedway (actually in Hampton, Ga.) and a gentle reminder there is no such dateline as Pocono, Pa. Dorky things like that, stuff we all do at our job.
Anyway, the point is this: I’ve seen all of the Cup race logos this season. Some are nice little packages; others, though, are just hideous.
And obviously, I’ve not had any formal training in graphic design. I can design a newspaper page, but that’s a heck of a lot different than a splashy logo. So, to one untrained eye, the best and worst of Nextel Cup race logos.

THE BEST

1. 3M Performance 400 (Michigan, June 18): A simple yet effective design. I like the concentric rings that circle that black part of the logo, giving it a blurred effect (and, one could argue, a speed effect). I’m willing to forgive the very distracting line at the bottom, which kept this from being a perfect 10 in my informal rating system. (In fact, it probably should have been docked some more, but the main logo is too cool.)

2. UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 (Las Vegas, March 12): Luckily, the logo-makers resisted the temptation to fuse two corporate logos together (witness what happened with the unwieldy UAW-Ford 500 logo from the fall Talladega race). Instead, we can figure out what’s going on without even looking at the words: something hot (fast) in a place where you can roll the dice. Must be racing in Vegas.

3. Daytona 500 (Daytona, Feb. 19): We’d expect Cup’s biggest event to have one of the best logos, and it doesn’t disappoint. The simplified track layout mostly encompasses the name of the race, which is big and boldly displayed. Of secondary importance are some of the other 5 “W’s” — when (in a stylistic 2.19.06), where (the “Daytona” and flags are part of the track’s logo) and its moniker, The Great American Race.

THE WORST

1. Dover 400 (Dover, Sept. 24): OK, I’m willing to cut some slack to the folks in Delaware, since there wasn’t a corporate logo to integrate into their design. Still, the fonts don’t quite match between the “Dover” and the “400.” And the rock-faced monster seems really out of place, even if that guy is a part of the track’s logo. But the fact remains that it’s just not a very appealing logo.

2. Bass Pro Shops 500 (Atlanta, Oct. 29): It’s real simple to explain: a corporate logo adorned with a cheesy-looking “500” with some checkered-flag garnishments. I realize that, by itself, Bass Pro Shops doesn’t really lend itself to auto racing, so I can’t offer any better alternatives. In any case, it looks pretty slapped together, like someone just took the corporate logo and found some clip art to go with it.

3. Pennsylvania 500 (Pocono, July 23): At least there was some effort here, which prevented this logo from landing higher (or lower, if you prefer) on the list. But I can’t shake the image that it’s a very short hacksaw sitting on its side. The opening in the middle forms the handle, and the checkered flags form the teeth. (Of course, given that Pocono is one of the more forest-y locales on the circuit, maybe this logo is better than I’m giving it credit for. But that doesn’t change the fact that I just don’t like it very much.)