Chevy Camaro to be Official Pace Car of the Daytona 500?
The folks over at Camaro5 have just posted a snapshot of a local print ad showing the 2009 Daytona 500 Pace Car. As you can probably guess from the name of the forum, the pace car will be the 2010 Chevy Camaro. Although the ad shows a stock V6 RS, we're guessing it might look a little spiffier when it takes to the track. The V6 could stay – after all, it packs a V8-like 300 horsepower. Either way, there are doubtlessly some graphics in the works along with the usual slate of safety add-ons.
Hopefully, the decals will end up looking nicer than the Corvette Competition Sport package vinyls. We'd be curious to see something distinct like a white convertible with orange stripes and a black and orange houndstooth interior. Chevrolet will undoubtedly offer a pace car edition of the production Camaro eventually to commemorate the event. In any case, we should know for sure by February 15, the date of Daytona 500. Click on the image or the source link below to read more of the scuttlebutt and sample some reader-generated speculative renderings as well. Thanks for the tips, Brian and Justin!
[Source: Camaro5]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mobius_1 9:34AM (1/30/2009)
What? This going to make the other drivers all crash into walls staring at this car!
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bill 9:42AM (1/30/2009)
Too bad they can't race the Camaro and use the Car of Tomorrow to pace the garbage trucks as they haul the race day refuse to the dump. The COT car well and truly sucks because it is no fun to drive and no fun to look at - kind of reminds me of my last date. Uh, disregard that last bit....................
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Jay Evans 9:47AM (1/30/2009)
"The V6 could stay – after all, it packs a V8-like 300 horsepower."
The Pace car only does 55 mph. They could use an Aveo if they wanted to.
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AZZO45b 11:24AM (1/30/2009)
Try watching a race before you comment & look stupid. 55MPH? Try again.
Pace cars (even in NASCAR) need to have power & acceleration ability. Pace car speeds can be 55-75MPH & then it has to power PAST 55MPH to get off the track
Jay Evans 12:06PM (1/30/2009)
I have snice the 60's. I've been to cup races. Daytona's pit road limit is 55 MPH which is also the speed the Pace car maintains around the track. All the pace car needs is enough acceleration to get out of the way.
As I said, they could do it with an Aveo.
AZZO45b 12:26PM (1/30/2009)
Pit lane speed @ Daytona is irrelevant. What's the speed @ Martinsville? Do they drop pace speed to 35MPH?
They go faster than 55 under the Pace Car. I would also love to see an Aveo speed up past your 55MPH to get ahead of 43 Cup cars before they roared out of T4 & down to the start finish.
An Aveo's 60-120MPH acceleration wouldn't get the job done. Also why would a motorsports demographic want to watch an econo-box like an Aveo pace a race?
Add the Korean made Aveo at a NASCAR race to your scenario... Oh yeah, Chevy would just gain so many new customers with that move!
Mobius_1 6:25PM (1/30/2009)
Jay, why don't you do it on foot? That way we can combine the noble sport of gladiatorial fighting with the noble sport of motor racing?
JF 9:59AM (1/30/2009)
Seems kinda last minute to announce something like this, but I can't wait to see it regardless. And no, it's gotta be an SS imo.
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Timothy Auhll 10:10AM (1/30/2009)
Anybody figure out why GM is listing this Camaro as a 2010 model, and not a 2009 which it looks closer to. I mean it is 2009 isn't it? Or is this another GM blunder. So when your new Camaro arrives in 2009 it won't be an old Camaro for almost two years when 2011 comes upon us?
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sqela 11:02AM (1/30/2009)
2010 is a higher number than 2009. thats why
AZZO45b 11:27AM (1/30/2009)
2010 Camaro: Goes on sale Fall of 2009? That is considered a 2010 model at ANY car company.
MajorGeek 10:17AM (1/30/2009)
Nascar fans are the Camaros target audience.
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Stumpy 10:31AM (1/30/2009)
I enjoy NASCAR and dislike GM cars. Something must be wrong with me.
MajorGeek 10:51AM (1/30/2009)
I assume you live in a house, not a trailer park then? ;)
JF 1:51PM (1/30/2009)
I live in a house, love Camaros, and really like the muscle cars that are NASCAR stock cars. I'm also gaining my Bachelors in mechanical engineering. Please explain my situation, MajorGeek.
aka, stop being an @$$ by clinging to old stereotypes to hurt other people.
MajorGeek 1:53PM (1/30/2009)
Your situation is your oversensitive, it was a joke, take note of the smiley, it looks like this: ;)
The new Camaro is sharp, but in all humor is truth. Drive to the country or any trailer park and you find more Camaros there then anywhere else. Get over it.
Dylan 11:03AM (1/30/2009)
There was a new Camaro parked in the fanzone for the Rolex 24 at daytona this year. It wasn't in speedway livery but most of their official vehicles are from GM.
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Gary 11:16AM (1/30/2009)
This is considered news? Pace cars are always recently redesigned cars. It sure wouldn't be a lame-ass Prius.
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JD 12:40PM (1/30/2009)
feb 15th, gonna be a test for the pace, but i'd like to see a non rendered image.
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JD 12:43PM (1/30/2009)
Timothy it's more of a model number rather than the year of the car's release. quite a few cars had "2000" before or after their name way before the millenium.
http://www.30carinsurancetips.blogspot.com
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