Autoblog

Chevy might've pulled out of NASCAR if it weren't for new Gen 6 car

Chris Paukert — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Chevrolet, GM, Racing

We've been on the fence with NASCAR for some time now. On one hand, it's some of the closest racing anywhere in motorsports, with actual passing and door-handle-to-door-handle action as a matter of course. But on the other, it's become template racing - a personality-driven sport more about the drivers than any sort of loyalty to a particular automaker. The Car Of Tomorrow format really rammed that message home, with a racecar's identity coming down to little more than headlamp stickers slapped on the nose. That's not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, but we've wondered for some time what's in it for the automakers, who pay big money to stay in a series that has had little increasingly little do with street car sales, let alone innovation.

Apparently General Motors was beginning to wonder the same thing. In a new ESPN report, Rick Hendrick, team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, suggests that GM would have seriously considered leaving NASCAR if it wasn't for the move away from the COT to the new Gen 6 racer. According to Hendrick, GM North America boss Mark Reuss spearheaded the charge away from the 2007 COT and toward a racecar with clearer automaker ties - cars like the new Chevrolet SS racer shown above. Learn more about the fight for a closer-to-production look in the ESPN story at the link.

Now, if we could just get more rear-wheel drive V8 coupes into showrooms....

Chevy might've pulled out of NASCAR if it weren't for new Gen 6 car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge slaps new Charger nose on NASCAR body

Noah Joseph — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Dodge, Racing

2011 Dodge Charger stock car - Click above for high-res image

Boy, they ain't kiddin' when they call a stock car a stock car. You can call it a Ford, a Chevy, a Dodge or even a Toyota... they all look pretty much identical. Except the nose. That's where on "manufacturer" differentiates its cars from the others and lets you know what's sittin' under the hood.

For Dodge's part, they label theirs as a Charger. And with NASCAR introducing a slightly lower nose on the Sprint Cup racers for next season, Dodge found a perfect opportunity to bring the look of their stock cars in line with the new production Charger. The work was carried out in conjunction with Penske Racing, one of only two teams racing Dodge engines this season.

You can check out the solitary image of the 2011 Dodge Charger stock car - whose new mug our own John Neff likens to the grimace that follows a sip of unsweetened lemonade - by clicking here or on the image above, and the statement after the jump, but don't blink or you just might miss it.

[Source: Dodge]

Continue reading Dodge slaps new Charger nose on NASCAR body

Dodge slaps new Charger nose on NASCAR body originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Nov 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style

Zach Bowman — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Technology, Toyota, Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing Shop Tour - Click above for high-res image gallery

From most vantage points, the drivetrain in the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow seems to have its origins somewhere just after the discovery of fire. Under the hood is a pushrod V8 with 350 cubic inches of displacement, using the same architecture first outlined in the early 1950s. In its current form, ye olde mill is now delivering somewhere between 800 and 900 horsepower, and the small-block is still fed by the same Holley 4150 carburetor anyone can pick up from the local parts store. Behind the engine is a similarly crude four-speed manual transmission built to take repeated abuse. And little else. It sends power to a Ford nine-inch rear end - a design which, compared to the engine, is brand-spanking new. It was introduced in 1957.

If we're talking weaponry metaphors, the average NASCAR racer is a Louisville slugger wrapped in barbed wire compared to the Predator drone of your average Formula One or WRC beater. Or at least it looks that way from a cursory glance. But make no mistake, this is still big dollar racing, and the teams lapping Charlotte Motor Speedway or Talladega are still doing everything in their power to beat the rules at every turn and make their car faster than the rest of the pack. That means dabbling in advanced metallurgy, fiddling with fluid dynamics and finding out how to make their 3,450-pound behemoth faster than their competitors with the same kit.

It's an odd crossroads that fuses new and old tech, and a recent trip to Michael Waltrip Racing had us checking our NASCAR prejudices at the door.

Gallery: Michael Waltrip Racing Shop Tour

Continue reading Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style

Michael Waltrip Racing innovates, NASCAR style originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR announces rule changes, ups excitement by adding danger, emotion

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

NASCAR severely curtailed and occasionally banned the on-track bump-n-grind because it didn't want drivers taking each other out and compromising the spectacle of good racing. At the same time, drivers were being fined and reprimanded for colorful outbursts and language. The aim was to keep the racing clean and the sponsors happy, but while it might have worked for the corporate backers, the fans, the drivers and the racing were all suffering.

That was so 2009. In 2010 drivers won't have to be "robotic sponsor shills too frightened to make waves," and trading paint is back on the menu. Said the series' VP of competition, when it comes to bumping the overseers "will put it back in the hands of drivers, and we will say 'Boys, have at it and have a good time,'" and drivers will be allowed a greater degree of personal expression. The new, looser NASCAR just wants competitors to keep things "within reason," and we have a feeling drivers will be exploring those boundaries pretty quickly.

The cars are also coming in for revisions, with a rear spoiler setup eventually replacing the current rear wing. The goal is to improve downforce and the look of the car. Will all of this improve the racing? It can't hurt, because when it comes to NASCAR, how can you even call it racing if there's no rubbing?

[Source: ESPN | Image: Streeter Lecka/Getty]

NASCAR announces rule changes, ups excitement by adding danger, emotion originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weekend Entertainment: "Car of Tomorrow"

Alex Nunez — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Etc., Videos

Follow the jump to watch "Car of Tomorrow"

Hmmm, make that long weekend entertainment. Let's close out the theme of vintage car 'toons with one of the best of them all. Once again, Tex Avery dishes out the laughs with "Car of Tomorrow", an all-time great that, among other things, gleefully jokes about running down pedestrians ("Just let 'em try to get away") and pokes fun at those ever-decisive women drivers. Unfortunately, the embedded version after the jump is the censored edition of the cartoon. The P.C. police at Time Warner (which also owns this site's parent, AOL) evidently felt that America could no longer handle the Indian convertible (with a teepee top) and the "sport roadster that's popular in China" (it's a snazzy rickshaw) when the short aired as part of Cartoon Network's ACME Hour. Fortunately, you can still check out the original, uncensored version on the web; it's just not currently embeddable. Follow the jump to watch the final installment of this holiday weekend's impromptu nostalgia 'toon trilogy. This was fun. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Weekend Entertainment: "Car of Tomorrow"

Weekend Entertainment: "Car of Tomorrow" originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sticker Swap: Dodge switches NASCAR COT from Avenger to Charger

Alex Nunez — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Dodge

For the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Dodge has announced that it will replace the "Avenger" stickers on its Car of Tomorrow with the "Charger" stickers it had been using on its non-COT racers this past year. The announcement is loaded with flowery prose that name-drops Richard Petty and talks of the Charger nameplate's race heritage (the Intrepid era is conveniently overlooked). That, says Dodge, is why it was a natural decision to campaign the full-time COT as a "Charger." We think it's mostly because the "real car" version of the Avenger is lame. Seriously, we'd take an old Spirit R/T over a new Avenger R/T any day.

Thanks for the tip, John!

[Source: NASCAR]

Sticker Swap: Dodge switches NASCAR COT from Avenger to Charger originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASCAR bumps exclusive use of Car of Tomorrow up a year

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 23 May 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

When NASCAR initially announced the implementation of the Car of Tomorrow early in 2006, it said it would be phased in over a three-year period beginning in 2007. Apparently, the first few races with the CoT have gone so well, that they decided to accelerate the schedule by a year and make it the exclusive car for all tracks in 2008.

The CoT, or more accurately Car of Yesterday (after all, who still uses carburetors?), completes the transition from stock cars to template cars for NASCAR. If you strip off the paint and stickers, these things are completely indistinguishable aside from the engines. With the CoT, it really just comes down to preparation and drivers, having little if anything to do with the brand of each car.

Click the gallery below to view high-res images of the Car of Tomorrow racing in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

[Source: NASCAR]

Gallery: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow

NASCAR bumps exclusive use of Car of Tomorrow up a year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 May 2007 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Food City 500: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow gets first win

Alex Nunez — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:33:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

This is spoiler-free until after the jump.

NASCAR's coming out party for the series new racing car, the unfortunately-named "Car of Tomorrow" (what is this, a car show in 1957?) is officially over. That means that NASCAR history has been made by one of the new machines, which are identifiable by their new rear wings and front splitters. Those visual cues are part of a whole host of changes that are said to make the COT the safest stock car ever.

So, who won? Follow the jump to find out.

[Source: NASCAR]

Gallery: 2007 Food City 500

Continue reading Food City 500: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow gets first win

Food City 500: NASCAR Car of Tomorrow gets first win originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy unveils NASCAR Impala SS

Scott Davis — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 23:05:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Chevrolet, GM

With NASCAR deciding to phase-in the Car of Tomorrow throughout the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, Chevrolet has already announced that the Impala SS will be the vehicle of choice to eventually replace the current Monte Carlo SS as its entry in the series. And today we learned exactly what the NASCAR-ified Impala will look like.

With the decision to bring the Impala SS back into NASCAR, Chevrolet thrusts one of the most popular vehicles in its line-up (the Impala has sold 219,000 units through September, more than all of Buick and Saturn combined) back into the spotlight. The Impala also has a storied history with NASCAR from the late 50s and early 60s, and it will celebrate its own 50^th birthday in 2008.

The Impala SS will be raced in sixteen races in 2007, but only at tracks less than a mile and a half in length, the road courses and the second Talladega race. NASCAR will then add to that tracks over 2 miles in 2008, and then open up the full schedule for the Cars of Tomorrow in 2009.

See more photos after the jump

Thanks for the tip Josh O.

[Source: TheGMSource]

Continue reading Chevy unveils NASCAR Impala SS

Chevy unveils NASCAR Impala SS originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Impala chosen for NASCAR Cup races, Monte Carlo snubbed

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Sedan, Chevrolet

NASCAR may be saying goodbye to the Monte Carlo. Although it has been the most successful car in Nextel Cup racing history, GM has apparently gotten approval from NASCAR to replace it. According to a report in the Charlotte Observer, NASCAR has given General Motors permission to drop the Monte Carlo SS, and replace it with the Impala SS. This despite the fact that the Monte Carlo has the most Cup wins of any model in history with 400. Sources told the Observer a Hendrick Motorsports built Impala SS by will be unveiled at the official announcement Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Impala actually won the Cup way back in 1960 and 1961, but the Monte Carlo took over the NASCAR duties for Chevy after its debut in 1969. The Monte didn't actually race until 1971, but it captured the pole for its first race at the 1971 World 600 at what is now Lowe's Motor Speedway. The new Impala SS will run in 16 Nextel Cup races next year, according to the Observer. It will be used as Chevrolet's version of NASCAR's "car of tomorrow." In races where they aren't using the "car of tomorrow," Chevy teams will still use the Monte Carlo.

[Source: ESPN via GM Inside News]

Impala chosen for NASCAR Cup races, Monte Carlo snubbed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota's state of panic over NASCAR debut

Stuart Waterman — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:40:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Toyota

When former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott failed to qualify a Dodge for last weekend's Bank of America 500 for new team Red Bull Racing, which is one of the three Toyota teams for the company's inaugural Nextel Cup season in 2007, it cast a harsh spotlight on the steep learning curve facing Toyota's teams as they venture into the upper echelon of left-turn-only racing.

In the words of Lee White, senior VP for Toyota Racing Development, "I see light at the end of the tunnel, but there's still a mountain to climb."

Dodge, which re-entered Cup racing in 2000 after a 23-year layoff, could tell Toyota just how high that mountain can be - despite the best efforts of superstar team managers Ray Evernham and Roger Penske, it was only this year that Evernham Motorsports' Kasey Kahne (who won this weekend) started to make regular appearances in victory lane.

The learning curve will be even steeper for Toyota's teams, as they struggle to develop both a current-spec Nextel Cup streamliner with the Camry badge, and NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" racer (shown above in its Camry guise), which makes its part-time debut in selected races next year. (Rumor has it that NASCAR is pushing for the COT to be used as soon as the Bud Shootout in the run-up to the season-opening Daytona 500 in February.)

[Source: Boston Herald]

Toyota's state of panic over NASCAR debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Oct 2006 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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