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Fevral 9, 2009
2010 Camaro Daytona 500 Pace Car Revealed
By Rob Einaudi
Editor-in-Chief
It’s been forty years since the Camaro paced the Daytona 500, but now it’s back! More pics and full press release after the jump. And you can see more and bigger pics at Camaro5!
Racing series NASCAR-CUP
Date 2009-02-07
Chevy Camaro Returns as Official Pace Car for 51st Daytona 500; Iconic 2010 Model Returns to the “Great American Race” After 40-Year Absence
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Feb. 7, 2009) — Daytona International Speedway officials announced the return of the Chevy Camaro as the Official Pace Car of the 51st running of the Daytona 500—the first Camaro to pace the field since 1969.
“Chevy has been a great partner of the Daytona 500 for more than 30 years, and the Camaro is an automotive icon,’” said Speedway President Robin Braig. “This 2010 model will set the tone for a 21st century sports car, and that’s a perfect fit to lead the pack at the ‘Great American Race.”
The 426-horsepower vehicle, powered by the 6.2-liter all-aluminum Chevy V-8, carries a PPG Cyber Grey paint scheme with a bold accent design befitting “The World Center of Racing.” A Camaro has paced the field just twice in Dayton 500 history, in 1968 and ‘69, and this 2010 model is scheduled to hit showroom floors this spring.
Built on GM’s new global rear-wheel drive architecture, the Camaro also will be offered in V-6-powered LS and LT models. Additional specs of the 2010 model pace car include:
* All-aluminum 6.2-liter V-8
* 426 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque
* Fully integrated strobe system, including a GM-designed custom light bar utilizing Whelen 500 series linear strobes
* 27-mpg estimated highway fuel economy
* Fuel-saving Tremec 6-speed manual transmission
* Top speed of xxx mph on the test track
Comments
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O'brien
Feb 15, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I’d like to see it remain on the track for the entire race.
DRD
Feb 15, 2009 at 12:53 pm
It looks like a Dodge from behind. I think they should have stuck with the Shelby that they used for the other races this week. It was much cooler looking but I guess everybody has their opinion. With GM likely filing chapter 11 in the next week the Camaro may never be built anyways. It is cool to see Camaro and Mustang duking it out again but the Camaro may be down and out before it even hits the streets.
John
Feb 15, 2009 at 11:41 am
Shelby is the pace car!! Ha ha ha ha camaro still didn’t get it.
mostafa
Feb 11, 2009 at 4:27 am
kes 25tek ma 27lakee
Metal
Feb 10, 2009 at 7:44 pm
For all you saying they should have used an SRT-8 Challenger, the new Challenger isn’t really that fast for all the hp/tq it’s putting down. The new Camaro crushes it easy.
Chuck
Feb 10, 2009 at 7:30 pm
SUPER SEXY!
sabreleaf
Feb 10, 2009 at 3:32 pm
It’s hot and I’ll be at the race to see it! I have a Camaro and thought I wanted this new one until I saw the new Mustang.
widecrex
Feb 10, 2009 at 1:42 pm
That car is going to make me watch nascar, a thing that I have never done. If everything goes well I should be getting one within a years time
Hicksbc
Feb 10, 2009 at 10:35 am
I think they have really done a solid job with the Camaro! Just wish the drop top was still coming out when they first said it was supposed to
Jesse
Feb 10, 2009 at 7:33 am
HOLY FUCK!
SouthernGuy8503
Feb 9, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Quad cam, one thing abotu what you said, chrysler wouldn’t be able to buy GM even if GM did try to sell because if you look at this link of companies that might not even make it through 2009 chrysler is the 3rd one
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/15-Companies-That-Might-Not-usnews-14279875.html
Quad_Cam_V8_VTEC
Feb 9, 2009 at 11:02 pm
I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t look all that jaw dropping to me. Yea, I know, it is the new Camaro, but for some reason, it’s not all that stunning and eye catching like when the Challenger came out. Hopefully, Chevy can revive GM with this new Camaro. If they can’t, they might as well go ahead and sell GM to Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler…
Tedthepunk
Feb 9, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Considering a Camaro hasn’t paced since 1969, I’d say this is pretty cool for Camaro fans.
doublec4
Feb 9, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Good to see exciting products added to the GM line up!!
FordRulesAll
Feb 9, 2009 at 8:01 pm
I like how you think retroman
RAD
Feb 9, 2009 at 7:59 pm
I want one
Don
Feb 9, 2009 at 7:59 pm
Damn! ~ uh yeah this Camaro IS a classic…already….
And…uh wait a minute, Im channeling a message from God….~”NO YOU CAN”T HAVE ONE>>>”~
I don’t know what that was all about…
Hey folks, One of our own is gonna be there to see this car and the Race in all its Glory!! Russ Carstens, the Mobilize Your Ride Page Grand Prize Winner is expected to give a full report on his page here on Cardomain when he and his son, Rob, return from Florida!
Check out his Ford and check back the week after the race for a run down on what he witnissed!
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2597763
As far as the length of time it has taken Chevy to get this car into production, just think of the current economic crises the big three are facing. And consider it took a few years for the Viper to hit the streets after we saw it at the auto shows. It takes time. Of course with all that time, the car had better perform nearly flawlessly for what we expect of it!
No RetiredChipmunk, you’re not blind either. The tail lights are red, but with the angle relevent to the sun in the picture, and the aperature opening and iso used to take the picture with a flash back fill…(whew!)…the red tail lamps appear orange…
WisdomRider
Feb 9, 2009 at 7:03 pm
This camaro could be a classic……..(GOD can I have one)?
retroman
Feb 9, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Ho hum… I like the pace car and all, but it’s really no surprise. Chevy has had a monopoly on NASCAR and the Indy 500 for quite a few years now. Oh well, I suppose if they asked the 2010 Shelby GT500 or 2009 Challenger SRT-8 to pace, they would leave the field behind way too easily.
FordRulesAll
Feb 9, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Well the Camaro looks ok but I don’t thinks it going to do to good for sales, yeah I know this blog is about the Daytona 500 Camaro, but think about it, it debuted when in 2007 or earlier on Tranformers, then all the talks of production times, and what ever. I just think with such a big delay from the time it was first seen to production time that’s it will lose or has lost it’s popularity.
SouthernGuy8503
Feb 9, 2009 at 1:25 pm
when i saw that picture my jaw dropped and said “oh my god”, i already can’t wait for the daytona 500 but now i want to see the camaro there to, i love the paint scheme, i guess you could see that will be the very first 2010 camaro driven other than for testing and things like that
SuzyBruisy
Feb 9, 2009 at 1:08 pm
omg, HOT. I can’t wait to see it lead the pack this Sunday!!
Evan
Feb 9, 2009 at 12:08 pm
That is friggin awesome! Sure is taking GM a long time to get them out to the rest of the world. The sooner they can get them out the sooner Gm will start making money. I’m sure these things won’t last long in showrooms!!!!!
RetiredChipmunk
Feb 9, 2009 at 11:43 am
Orange tail lamps, or am I blind?
Russ
Feb 9, 2009 at 11:30 am
That Camaro is badass, to bad they didn’t want a ‘93 Bronco for a pace car!…..lol