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Chevy Unveils SS For Sprint Cup Competition In 2013

Michael J Smith — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:15:24 +0000

Chevrolet unveiled its new SS, which will run in the Sprint Cup Series in 2013. The SS will make its debut during SpeedWeeks next year at Daytona International Speedway.

The Sprint Cup SS will closely resemble the SS production model that is set to debut early next year. The production version will hit showrooms in late 2013, with a model year of 2014. This will mark the first time in 17 years that Chevy will offer a rear-wheel-drive sedan in the U.S.

General Motors North America President Mark Reuss said:

As a passionate race fan, the debut of the SS NASCAR race car is a genuinely exciting moment for me. With the SS, Chevrolet is delivering a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR race car that is very closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale, ensuring that our most loyal enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience the same thrill every day on the open road that our race car drivers enjoy on the track on race day. The Chevrolet SS also demonstrates how we are able to leverage our global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience. The specialized development and testing work done for the race car will certainly benefit the entire Chevrolet product lineup.

Jim Campbell, vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, added:

We are looking forward to another exciting year of NASCAR competition and expect that the new SS race car, with some of the most skilled drivers on the circuit behind the wheel, will distinguish itself on the track.

In an effort to get more brand identity on the Sprint Cup cars, NASCAR eased the rules on where manufacturers were allowed to put glass and solid body parts. The sanctioning body also eased rules on the front and the rear of the cars, allowing manufactures to make the nose and rear of the car look more like the production model. And, the sides now allow character lines that come from the street models.

Earlier this year, Chevy unveiled its 2013 Nationwide Series Camaro.

Chevy To Use SS In Cup Series In 2013

Michael J Smith — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:29:13 +0000

Chevrolet has announced that it will be adding a V-8-powered, rear-wheel drive sedan to its U.S. lineup called the Chevy SS (Super Sport). The SS will also be Chevy’s entry in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013, when the cars are changed to more closely resemble their street counterparts.

Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said:

As a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast, I am thrilled that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in the SS that is closely linked to the performance sedan that will be available for sale. The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends beyond the track. I am personally looking forward to driving it.

Chevy announced in March that it would not use the Impala in the Cup series, instead opting to develop a new model for Cup competition.

While spokesman Monte Doran said at that time that the new model wouldn’t be derived from an existing model, the SS is said to be based on the Holden Commodore, which was also known as the Pontiac G8.

GM Holden’s Executive Director of Engineering Greg Tyus said:

Holden has a great track record of producing performance cars for GM and the world. We were responsible for the design and engineering of the Chevrolet Camaro, VE Commodore was sold as the Pontiac G8 and we are currently exporting the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle – so we understand the needs of the North American market.

The Holden Caprice was also said to be a candidate.

DEI Sued Over GM Bankruptcy Claim

Michael J Smith — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:53:48 +0000

Seaport Group LLC is suing Dale Earnhardt Inc because, Seaport claims, DEI reneged on a deal to sell it a $3.25 million claim in General Motors’s bankruptcy to Seaport for $783,604, according to Bloomberg. Seaport is accusing DEI of reneging the deal because the value of the claim increased dramatically after the agreement was made.

Bankruptcy Proceedings Holding Up Dodge Payments; Chevy Not Affected

Michael J Smith — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:51:32 +0000

Richard Petty said that funding from Dodge is on hold due to bankruptcy proceedings. And, Penske Racing’s Walter Czarnecki also said that payments from Dodge have been held up by legal proceedings. Meanwhile, a General Motors spokesperson said that there are no expected budget cuts for GM’s racing program.

Hendrick Speaks About GM Bankruptcy

Michael J Smith — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:15:13 +0000

With General Motors filing for bankruptcy yesterday, Hendrick Motorsports owner, and chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group Rick Hendrick said:

I have an unwavering faith in the company’s leadership team and our government’s commitment to support this reorganization. After all of the efforts of the past several months, it’s unfortunate that bankruptcy has become the only option, but we at Hendrick Automotive Group and Hendrick Motorsports are certain that GM will emerge from this stronger and better equipped to compete than ever before.

He added that service will not be affected at his 27 GM franchises. This includes warranties and parts, he said.

In conclusion, he said:

It has been a great privilege to be a small part of GM’s rich history, and we are looking forward to an even brighter future together.

Source: GM To "Kill Off" Pontiac Brand

Michael J Smith — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:22:44 +0000

A source has said the General Motors Corp is planning to “kill off” its Pontiac brand. An official announcement is expected Monday.

In GM’s most recent viability plan, Pontiac was not named as one of GM’s core brands, which are Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. The brand also wasn’t listed among those that would be killed or sold — Saturn, Saab, and Hummer.

Instead, the brand was supposed to focus on a small number of models. Now, it appears, the brand will disappear.

In 2004, the brand pulled out of NASCAR for good. In its final season, only five teams were using Pontiacs, and Ricky Craven was the only driver to win a race in a Pontiac during its final year.

At the time GM officials said that the brand was leaving NASCAR so that GM could focus its support on the Chevy racing program.

What Would Happen If Chevy, Dodge Pulled Out Of NASCAR?

Michael J Smith — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:22:06 +0000

As GM considers bankruptcy, and Car and Driver publishes hoax articles about Dodge and Chevy being ordered out of NASCAR, I asked myself what would happen if Dodge and or Chevy pulled out of NASCAR.

The answer? Probably not much would happen.

While NASCAR touted the safety aspects, the savings, and the closer competition as reasons for the new car design, I think that the Car of Tomorrow also freed NASCAR from the mercy of the carmakers.

Sprint Cup cars are made by teams individually. There are no NASCAR factories that crank out COTs like GM or Chrysler plants. These cars are custom built in race shops by Sprint Cup teams. I imagine that other than providing parts, the carmakers have little to do with production or maintenance.

Don’t get me wrong, I know that carmakers provide support for their cars. But, if that support goes away, the make wouldn’t necessarily.

Last year, Dodge announced it would pull its factory support from what is now the Camping world Truck Series. At the time, Mike Delahanty, senior manager of Dodge Motorsports, said:

We’ll have no factory-funded teams. When times are tough, there are certain things that are lower on the priority list than others. There’s a lot of Dodge trucks, engines and parts out there, [teams] may choose to run them. We just won’t be writing the checks to any teams.

I’m sure that any carmaker that left the sport at this point would take the same stance.

Sure, some teams might stop using their cars. But, teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Petty Motorsports would continue building their race cars, and would still compete.

Large sponsorships would, most likely, keep the bigger players in the sport. And the relatively low cost of competing these days, with the testing ban, would keep most of the smaller teams in the sport.

So, even if Dodge and Chevy were to leave, the sport would find a way to survive. After all, this isn’t the first time automaker support was in jeopardy.

Companies With NASCAR Ties Eliminating Jobs

Michael J Smith — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:28:53 +0000

Four companies with ties to NASCAR, Sprint Nextel, General Motors, Caterpillar, and Home Depot all announced that they are cutting jobs in light of current economic conditions.

Sprint Nextel, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series sponsor, announced that it will be cutting about 15% of its workforce, or 8,000 employees. This move is expected to save the company $1.2 billion annually. Sprint has been losing customers to larger rivals AT&T and Verizon.

GM announced that it is eliminating about 2,000 jobs, as well as decreasing production at plants in the U.S. and Canada. Most of the cuts will affect plants in Michigan and Ohio.

Following a 32 percent drop in profits, Caterpillar, sponsor of Richard childress Racing’s No. 31 Chevy, driven by Jeff Burton, announced that it is cutting 20,000 jobs, or about 18% of its workforce. That includes 12,000 employees and 8,000 contractors. Caterpillar is also cutting production schedules and costs in light of the economic turmoil.

Home Depot, sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota, and driver Joey Logano, announced that it will be cutting 7,000 jobs, or two percent of its workforce. It will also close nearly 50 stores.

NASCAR Sponsorships On The Decline

Michael J Smith — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:10:10 +0000

Bloomberg News is reporting that due to the state of the economy, NASCAR sponsorships are on the decline. “General Motors Corp., Chrysler Corp., Sears Holdings Corp. and Chevron Corp. will cut or drop sponsorships next season.”

Some teams the sport that biggest names, Petty, Earnhardt, and Waltrip could enter the 2009 season with unsponsored cars. Chip Ganassi racing’s No. 40 team lost its Coors sponsorship last season, and managed to stay afloat using a patchwork of one-race deals. The team was shut down earlier this season. Chevron is pulling its Texaco sponsorship of Ganassi’s other team, the No 42 next season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Nationwide team, JR Motorsports lost its primary sponsor when the U.S. Navy announced it would not return to the No. 88. The team has won two races this season, and sits third in points, and it lost its primary sponsor. That’s an indication of how bad things are.

Earnhardt Jr. said:

The economy is the way it is, there isn’t much you can do about it. A lot of these guys are going to walk around empty-handed next year. … We’ll race the races we can afford to race. A lot of the people that work there are family and so that place has to be open.

RGM Considering Merger With DEI

Michael J Smith — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 02:06:16 +0000

It’s being rumored that Robby Gordon Motorsports is considering a deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc. that would mark a return to General Motors and Chevrolet. While no one at RGM or DEI would comment on the rumor, sources close to the situation said that both sides were in talks.

DEI currently has Martin Truex Jr., Aric Almirola, Regan Smith, and Paul Menard as its drivers, which would leave no room for Robby Gordon.

But, Menard is said to be a candidate for a Yates Racing Ford next season, so his status with DEI is unclear.