From its grass roots beginning on small dirt tracks and races down the Daytona beaches, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has evolved into the largest racing series in the United States. Even years later, its popularity continues to grow as one of the most viewed professional sports on television in the United States.   

NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series™ is where the sport’s crème de la crème show up to showdown, so of course Chevy is all over it, powering some of the top names in the sport. Since its start in 1947, Chevy has been the choice of many elite NASCAR drivers. Now represented by Chevrolet SS, which is modified for racing conditions and mandated specifications, Chevy puts its best against its competitors’ best, both on and off the track. We do this to win, but also because the lessons we learn while racing become the innovation you find in tomorrow’s vehicle lineup. The new NASCAR race car closely resembles the all-new rear wheel drive V8 Chevrolet SS performance sedan that debuted in February at Daytona International Speedway.

The legendary small block V8 engine has led Chevy to the most wins in the history of NASCAR. That’s the most Drivers' Championships and the most Manufacturers’ Championships — ten in a row, to be exact.

For the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ season, our legendary Team Chevy drivers will get behind the wheel of the all-new NASCAR Chevrolet SS. The race car, revealed last November, is based on the 2014 SS performance sedan that will be available later this year.

From the integration of a Bio Fuel Blend in 2011, to the implementation of Electronic Fuel Injection in 2012, to the introduction of highly distinguished Brand Identity in 2013, NASCAR has incorporated the steps necessary to enable the Gen 6 race car to emerge with rivalries intensified more than ever. And now, it’s all about bringing the ‘stock’ back to stock car racing.

Chevrolet has been focusing on a number of important initiatives to build a stronger connection with the fans. Progress for Team Chevy focused on incorporating relevant technologies that Chevrolet currently uses in today's high performance vehicles and creating race cars that help build a stronger link between what fans see on the track and in our showrooms.

The SS race car was produced through the same processes and technologies that Chevrolet employs for its production vehicles. Body surfaces were developed using math data and the latest computer modeling tools. Then CFD, or computational fluid dynamics, were applied to model the aerodynamic performance. Models were tested in a state of the art rolling road wind tunnel to prove this computational analysis.

The result is an impressive and aerodynamic body design that our Team Chevy engineers and crew chiefs can still tweak or make changes to best accomodate the team within the parameters set forth in the NASCAR rulebook. Additionally, it makes Chevrolet the only manufacturer to offer the same RWD V8 configuration in its production car as it does its race car.

“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,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports.

In support, Team Chevy has reached a milestone 702 victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, more than any other manufacturer. Five-time series champion Jimmie Johnson achieved Chevrolet’s 700th victory last season at Texas Motor Speedway driving the Impala. We look forward to seeing the first Chevrolet SS take the checkered flag.

The new SS will have NASCAR fans buzzing, and Team Chevy is excited to see the new model perform when the green flag drops. If history is any guide you can find us talking about them in the Winner’s Circle.