Sixth-Generation Corvette to Pace the Daytona 500

NEW YORK - This morning, during the national broadcast of Fox & Friends,
Chevrolet unveiled a new 2005 Corvette that will pace NASCAR's most
prestigious event -- the Daytona 500 -- on Feb. 20. Dale Earnhardt Jr.,
the 2004 Daytona 500 champion, was on-hand to introduce the pace car.  

 

"The pace car is based on the new 2005 production Corvette, which brings
more power and precision to drivers than any Corvette in history," said
Brent Dewar, Chevrolet general manager. "The Daytona 500 provides a good
opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the Corvette."

 

The design of the Daytona 500 Corvette pace vehicle includes elements
that reflect the heritage and attitude of historic winning Corvette race
cars. It is painted in millennium yellow with a black racing stripe
centered across the hood, roof and trunk lid. The Daytona 500 logo is
displayed on each door along with Chevy's "An American Revolution"
slogan on the rear spoiler. 

 

"We are proud to once again have our good partners at Chevrolet pace the
field at NASCAR's signature event," said Robin Braig, president of
Daytona International Speedway. "We are looking forward to showing off
the 2005 Corvette pace car on national television and in front of
millions of fans."

 

The Corvette pace car is nearly identical to the production version.
Both are powered by a 6.0-liter V-8 LS2 engine that produces 400
horsepower at 6,000 rpm. They have a top speed of 186 mph on a race
track and reach 0-60 in 4.2 seconds.

 

Chevy returns to the Daytona 500 with an impressive win record - 17
victories, the most of any manufacturer. Chevrolet also kicks off the
2005 racing season as the defending manufacturer's champion, a feat it
has achieved 28 times. In 2004, Chevy drivers captured 22 wins to tie a
record for most wins in a single season during NASCAR's "modern era."  

 

"We've worked with our Monte Carlo teams during the off-season,
particularly on aerodynamics and engine development, and feel very good
about going into this race," said Dewar.

 

This will be the 34th consecutive year General Motors has provided the
Official Pace Car for the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 will be one of 60
NASCAR events Chevrolet will pace in 2005, including 28 NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup, 17 Busch Series and 15 Craftsman Truck Series races.

 

General Motors Corp. , the world's largest automaker, has been
the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today
employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing
operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries.
In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent
and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global
headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit.  More
information on GM can be found at www.gm.com <http://www.gm.com/> .