Mustang, but not Camaro in Sprint Cup?
Ford wants to race the Mustang in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series according to Edsel B. Ford II. But so far Chevrolet is balking on racing the Camaro.
Chevy needs to get with the program and get the Camaro back into competition. Their reasoning for not racing the Camaro seems a little weak.
“Part of what makes Camaro is the styling and the look of that vehicle,†said Terry Dolan, the head of Chevrolet Racing. “As we look at NASCAR, we wanted to maintain the integrity of the iconic brand and the brands that we race with. We just didn’t feel we could accomplish that vision by adapting the car to the common template format that we have here in this sport. We’ll always look in the future and see what opportunities exist, but within today’s boundaries, it just didn’t feel like it was the right business decision for us to make.”
Yet Ford and Dodge have made it work in the Nationwide series, and Ford is pushing for the Mustang in Sprint Cup.
“The sooner the better,” said Ford’s head of racing and board of directors member Edsel B. Ford II.  “Motorsports enthusiasts are not going to buy Fusions because they see a Fusion win here, are they? It’s not our performance model. Mustang is. To have a Mustang on the track in NASCAR is the right direction. The Nationwide car looks like a Mustang. It meets the criteria.”
So what do you think, would you like to see Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers in Sprint Cup?
Dale Earnhardt Jr Drives 2010 Camaro
Dale Earnhardt Jr becomes one of the first to drive the new 2010 Camaro.
CNBC has just released footage of Dale Earnhardt Jr on an Australian test track behind the wheel of Chevrolet’s all new 2010 Camaro.
Earnhardt has become one of the first to test the next generation Camaro. He is a fan of the Camaro, and perhaps Chevy chose him because he already owns several Camaros.
“They obviously will build the car how they want to build it but they’re smart enough to know that if they can open their ears to some trusted voices and hear some good input and good insight that they can make a good product,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The car is sporting camouflage to hide its final design, but the Camaro look is unmistakable.
“I’m real happy; I’m real pleased with it. It sort of flows with the road real nicely, yet it’s got a historic feel to it. It definitely has that old Camaro, old Chevelle feel to it,” Dale Earnhardt Jr said.
This video is part of a CNBC special called Saving General Motors, which airs on Wednesday Aug 6. What do you think about this car?
Dale Earnhardt Jr’s 1972 Camaro
Dale Earnhardt Jr just got a new Car. It’s a 1972 Camaro freshly restored by Detroit Speed & Engineering.
Detroit Speed has a shop in Mooresville, NC just about a mile from JR Motorsports. They build custom automotive restoration and performance parts, as well as perform automotive restoration work.
It seems that Junior was passing by one day and stopped to inquire about another Camaro parked in front of the building. That one wasn’t for sale – it belonged to Detroit Speed’s owner – but they offered to build one for Dale Jr.
A 1972 Chevy Camaro was located, and the crew at Detroit Speed went to work completely disassembling the car.
The body was media blasted and set atop a DSE Mini-tub frame equipped with their in-house designed Quadra-Link suspension.
The original drivetrain was removed and replaced with a GM LS92 crate engine that packs a punch but is reliable and dependable enough for daily driving. Its 364 cubic inches produce 440 horsepower.
The 1972 Camaro was popular on the drag strip and SCCA road courses in its day, and it still is today – winning many races. Besides that, it’s just a good looking car.
Junior’s car carries a Z28 emblem on the grille, but there is no word on whether it is a true Z28, or a clone. Chevrolet produced 2,575 Z28’s in 1972.
The Z28 can be identified by the VIN. The 5th digit is an L if the car is a true Z28. In 1972 the car would have rolled off a GM assembly line with 255 horsepower, the new engine in this car nearly doubles that. A 780 CFM Holley carburetor was standard equipment when the car was new – and the car is still carbureted today. If anyone knows whether this car is a true Z28 please let me know.
The orange and black paint scheme gives this Camaro a distinct look.
If you are restoring a Camaro, or you just want to buy one that is already built, just contact Detroit Speed & Engineering. They specialize in taking old school cars and fitting them with the best modern engineering.
Contact them at:
Detroit Speed & Engineering
185 McKenzie Road
Mooresville, NC 28115
Phone: 704.662.3272
FAX: 704.731.0989
Photo courtesy Detroit Speed & Engineering