Fans of NASCAR, or any form of motor racing in general, are familiar with the potential dangers of the sports – whether spectacular crashes or, simply, lose tires running around the track. Unfamiliar, however, is when the Official Pace Car malfunctions.
Last week, at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, a Chevrolet SS pace car caught fire during a NASCAR Sprint Unlimited exhibition race. But it wasn’t the fault of the car, but rather the electrical work intended for powering the caution lights, that were to blame. Today, all problems seem to have been solved as the pace car is set for the upcoming Daytona 500 tomorrow.
The pace car is nothing more than a ‘tweaked’ 2014 SS, with a light bar on the roof and custom livery, packing the same 415 horsepower punch from the 6.2L LS3 V8 engine as the stock vehicle. Other Chevy vehicles will be joining the pace car scene, as the Camaro SS 1Le will pace the NASCAR Nationwide Series Drive4COPD 300, whilst the Silverado 1500 will pace the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy 250.
Capping of the event for Chevrolet, Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing) will lead away the 56th Daytona 500 from pole position, making him the second consecutive rookie to start from pole (Danika Patrick) in the event. Stay tuned for race results.
Comments
I love how people blamed the car for being on fire! Just goes to show you that people are so lazy they won’t even read past the head line of a article!
I am watching the race now. The pace cars are red Chevy SS vehicles, but there are several racers also driving a Chevy SS. And at this moment, the race was stopped due to rain.
This is why Pontiac should come back with its beautiful Grand Prix Official Pace Cars. I totally agree with you Brian!
I think This is a first you agreeing with me but what the hell
EvanG…As an owner of one of the actual race used NASCAR Grand Prix Official Pace Cars, you put a smile on my face with your comment! Thanks!
How valuable are pace cars long term?
Hate to give a generic/short answer, but really depends on what it is. Some folks who thought they could buy a new Indy 78 Vette or 93 Camaro thought that if they park it for a couple of yrs they could make a good profit, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the overall case.
I feel like all high-end (GT, GTP, GXP, 40th, Pace and Special Edition) Grand Prix’s (if kept in great, stock condition), will be pretty valuable in the next 15-20 years. I am going to keep my 2001 Grand Prix GT Special Edition Coupe and 2004 Bonneville GXP for sure! My 2000 Grand Prix GT Sedan and 2014 Malibu 2LTZ are sadly going once the new Canyon comes out so I can buy (or lease) an SLT Crew Cab/Short Box 4X4 3.6L.
Generally pace car values are subjective to several things.
Is it a real pace car? These tend to be of more value but even then depending on the car and race.
Replicas are in some cases over produced like the 78 pace car and the Berretta Pace car that did not look like the real thing since Chevy canceled the convertible version.
The ones worth much are mostly back to the original 442 Pace cars of the 70’s as they are limited, a muscle car and convertible.
I had a Pontiac dealer here that often got the real pace cars once Pontiac was done with them. You could get them with low miles and they even still had the strobe safety lights still on them. I had looked at several to buy including the Bud Shootout, Daytona and even the pace car from the Southern 500 at Darlington. These cars were all original with the decals and lights. Pontiac did use lowering springs and aftermarket wheels and tires that were put back to stock before they were sold as used cars.
I tried to buy several of these and they had them marked down but not a lot. They were on the lot for a good while and I know they sold a couple for as low as $12K because they could not sell them.
The truth is it takes a special person to buy these and there really was not a lot of interest in them at the time. Years from now they may have some value because they were track used cars but you still will have to find the right person to buy them to get any money out of them.
They did have the GTP track use car from Daytona in 2001. I think Pontiac supplies three of these cars for various use as the Aztec was the pace car that year. Dale Earnhardt took one of these cars out with Terry Bradshaw the night before he was killed. I looked at the cars and tried to see if there were any dents in the hood where Dale SR jumped on the hood with Terry. I saw no sign. They either fixed it, did not dent it or it was one of the other two cars. If you could verify that this was the car he drove it could have held some special value since it was on TV.
Now one pace car of good value was the real Fiero pace cars. There are three that were used at the race. GM has one, The primary car is in the Indy Speedway Museum. The third car was given to PPG to use as a pace car for the Cart series. They rebodied the car in the Road Race panels bit it is still stock inside and has a SD 4 engine built buy Pontiac Motorsports.
It was sold a couple years ago and it went for $60,000. It helps to be a special built GM car. The problem is it is not able to be licensed for the road since it lacks a Vin.
The 4th Fiero pace car was a prototype. It looks similar but has a Turbo OHC 2.0 engine in it. They has issues of durability and went to the SD in the real cars. No one knew that they had built this but a buddy of mine found it in the Indy collection storage building. GM rebuilt the engine and donated it to the speedway along with the original pace car. These kind of finds are rare.
You have a one of one pace car or one of three you really have something. Now if you just have a replica then it is a crap shoot on just what it is or has. I would only really invest in a Corvette model as the later ones were low volume or the Trans Am Turbo from 1989 since they are cheap now and very popular. As time goes on this combination of car and engine will remain popular.
As for the GTP and others there will be some modest value but only buy them in pristine shape and only buy it because you like it. This way like most cars if it ends up not being worth anything you will not be out anything as you still have a car you like.
Restoring the FWD GTP cars will not be worth their value and FWD has limited value anyways. As long as there are affordable Mustangs, Camaro and F bodies I see little increase in value in FWD. This is why I drive my HHR Turbo as even in low numbers and the thing being fast there will be a limited marker for them. Only the SS panels may hold a real value.
Besides most cars see little value if produced in numbers greater than 500 in less than 30 years or more. So many people want an instant classic but so few cars do this in 15-20 years.
With any car just stick to buying cars you like and no matter the value you will have a car you treasure.
Scott, thank you for your comment! I have a 2000 white Pontiac Grand Prix GTP NASCAR pace car that according to some on the web is one of 24 used at various NASCAR races across the country. That year there were 4 or 5 silver ones used for the Daytona 500. In 2001 they went to all silver ones at NASCAR races as you described seeing at your dealer. I wish I could have visited your dealer when the cars that you described were there. I guess you could say I am one of the special people. I also have a red 94 Firebird Formula that appears to have been used as marketing/promotion for the 94 Gatorade 125s at Daytona. I have photos that show a different car used for the race has the decals reversed. Thank you again for your post!
No problem. I love pace cars and really have an interest in the real track used cars.
It is a shame as many of the cars get some tweaks but Pontiac puts them back to stock mostly A local guy here had wanted the NHRA anniversary pace car but Pontiac put it all stock. So he contacted the outfit that modified the car for GM had his own anniversary TA made into the NHRA pace car. They even used some of the parts they took off. High Performance Pontiac did a story on the car and called it a one of none models since it was an accurate pace car but not the original.
I took the Darlington Pace car out for a drive and made the wife mad when I turned on the strobe lights. I told her the cars behind us will just line up. No one passed us till I shut them off.
I wanted the car but it was to be a daily driver and she said I would never let her drive it in the snow. You know she was right.
I would like to have one of these cars some day. I would want it for the one off specialty of it even if it never sees any value.
My buddy has the PPG/Indy pace car. Now that is a real special car. He also has two of the PPG Turbo Driving team FIero Pace cars. These were the first fastback Fiero’s ever shown. They had I think 6 cars. He has one complete and one that needs restored. I found it at a Vocational school where it had the cruel things done to it. He hope to restore it. A buddy of his also has the blue Pace car that GM sold a couple years ago our of the historical collection.
I have loved pace cars since I was a kid in the 70’s seeing the old Hurst 442 pace cars.
While I do not have a Pace Car I do have one of the original DGP rear scoops on my Fiero. It is the same one Pontiac used on the pace cars.
My interest is in the real ones too! I couldn’t pass up the 94 Firebird Formula, even after I purchased it & discovered it didn’t pace the race. I would love to have the tweaks, but that would probably make them non-streetable/titleable. Neat story on the NHRA one. I’ve seen I believe a 05 Indy 500 Vette done that way that was approved by folks at Indy. I never take mine in rain on purpose or any snow. I’m assuming this “My buddy has the PPG/Indy pace car.” is a Fiero as well.? What is the blue one?
What good is a pace car if you can’t title it for the street? If you can’t drive it why have it?
Brian, same reason you see so many cars on display at museums that hardly/never get started/driven. I guess so folks can enjoy seeing & knowing some history on them.
I wonder if the damaged pace car ends up being the first VF Ute conversion by that guy who does them with G8 fronts and VE rears.
A G8 conversion is not likely.
I didn’t say G8 conversion, I said Chevy SS converted into a VF Ute. It has been done before with G8’s and VE Ute’s.
I just don’t understand why people have any interest in a El Camino type vehicle?
My main interest would be in the (6)? that were done for the IROC race series. The main point that I always heard was that they liked that it supposedly rode like a car but hauled like a truck.?
Ute handles like a passanger car, has the practically of a utility/commercial vehicle but with the comfort of a passanger car, cheaper to buy than a Truck, cheaper to run than a truck, smaller and thus easier to maneuver than a truck, its a coupe with a huge trunk, its unique, it has sports trims, it has performance trims, it looks awesome…
The “El Camino type of vehicle” is called Coupe Utility. Invented by Ford Australia, perfected by Holden.
Matt I knew what you mean and not they will not convert the SS to a G8. It has been done and I am sure someone will do another some where but there is no market here for them for what it would cost.
Brian people in America lost interest in the Camino when the smaller trucks came out. The S 10 killed it as it hauled a little more and was a lot cheaper. The Ute market in America was never super large and when you lose a little from a small group it just kills the segment.
It would be difficult today to sell them as they would cost as much as a full size truck. Also most trucks today are not like in the past. The new full size trucks offer anything a car can offer and most ride pretty decent today.
I loved my 72 GMC Sprint SP and still wish I had it. Even with the 9 MPG big block in it I loved that car. Now my Sonoma and S10 both were great and more able to carry things. My Sonoma with the ZQ8 would even out handle my old Sprint. I miss it too.
The real issue is the market is just too small for this vehicle and it is just not what the market wants. I hate to say this as I would love to have a new El Camino today.
I can say with the new Mid size trucks coming the time for the Ute is at an end.
If GM is going to sell halo or low volume cars then it needs to be special versions of the corvette and camaro that sell like crazy!
Not a ute that is going to sit on dealers lots waiting for customers!
Are they not already selling special edition Camaro’s and Corvettes with a special edition SS coming?
I would love a ute but with the end of production down under even a limited few would make no sense to bring in for 2 years.
Yes they are and that’s the reason they should never bring a vehicle like that back!