The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will race in the Australian Supercars Championship from the 2022 season onward, General Motors has confirmed.
GM was deliberating over its continued involvement in the premiere Australian racing series after deciding to axe the Holden brand last year. The recent decision to push forward with the General Motors Special Vehicles brand paved the way for the Camaro ZL1 to replace the Commodore in the series, however, and is a clear sign that GM plans to sell the supercharged Camaro model variant in the country under the newly established GMSV banner.
Current Holden factory team Triple Eight Engineering will spearhead the Camaro ZL1 project and will handle the design process for the new Camaro race car body, which will fall under the series’ new Gen3 regulations set. Teams will be able to purchase the intellectual property for the car design from Triple Eight to build their own car, or purchase a finished car from the team.
GM and its Australian partners had previously considered adapting the Camaro to the current Gen2 regulations, however the coupe’s low-slung body couldn’t be made to fit the sedan-shaped control chassis, so the project was abandoned. The Gen3 regulations, by comparison, were conceived with coupe body styles in mind.
“It’s great news to have GM continuing their presence in Australasia’s leading motorsports category,” said Supercars president Sean Seamer. “The Camaro will play a key role in the development of our new generation of race cars, so when it hits the track, it’s sure to excite not only our younger fans, but importantly, all those who remember the nameplate’s rich history in the sport.”
“We at GM are thrilled to continue an involvement in Supercars in Australia and New Zealand,” added GM president and noted motorsports enthusiast, Mark Reuss. “Chevy Camaro will be an exciting addition to the track, and we have every confidence Triple Eight will ensure the race-going version will be a faithful representation of the road-going Camaro ZL1’s DNA.”
The series released a number of digital renderings showing the car in a Red Bull/Triple Eight Engineering, Penrite Racing and Walkinshaw Andretti United liveries. All of these teams currently run the Holden Commodore body in the series, which they will continue to campaign until the end of the 2021 season.
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Comments
Hot damn that’s a mean race car. Its a shame that Nascars weren’t more like the V8 Supercars.
It looks awesome! I do know the next-gen NASCAR bodies will look a bit closer to the production vehicles they are based on, but not quite like the Supercars vehicles either.
I race a 19 ZL1 1LE, and its every bit a street legal race car.
LOVE mine, awesome to see them staying in the series.
Go Camaro. Eat Mustangs.
I love my Camaro. When it’s paid off in 18 months, I’m getting a ZL1. Can hardly wait!
I so want “that” car.