With the Chevy Camaro on the chopping block, motorsports enthusiasts wonder what The Bow Tie will race in the NASCAR Cup Series after discontinuation of the muscle car. However, according to a leaked illustration from Road & Track, the Camaro’s successor could very well be an electric NASCAR crossover.
Chevy Camaro ZL1 Cup Series race car
The sketch is a rendition of an alleged electric crossover race car concept currently being tested. This particular image is not designed to resemble a specific vehicle, although it does appear similar to the Chevy Blazer EV SS. Considering that crossovers are much more popular than sedans in the modern automotive market, it makes sense that NASCAR would want to introduce a crossover race car to give manufacturers the opportunity to advertise these vehicles.
The two-door NASCAR crossover concept features a profile not unlike the current sedan-based race cars that compete in the Xfinity and Cup series. Of course, it has a more upright stance with a fastback-like, sloping rear end taking the place of the traditional deck lid seen on current race cars. It also appears to feature two spoilers, with a subtle one jutting above the rear window on what would be the liftgate on a real-life crossover, as well as a more dramatic “park bench” spoiler affixed to the rear end below it.
The electric NASCAR crossover concept is based on the current Next Gen chassis, which debuted for Cup Series competition at the start of the 2022 racing season. In fact, this model was built with electrification in mind, and NASCAR has been considering an electric exhibition series, although this hasn’t come to fruition.
With that in mind, it would make the most sense for Chevy to bring the Blazer EV SS to the racetrack to show off its capabilities as a race car in the near future. However, currently there’s no timetable for an electric NASCAR crossover takeover, but in a statement made in March 2022, NASCAR Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer, seemed receptive to the idea and hopes fans will be, too.
Chevy Blazer EV SS
“If we are going to get into an electric space, I promise you it will be entertaining and it will be something that fits into our portfolio and something our fans will be proud of,” he said.
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Comments
Please no.
I wish they would go back to using stock cars. No bull$hit everyone uses the same car with different graphics
Lol. Crossovers, the official vehicles of old women. And electric ones at that. These people are so out of touch.
Out of touch? What’s the benefit in running sedans when nobody’s buying them? “Win on Sunday sell on Monday” will be the anthem of the sport again.
I’m 28 and adore my crossover. Fight me
Lol
Haha, Malibu is third best seller in its class dven though GM is doing its best to kill it.
Those last three words “in it’s class” are the ones to think about! I don’t know what the top two are, but for a domestic sedan, the Dodge Charger comes to mind instantly. Too bad it’s in its last days as well. Do people who want a sedan have to buy a Toy yoda or Honda now? The Accord is looking better all the time.
Camry comes to mind as it’s a “domestic” car. The soon to be dead Charger is a “Stellantis” (what ever that is) and “foreign” owned like the Camry😒. Cone to think of it the Ohio Acvord is a domestic as well…
BTW, not everyone wants a truck/SUV/ CUV.
your still wet behind the ears, kiddo. Got alot to learn
My generation is the future of the sport. You’re not 🙂
Your generation are has-beens before you even got started.
The should be the final death blow for NASCAR.
Might as well be racing minivans.
This is the end of NASCAR.
No “might” about it.
An electric racecar lead sled should make the races a lot more safer LOL
anyone who gives up their freedom for safety, deserves neither.
April Fools Day joke? It’s not even April.
no way they will race pure EVs but maybe hybrids which have proven themselves in other forms of racing
Since the Camaro is still a ’24, it will run in ’24. After that will probably move to Malibu?
Unfortunately it looks like it would be the Malibu, before the Camaro, there was the SS and Impala’s.
NASCAR is getting more painful to watch all the time. This will be the end for sure. The only car that Chevy has is the Malibu. Ford wisely kept the Mustang. It’s doubtful the Malibu would qualify to race in NASCAR. Cadillac will not have a car that would qualify in 2024 either. So, Mustang is it! Looks a lot like IROC racing in 2024 with Ford cars for everyone. EVs in NASCAR!?! The rule book will have to be rewritten. How many battery fires will occur when they fast charge them?
If Chevrolet wants to race the Malibu, it will become legal. NASCAR cannot afford to loose Chevrolet, and Chevrolet can’t afford to walk away from NASCAR. Modern Cup cars are nothing more then silhouette racers anyway, with nothing in common with the production cars, except maybe the shape of the grill/bumper/hood area. For 25 years or more, NASCAR has allowed manufacturers to shorten, widen, lengthen, make 2 doors out of 4 doors, make rear drives out of front drivers, etc. Why would you think the Malibu would never “qualify” as a Cup car?
Chevrolet will race Camaro’s in ’24, because there is a production ’24 Camaro. After that I expect to see the Malibu in NASCAR, unless there’s a new Chevy on the horizon nobody knows about (which is doubtful). It’s possible the Camaro could compete beyond ’24, since I think models/body styles remain legal for a couple years in NASCAR.
If Cadillac wanted to race in Cup, NASCAR would make the CT4 or 5 legal. As I said, NASCAR has no problem changing a car as necessary, to fit the rules. But Cadillac has no interest in NASCAR, it’s not their market. Cadillac competes in IMSA where they race against brands they compete with in the market, BMW and Accura. This is also why Cadillac wants to race in F1, so they can compete with Mercedes, Alfa and soon, Audi. Chevrolet is GM’s NASCAR brand because their competitors, Ford and Toyota race there.
NASCAR is developing a prototype electric race car, and considering an electric series. NASCAR’s proven in the past that they’ll happily change the rule book if it serves their purpose. Nothing is written in stone at NASCAR. An electric NASCAR series would likely have hour long races without pit stops or charging, like Formula E. Fire wouldn’t likely be an issue since it hasn’t been in Formula E.
Yes, thinking about it, they will just change the grill on the current Camaro and call it a Malibu. I wonder if the Street version of the Malibu will then get something larger than the 1.5 liter lawn mower engine it has now!?! It needs something like my Impala with the 3.6 liter has, and even though my Impala is fast, it’s a stone compared with something like a Corvette. The current Camaro has great engines and power. I won’t buy the current Malibu no matter what! I follow racing enough to know what Cadillac does. But considering you can get a Cadillac with a real engine, I still wouldn’t be surprised if they revise that Camaro grill and call the car a Cadillac C5. Chevrolet will have to make the Malibu a real car before it helps their sales. They should rethink things and keep the Camaro.
Yes, I agree that if Chevy wants to run Malibu in Cup, they would make it happen- But they’ve been touting the last two or three cars (going back to the SS) being RWD and “similar” to what you can buy for street use. I have my doubts that they’d “regress” to the old formula of adapting a FWD sedan for track use (i.e. Lumina, Monte Carlo, Impala). Chevy Racing is seemingly in quite a pickle due to what the, ahem!, “forward thinking” of upper management has left them to work with. It sure will be interesting to see what the Bowtie (and Ford for that matter) throws out there in ’25 and beyond. Personally, there’d be a curiosity to see a race or two with EV CUV’s buzzing quietly around the ovals and road courses. But without ICE’s, the nail is in the coffin for NASCAR, and the hammer is already raised…
I already barely follow NASCAR. If this is its future, then I will not be watching or following it at all. Race cars should be about aerodynamics, relatively lightweight, speed, and the thrill of close competition. EV crossovers does say “Racecar”. Even though they can be fast I will admit, it’s just not the same.
My entire family was glued to NASCAR at one time. You did not dare have anything scheduled that interfered with
Watching a Race. Lil by lil NASCAR officials have chased my entire family away with their Narrow minded mistakes.
We as a family dont ever talk about NASCAR let alone watch it. These guys have self destructed.
Audios
This is a joke, isn’t it?
Yes, a very bad joke! Luckily NASCAR isn’t the only car racing events out there.
just make a 2 door malibu
Even drivers and Jr are criticizing the dumb points system which lead to crash fest the champions weekend. The regular season has become almost meaningless.
Jr. is banking on NASCAR going belly-up- He’s wisely invested in the CARS tour, which will continue to run ICE engines and draw fans from the vacuum NASCAR is creating.
Read the article and threw up in my mouth. When did I have ham?
Mumm, been a Nascar fan for 60 years and in the last 10 years, not so much. Nascar acts more like a political organization than racing organization. Ever since the “Lumina,” nascar has accommodated GM every inch of the way. Most recently their new generation car , completely re designed to try and and appease their ( Uniparty) err ahh parity class, only requires one more effort and it’s some kind of L/S spec engine following the Truck series ! I guess Nascar has run out of continuing resolutions to keep their GM cash cow involved? They could obviously allow Chevy to run that Camaro for a couple more years. I doubt the average fan would even notice that GM quit building them. I mean have you ever brought up the sales figures on the Camaro?
You’ve got you head where the sun doesn’t shine. The ass that NASCAR has been kissing is all Toyota. They couldn’t win a race so NASCAR started changing the rules and kept changing them until Toyota started winning. You have to wonder how much Toyota paid them to do that.
Going electric will be the end of NASCAR! Who wants to see a car silently run around a track! Not me! I’ve been watching since I retired in “97” ! I got sick of watching stick and ball sports with the players being such premadonas and their outrageous salaries! But electric racecars NO WAY, I’ll be DONE!
Have you ever seen advertising for the Camaro in the last 5 years? Advertising helps sell vehicles. How about at least keeping up with the competition? Nobody’s fault but their own! And it doesn’t help that there’s a non car person running the show, right, Mary?
Pretty much gave up on NASCAR when they went to the generic “car of tomorrow “.
If NASCAR transitions to EVs it will be their Bud Light moment. Lessons learned NASCAR!
A crossover in NASCAR? (Will it include a baby seat or a stroller in the back as well?) What’s next racing around a Walmart parking lot?
Between the tiered racing, playoffs, stupid system, boxy generic cars and some of the absolutely dullest drivers ever this is just fits tight in.
I’m through.
I think you captured that perfectly!
What if it rains? NAH BRO THINK, THIS IS JUST MINIVAN’S FROM OUTER SPACE THAT JUST INVADED NASCAR,SOO HEEELLL NOOOO DONT MAKE THIS “NAS-MINIVAN” CUZ ITS DUMB.
Please NO mini-vans or SUV’s. I don’t think the marketing people are after the “Mom” crowd. The no SUV also includes the Corvette SUV.