The era of the Chevy Camaro as a roadgoing muscle car has officially come to an end, but even though production of the street-legal model wrapped up almost a year ago, it will live on in NASCAR – at least, to an extent. The NASCAR Camaro body style will continue on for the foreseeable future, although GM Authority has noticed something interesting about The Bow Tie Brand’s Cup Series car for 2025. It doesn’t explicitly call itself a Camaro anymore, but the race car still sports ZL1 badges.
Hendrick Motorsports (HMS), one of Chevy’s premiere Cup Series teams, has released images of its 2025 paint schemes on social media. We first saw this curious detail on one of William Byron’s No. 24 Chevy race cars. Instead of “Camaro” emblazoned on the rear fascia, the livery simply reads “Chevrolet,” suggesting that the race cars will be representative of The Bow Tie Brand as a whole instead of an individual model. However, it retains its ZL1 badges, representing the range-topping model in the Camaro line.
More recently, HMS revealed a rendering of the No. 9 Chevy for 2025, which will be driven by Chase Elliott, the sport’s most popular driver. As with Byron’s machine, Elliott’s Chevy features “Chevrolet” script out back without any sign of NASCAR Camaro branding, save for the ZL1 badges on both the front and rear fascias.
It seems as though this is a deliberate decision rather than an oversight by HMS livery artists, even though it is a strange choice. The continuation of the ZL1 branding suggests that Chevy may just call its NASCAR-going entry the “Chevrolet ZL1.”
Rendering of Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy for 2025, showing “Chevrolet” branding
Rendering of Shane Van Gisbergen’s No. 91 Chevy for 2023, showing “Camaro” branding
Even though the Camaro is no longer in production, its continued use as a race car in NASCAR remains entirely legal under the current regulations. The Camaro replaced the Chevy SS in 2018 when it was still being produced as a consumer model. As long as a vehicle is in production as a street car when a manufacturer applies for competition, it remains eligible to race.
Looking ahead, the next Chevy race car might very well be a crossover, and an electric one at that, potentially signaling that the Chevy Blazer EV could make an appearance in North American stock car racing.
Comments
Here comes Kia.
NASCAR’s next big sponsor with deep pockets.
(…and we’re talking “Ritchie-Rich” deep pockets.)
NAPcar boring races, overpaid young punks losing attendance and electric cars in future ….. WHO CARES ITS WOKE!
Agree 100%! Besides corvette, name one vehicle that causes you to get excited to own or drive manufactured by Chevrolet. There are none unless you are looking for a truck. And it doesnt matter how quick any ev is because no one cares. When Ford brings out their 8 second Mustang to the strip everyone goes and grabs a coke when it comes to the line. Nascar is almost dead and it will be great when its gone.
Time to bring in a V8 Trax to the track.
Another sad sign that the Camaro nameplate is dead and won’t be returning anytime soon.
I’d be willing to bet that the Camaro name becomes something like a performance “trim level” on the likes of Blazer.
Chevy teams should switch to Toyota Camry like legacy motor sports did, racing SUVs come on, sports utility vans dont match Mustangs, probably use savanna vans next. Time to take more interest in Formula one.
Blazer EV is not Chevy’s (GM’s?) next Cup car- EV’s will be trotted out on the track as an “exhibition” series somewhere down the road, but nothing is immanent. GM basically has three options: 1) switch their support to a Cadillac Blackwing sedan, 2) introduce a new Chevy “car” (which could include a re-released Camaro or perhaps something new?), or 3) (please NO!!!) graft a bastardized Corvette body onto the NextGen platform. I personally like option #1- Some folks say that the clientele for Cadillac has little connection with NASCAR racing. But how many good ol’ boys were going to their local dealer on Monday morning (after a Chase Elliot win) and dropping $75K on a ZL-1?
Obviously not enough!
The Chevrolet teams should rebrand to Cadillac Blackwings…those would be some sweet-looking cars.
Badging makes no difference…it is only a decal. The bodies are the same under the graphics.
Papa is right! NASCAR should be re-named something else, since there’s been no no “stock” car in NASCAR for many years now. They’re all spec racers like Indy cars, but with different vinyl wraps like toy cars decals that resemble some of the front and rear details. The only real differences between the brands are the engines, which aren’t “stock”, either, since they can’t be be bought at a local dealer and none of them are available in any consumer models. It’s almost comical & definitely irritating to me, hearing the drivers, owners, crew chiefs, etc. calling their cars “Camaro”, “Camry”, “Mustang”, etc…gross misrepresentation! Since they’re all essentially the same, and NASCAR has such tight control over everything in & on them to make them all “equal”, maybe NASCAR should just build and own all the cars and lease them to the teams, who would just slap their sponsor decals on them at each race.
“Stock car” racing no longer means bone stock. The definition has changed. I guess you’re kind of right.
I agree. My recommendation is remove the S in NASCAR and in its place add CC (Cookie Cutter)! NACCCAR
And watch the same two and three guys win every week? Yeah, sounds thrilling
spec racing is boring beyond all measure. Nothing anyone relates to and zero innovation. It will be great when nascar is finally dead because it is so sad to see what it has become.
The Mustang is the only performance car left in NASCAR, which also includes a manual transmission as well. NASCAR is in sad shape these days
So true. It should be National Association of SPEC Car Auto Racing.
Nascar should bring in the CT5 Blackwing to take Camaros place. Cadillac is in many forms of racing already, and soon to be in Formula one. I know Caddy is a luxury car, Nascar is looking at different tracks in mexico and Brazil, why not race the Caddies through Redeo Drive and Fith Avenue as street tracks, that would be a win not only for Nascar but for Cadillac as well. Who knows, some people on snob hill might get to enjoy Nascar at those locations.
Anyway, merry Christmas and a happy nude year.