The Chevy Camaro entered the NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, but with its discontinuation as a roadgoing vehicle, fans of North American stock car racing were left wondering what General Motors-backed teams will race next. As the rumor mill continues to churn, GM Authority is here to set the record straight. Future GM entries will not be Cadillac, nor will Corvette race cars ever see NASCAR competition.
Let’s start with Cadillac. There’s no benefit for GM to advertise its luxury marque in NASCAR because it’s not the correct market. While the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing would make one badass Cup Series race car – an idea GM Authority entertained with a rendering – it just won’t happen.
GM Authority rendering of CT5-V Blackwing Cup Series car
Cadillac Racing has its hands full with IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), where it races the V-Series.R, a hybrid prototype racer. Sportscar racing is more Caddy’s speed anyway, and so is Formula One, where the luxury marque will begin competing in 2026. Demographics aside, the CT5-V Blackwing will eventually be discontinued as the luxury marque pivots toward an EV-heavy lineup, which would leave GM without a NASCAR entry yet again.
NASCAR fans tend to resonate with Chevy, so it makes sense for GM to continue fielding Bow Tie Brand race cars. But while Corvette has a rich racing history, GM won’t bring it to the Cup Series circuit. NASCAR race cars are spec cars far removed of bone-stock street-legal vehicles, and Corvette Racing isn’t interested in competing with vehicles that would be a Corvette in name only.
The automaker already killed off its factory backed Corvette Racing program in IMSA in favor of a customer-based model. If it’s going to kick off a new factory racing program, it would just go back to racing the Corvette C8.R in IMSA and the FIA WEC, not NASCAR.
Because the Camaro was in production at the time of application, it remains eligible for NASCAR competition until GM decides to kill it. The automaker will continue to field race cars with Chevy Camaro bodies in 2025 and beyond, although it’s removed all Camaro branding. Bold “Chevrolet” script is emblazoned on next year’s race cars, serving as an advertisement for The Bow Tie Brand itself, not a specific model.
The next Chevy race car might very well be a crossover, and an electric one at that, signaling that the Chevy Blazer EV could make an appearance in the Cup Series.
Comments
That is a very very big shame no CT5 Blackwing wont be racing in Nascar, Very very smart of Jimmy Johnson switching to Toyota, racing a Sports utility van, SUV, like a Blazer, WOW, that will have all the aerodynamics of a shoe box, all i can say, looks like all races next year will be won by Ford or Toyota. Maybe the Suvanna van can enter Nascar?
This piece is speculative. Chevy is not going to race a Blazer against Mustang and Camry, at least not in the Cup Series.
Correct. They will all be crossovers by the time it gets to that point.
Too bad there isn’t a proper Buick Regal Grand National.
Kia, baby.
The void left by the big three will be filled.
Kia will have to have better NASCAR race engines if they want to attempt this than their existing street engines, or they would never finish a race! Kias and Hyundais have become some of the least reliable cars ever, and their engines are a major reason why.
Understand they plan to remove all Camaro branding in lieu of Chevrolet, but all the design elements from front and rear are still based on Camaro.
My guess is they ride out the current design under the Chevrolet banner until they reintroduce the next gen Camaro (or whatever it may be called) as an EV based sports car.
There’s rumors I saw online that GM might bring back Pontiac and use Pontiac in NASCAR.
HAHAH WHAT. That would be b!tchin but it’ll never happen.
Maybe Mary B. can lend them her car😕. Ring back Pontiac would solve this problem and more.
With possible major changes at the EPA who knows what is going to happen. A new gas Camaro could be possible. But the need to share it across platforms like Buick will be needed and could possibly work. Automobile production is going interesting in the next couple of years.
The Cadillac would make perfect sense since it’s a performance vehicle in current production. GM killed the Camaro meaning you now have to buy a Mustang or buy used. I would buy that Mustang before I would buy an EV or an SUV from GM. I’ve owned two Camaros, and I’ve also owned some Ford products when the deal was right. Nobody I know is that brand loyal. If you build the vehicle I like and you offer it at the right price, I will give you the privilege of having it in my garage. Right now I have a Chevy and a Buick.
Hey guys, don t forget the Bolt, that is coming in 2026. Really can not see Larson or Elliot driving that toy car. Toyota and Ford is the way to go. Better still, lets get China involved in Nascar, because that is the only place where you will find true American cars, they make Regal, Lacrosse, Malibu, Cruze, Monza, Taurus/ Mondeo, Lincoln MKZ, remember all those great cars that used to be around before the shoe box suv craze came in.
I would much rather see a Cadillac sedan on the track than a Blazer SUV.