The Daytona 500 is one of the most prestigious events in motorsport. Billed as the ‘Great American Race’, it was first held in 1959.
As the season-opener for the NASCAR Cup Series, it features a field of 45 stock cars powered by naturally aspirated 358-cubic inch (5.86-litre) V8 engines. In competition, they can reach speeds in excess of 180mph.
The front of the pack will be silent for 2025, however, as this all-American salute to horsepower makes use of an electric pace car for the first time.
However, the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS leading the NASCAR pack will not be short on performance or power.
Charging ahead of the pack
The Chevrolet Blazer EV SS is the quickest car from the American marque to wear its famous ‘SS’ badge.
With its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive electric powertrain, the Blazer EV SS produces 615hp and 650lb ft of torque. This puts it almost on a par with the V8-powered NASCAR Cup racers that will be following close behind. Engaging ‘Wide Open Watts’ mode allows the Chevrolet to accelerate to 60mph in just 3.5 seconds.
“Chevrolet has a long history with racing – it’s in our DNA – and the Blazer EV SS is a testament to that,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Chevrolet. “We’re excited for customers to watch the Blazer EV SS – the quickest SS we’ve ever produced – pace such an iconic race this weekend.”
An electric NASCAR future?
As surprising as an electric SUV leading the Daytona 500 may be, Chevrolet will also use the great race to demonstrate an even more extreme EV.
The Chevrolet Blazer EV.R prototype makes use of the current Next Gen NASCAR chassis, but with the traditional V8 engine ditched for an electric powertrain. With three six-phase electric motors fitted, the Blazer EV.R produces 1,300hp, which is sent to all four wheels.
Knowing that NASCAR fans are unlikely to appreciate electric SUV race cars, Chevrolet is keen to stress the Blazer EV.R is just a technical test bed.
“While we will continue to race our proven and winning V8 technology in NASCAR for years to come, we continually look for ways to improve the combination of power, durability and efficiency to transfer learnings from the racetrack to the showroom, especially as we bolster Chevy’s consumer EV lineup,” said Eric Warren, executive director for global motorsports competition at General Motors.
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