BAY CITY, Mich. -- For the first time in Daytona 500 history, the race will be paced by a pickup truck, and the winner of this honor is the 2019 Chevy Silverado. The driver? Someone who's used to leading the pack, Dale Earnhardt Jr, a two-time winner winner of the Daytona 500 among other prestigious racing awards.
"I've had a lot of fun and a lot of success at Daytona over the years, and now I can't wait to get out on that track in a Silverado" Said Earnhardt Jr. " "Away from the track, I've driven Chevy trucks all my life, and I'm excited to have this unique experiencing of pacing the race with the Silverado". While Chevrolet has had the honor of pacing the race several times with the Camaro and Corvette models, this is an all-new step, that particularly excites the company, due to their recent successes in creating cutting-edge truck models. Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports said "It'll be exciting to have Dale lead the field to green in the strongest, most advanced Silverado ever...he was the perfect choice to pace the race due to his enthusiasm for the sport and his long history with Chevrolet and long of our trucks.".
The Silverado pace truck will be powered by a production 6.2L V-8 engine, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, delivering 420 HP and a 460 lb-ft of torque.
Silverado fans! Are you excited to watch this historical race? What do you think of the choice to use a truck as the race pacer? Comment and let us know!
Hank Graff Chevy is located at 3636 Wilder Road, Bay City, MI 48706 and we are here to help our community grow to become an even better place to call home! For more information on Hank Graff Chevrolet, or for any questions call us at (989) 684-4411 or visit our website: www.GraffBayCity.com.
