As if the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro hasn’t been getting enough publicity, we just got word that the American sports car has been once again tapped to be the pace car for the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR race. The race, which will be held at the Daytona International Speedway on July 3, will also be the second time the Camaro has acted as pace car for the Coke Zero 400, having served the exact same purpose only a year ago.
As a matter of fact, the car has unofficially become the de facto pace car for a number of American races, including the two most celebrated races in US soil, the Daytona 500 (2009) and the Indianapolis 500 (2009 and 2010).
This year, the Camaro model that will serve as pace car will be a 2SS model that comes with an automatic transmission and a Red Jewel Tintcoat finish with the traditional pace car graphics attributed to the Coke Zero 400 race. And if we’re being honest, this car has been dressed up so well that we wouldn’t mind watching it on TV instead of all those stock cars.
Are you tired of Jimmie Johnson winning all of these races? Does it bore you to see the same person win time and time again? Well, suck it up and give credit to where credit is due. Jimmie Johnson took his 50th win in his Cup Series career in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. This win was his first at Bristol and places him in a tied position for 10th place with Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett in the all-time list.
Johnson, who is a 4-time defending NASCAR champion, says that one of his goals this season was to power through in Bristol. This .533 mile short track has been a rough spot for Johnson in the past and he has only achieved third place as his best finish. This year he attained his goal by overcoming Tony Stewart in the last lap of the race. Kurt Busch, who led 278 of the 500 laps, came in 3rd place with Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth following right behind him.
If you missed it, don’t worry. If you thought it was too long to watch, no hard feelings. We have video of the last 10 laps and the rest of the story after the jump.
Polyphony Digital has managed to create a trailer that has reminded us just how much we want Gran Turismo 5. As if we needed a reminder. It starts off with a few night shots that slowly start to rev up your engines before the trailer erupts into a series of high speed scenes. The trance music accompanying the trailer makes your heart race as you see images of the Mercedes Benz SLS AMG fly by the screen. Added to the mix are more racing scenes, a crash, and some NASCAR. All I can say is that I want more.
And don’t worry; if you haven’t had a chance to pick up a PS3, there is a quick reminder at the end of the trailer as to how much one costs.
“We will put it back in the hands of drivers, and we will say ‘Boys, have at it and have a good time,’” Vice President of Competition for NASCAR Robin Pemberton said.
Careful what you wish for, NASCAR, because you just might get it. After deciding to lift restrictions off bump-drafting and increasing horsepower at the start of the season, Nascar may have given way for a little revenge on the track. At least that’s what it looks like after watching Carl Edwards graze Brad Keselowski’s car and send him flying through the air at the Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday.
