Chevrolet Combines Performance And Family Tradition At Darlington Raceway

by September 2, 2018 0 comments

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Today at Darlington Raceway, Chevrolet is going all-out with its fan displays and throwback vehicles on the track prior to the 69th running of the Bojangles’ Southern 500.

When NASCAR fans arrive to Darlington Raceway on Sunday, if they’re a Chevy fan, they will be in absolute Heaven. Chevrolet has a massive display area outside of the frontstretch grandstands. Featured there is everything from Q&A sessions with NASCAR legends and current drivers, as well as show cars, leading experts and even free t-shirts.

“First of all, it’s seven decades of Darlington,”  said Chuck Spieser, Chevrolet Racing Marketing Manager. “This is really one of our crown jewels when it comes to events. Outside of the track though, our activation, we’re the big show and so, not only are we bringing all of the latest that Chevrolet has, relative to cars and trucks, but we’ve got also a couple of race cars. We’ve got also some of the higher end elements. We’ve got a Chevy parts accessories display as well but then we’ve got the experts here. Everyone that needs some information on cars and trucks, we’ve got every answer. We’ve got a lot of product specialists here.”

One of the more unique aspects of Chevrolet’s activation today is that a pack of really special Camaros will hit the high backs of Darlington Raceway prior to the green flag of the Bojangles’ Southern 500. Car owners Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress will be leading the way in their Camaros, followed by five Camaros throughout the decades:

  • 1969 Camaro (First Gen) – driven by owner Rick Hendrick
  • 1969 Camaro (First Gen) – driven by owner Richard Childress
  • 1981 Camaro (Second Gen) – driven by Jeff Burton and owned by Mark Jones of Wallace, N.C.
  • 1986 Camaro (Third Gen) – driven by Ray Evernham and owned by Tyler Grube of Darlington, S.C.
  • 1993 Camaro (Fourth Gen) – driven by Ricky Craven and owned by Jim Ramsey of Darlington, S.C.
  • 2011 Camaro (Fifth Gen) – driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. and owned by Josh Schmidt of Charlotte, N.C.
  • 2017 Camaro (Sixth Gen) – driven by Ward Burton and owned by Paul Weatherford of Florence, S.C.

“In fact, I would imagine Mr. Hendrick is going to be in the lead there with Mr. Childress as well,” Spieser said. “Those two gentlemen brought their own Camaros to the track. They’re going to go ahead and have – they promised a non-spirited pre-race lap, but then we’ve also got an additional four other Camaros that are going to be pretty much every era of Camaros that will be going around the track today and driven by NASCAR legends. It’s really, really going to be an opportunity, not just for Camaro but of course for the fact that this is Darlington. This is throwback. We’re celebrating it at every moment we can.”

While this weekend’s activation has been about building the Camaro’s brand, it also falls in line with Chevrolet’s marketing campaign about handing down well-crafted models to the next generation. Chevrolets are typically bought by an older generation and are given to the next generation. It’s about family tradition, and that’s a huge aspect of the throwback weekend that Darlington Raceway hosts each year.

“Chevrolet has always been about that,” Spiecer said about Chevrolet’s family tradition. “As far as dependability, long-lasting, it goes hand-and-hand with family, and this is what NASCAR is all about, and when you start with the people like Mr. Hendrick, Richard Childress and of course, Richard Petty, and I could go on and on and on. These stories and this meaning of seven decades of Darlington, it’s all being passed down and so you don’t just see old timers that are walking around, and they remember the past and are embracing it, you get these young kids, and you get everyone from every age that’s walking around embracing it.”

Spiecer also mentioned that there’s no better track to go all-out with Chevrolet’s activation, than Darlington Raceway.

“You have to understand the fact that there are crown jewels in NASCAR. Everyone talks about the Daytona, Talladegas and the Brickyards, but there’s only one Darlington.”

Photo Credit: Hunter Thomas/TheFourthTurn.com

No Comments so far

Jump into a conversation

No Comments Yet!

You can be the one to start a conversation.

<