The 2019 Chevy Silverado is the first pace truck to ever participate in the Daytona 500.
NASCAR fans from all over are flocking to Daytona Beach this weekend, keen to catch the action in this year’s 61st running of the Daytona 500. This time, though, there’s a bit of a twist in the pace car. For the first time, the pace car is instead a truck. More specifically, the 2019 Chevy Silverado.
When the Daytona 500 kicks off this Sunday, two-time champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. will lead the pack in the Chevy Silverado pace truck. Underneath, Chevy hasn’t modified the truck for performance whatsoever. It still packs a standard 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. As with the standard truck, that engine mates up to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Daytona 500 is set to take place on Sunday, February 17 at 12:30 P.M. EST. William Byron won pole position for Hendrick Motorsports in qualifying, while Alex Bowman took second.
New Silverado race truck
The pace truck isn’t the only new truck Chevrolet’s bringing to Daytona, either. There’s also a new 2019 Silverado RST taking part in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Packing 232 wins, nine manufacturer’s championships and 13 driver’s championships, the Silverado has been the most successful truck to take part since the series began in 1995.
The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race starts tonight (February 15) at 7:30 P.M. EST.
While the 2019 Chevy Silverado will take to the track this weekend, check out the gauntlet we threw down for the truck off-road below:
