2019 Chevrolet Silverado Takes Daytona by Storm

Silverado will pace the Daytona 500, new Chevy race truck will debut and six trucks will be used for camping.

Chevrolet is the most successful brand in NASCAR history and at the events surround this weekend’s Daytona 500, the new Silverado will be showcased on the track and in the infield. This includes a new Chevrolet race truck in Friday’s NextEra Energy 250 Gander Outdoors Truck Series, a new Chevrolet serving as the first-ever truck to pace the Daytona 500 and a unique camping experience, with a family spending the weekend in “Hotel Silverado”.

“The Daytona 500 weekend is home to some of the most memorable moments in racing,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. vice president of Performance and Motorsports. “This is an exciting opportunity to introduce the strongest, most advanced Silverado ever to race fans all weekend long.”

New Race Truck

First up, we have the new Silverado race truck in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. This is the first new Chevy race truck since 2014 and with the Silverado being the most successful model in the history of NASCAR’s truck series, logging 232 wins, nine manufacturer’s championships and 13 driver’s championships, this new truck has big shoes to fill.

The new race truck makes its official debut on February 15, but it is likely to be seen at the front of the field all season long, sporting the look of the 2019 Silverado RST.

First Ever Pace Truck

Next, the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado will serve as the first-ever truck to serve as the pace vehicle for the legendary Daytona 500. NASCAR legend and two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will pilot the Chevy pace truck, relying on the 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque to stay ahead of the race cars.

A Chevrolet product has served as the Daytona 500 pace car 12 times in the past, including the Camaro in 1968, 1969, 2009, 2011, 2017, the SS sport sedan in 2013 and 2014, and the Corvette in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. This is the second-straight year where Dale Jr. is handling the driving duties.

Hotel Silverado

Finally, six 2019 Chevrolet Silverado pickups will be specially outfitted to serve as a camping area for a special fan to have a truly unique experience. Teaming up with the American Cancer Society, the Chevy Cares program picked a NASCAR fan named Joey Miller. He and his family will be the first people to camp overnight at Daytona’s Chevrolet Experience Center, spending the weekend in this group of new Chevrolet pickups with tents in the bed.

“When we heard Joey’s story, we knew we had to do something,” said Sandor Piszar, director of Chevrolet Truck Marketing. “Joey has raised a significant amount of donations for cancer research, and has inspired dozens of people to join his team. Hosting Joey and his family for the Daytona 500 is a small way Chevrolet can recognize his efforts for helping others.”

Chevrolet has been the dominant manufacturer across all of the NASCAR big leagues for decades, so it makes good sense for the Silverado to be the first truck to serve such a prominent role in the Daytona 500 while Hotel Silverado gives a family a fans an unforgettable weekend at the track.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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