{"id":23457,"date":"2019-02-20T18:25:59","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T22:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=23457"},"modified":"2019-02-20T18:25:59","modified_gmt":"2019-02-20T22:25:59","slug":"first-ever-silverado-pace-truck-leads-daytona-500","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/02\/first-ever-silverado-pace-truck-leads-daytona-500","title":{"rendered":"First-ever Silverado pace-truck leads Daytona 500"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chevy<\/p>\n<\/div>

The headlines\u00a0report\u00a0that General Motors<\/a>\u00a0is betting on self-driving\u00a0electric Rivian pickup trucks. But this weekend, GM’s Chevy brand will pace the field in the Daytona 500’s first-ever pace-truck \u2014\u00a0the hands-on V-8-powered Silverado pickup.<\/p>\n

Behind\u00a0the wheel? None other than NASCAR racing legend Dale Earnhardt\u00a0Jr.<\/p>\n

The blue pace truck is part of a national marketing blitz for the all-new Silverado \u2014\u00a0remade from the ground\u00a0up for 2019 \u2014\u00a0that is the highest-volume, most-profitable vehicle that GM manufactures. With\u00a0585,582 in 2018 sales, the\u00a0full-size pickup was second only to perennial sales-leader Ford F-Series as the best-selling truck in America.<\/p>\n

Add up sales of the Silverado, sister GMC Sierra and midsize Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, and GM sold\u00a0973,471 pickups last year\u00a0\u2014 more than any other automaker.<\/p>\n

The trucks are cash cows that\u00a0feed GM’s ambitious investment in electric and autonomous vehicles, including a possible piece of\u00a0Rivian, an electric pickup maker which promises a semi-autonomous, 400-mile range EV pickup for the 2021 model year.<\/p>\n

But for the 2019 model year, it’s all about Silverado.<\/p>\n

The new Silverado is distinguished by its narrow headlights and grille \u2014\u00a0design elements adapted from the Chevy Camaro muscle car, which will be racing against NASCAR Ford Mustangs and Toyota Camrys for the 500 win.<\/p>\n

Prior to the pickup, Chevrolet has paced the Daytona 500 a dozen\u00a0times with pace cars:\u00a0seven with Camaro and five with Corvette.<\/p>\n

GM promises a high-tech future of “zero crashes, zero crashes and\u00a0zero congestion” featuring driverless, robot electric cars. But Sunday’s race will feature one of the most recognizable drivers of all time, Earnhardt\u00a0Jr.,\u00a0himself a two-time winner of the 500.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a lot of fun and a lot of success at Daytona over the years, and now I can\u2019t wait to get out on that track in a Silverado,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cAway from the track I\u2019ve driven Chevy trucks all my life, and I\u2019m excited to have this unique experience of pacing the Daytona 500.\u201d<\/p>\n

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