AMERICANWAY

COURTESY GENERAL MOTORS ARCHIVE (5) spectators cou ld f ind at a dea lership. In 2007, NA SCA R sta r ted racing the Gen V Sprint Cup cars, which were designed with safety in mind. Manufacturers lost much of their identity when it was decided that ever y tea m wou ld use a body w ith ma ny common elements and a common chassis, limiting the manufacturers' customization to only a few par ts. Then, NA SCA R went back to its stock car roots in 2013, giving ma nufacturers more freedom w ith their designs. In 2013, Chevrolet Racing 's engi- neering team worked closely with designers at Holden, its Austra lia n bra nd, to come up with a new design for NASCA R's Gen 6 Sprint Cup car. "Instead of turning a production car into a race car and then having that evolution go back and infl uence the design of the pro- duction ca r," deta ils Pat Su hy, NA SCA R engineering group manager for Chev y rac- ing, "we chose a production car to represent on the racetrack." It was race day at the Brickyard. I watched from the top deck of the suites as a roaring mass of cars fl ew by in a blur. The SS domi- nated the pack, with 22 of the 43 cars bearing the bow tie badge on the grille. With only 16 laps to go, Gordon snagged the lead. The crowd burst into cheers as the No. 24 Chevy SS soared around the track. The announcer shouted something over the loudspeaker, but it was barely audible over the din of the cars. Gordon came barreling down the track for the fi nal turn. The checkered fl ag dropped, and Gordon made history with his fi fth win at the Brickyard. As I am pulling into the parking lot to re- turn the SS, I feel the connection that Chevy was aiming for. The rumble of the planes landing at Detroit Metro Airport echoes that of the race cars. In my mind's eye, I can see the checkered fl ag drop as I pull through the gate of the parking facility. I wonder if anyone would mind if I did a few victory donuts. DAVID HALLORAN is a research editor for American Way and previously wrote about the Ford Mustang for the magazine. During a press conference for this story, he received a Coke from Danica Patrick with his name on it. Did You Know? The Chevy SS may be new this year, but it comes from a long line of legendary performers. The SS moniker is more than 50 years old, having debuted in 1961 as the Super Sport trim level. IMPALA SS In 1961, Chevy re- leased the Super Sport trim op- tion for the new- ly refreshed Impala. The original package was just above $50 and included several mechanical and cosmetic upgrades over the base car. Chevy only offered its large V8 engines with the Super Sport trim, initiating the legacy of high performance with the double-S badging. CHEVY II NOVA SS Two years after the Super Sport trim was introduced, it began translat- ing over to other vehicles in Chevy's lineup. The next model to receive the performance styling was the Chevy II Nova. The original Nova SS was known as a "sleeper," since the mild styling masked the power under the hood. CHEVELLE SS The Chevelle SS was Chevy's entry into the midsized muscle car arms race in the late 1960s. Originally released in 1964, the Chevelle SS reached what many regard as its pinnacle in 1970 when General Motors dropped its corpo- rate ban on midsized cars having engines larger than 400 cubic inches. The 1970 SS 454 was the most powerful Chevelle of all time, with 450 horsepower . CAMARO SS Chevy knew it needed a strong contender in the pony car segment created by the Ford Mustang. In 1967, the Camaro made its debut, naturally with a Super Sport trim level. Nearly five decades later, a Camaro can still wear the SS badge on its grille. EL CAMINO SS Just like the new SS, the El Camino originally came from Chevy's Australian brand, Holden. Chevy introduced the El Camino to the U.S. for the 1959 model year to compete with Ford's Ranchero. To one-up their competitor, Chevy fitted the El Camino with Super Sport trim and a larger V8 in 1968. More than 5,100 El Camino SSs were sold in the first year. To learn more about Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Brickyard 400, visit www.indianapolismotor speedway.com To learn more about NASCAR, visit www.nascar.com The Chevelle Two years after Just like the A A .CO M/A M E R I C A NWAY N OV E M B E R 2 01 4 51

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