The Camaro will continue to race in the Repco Supercars Championship for at least three seasons, despite Chevrolet’s decision to end production of the road car within 12 months.
The American manufacturer confirmed in the last 24 hours that production of the sixth-generation Camaro will cease in January 2024, following sustained speculation about its future.
However, as was the case when Holden decided to stop selling the ZB Commodore, it will continue to race in the top tier of Supercars at least until the end of 2025, the championship has confirmed.
“While today’s General Motors (GM) news out of the U.S will have an impact on our racing product, we respect and acknowledge that change is sometimes inevitable,” said Supercars CEO Shane Howard via a statement issued by the championship.
“We will continue our strong partnership with GM into the future.
“GM has been an integral part of our heritage and has played a significant role in shaping Supercars to become what it is today, the greatest touring car category in the world.
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“Ever since Bruce McPhee and Barry Mulholland famously won in a Holden Monaro at Bathurst in 1968, GM has helped shaped the careers of some of Australia’s and New Zealand’s greatest drivers, including Peter Brock, Mark Skaife, Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup and most recently Shane van Gisbergen.
“For fans, the Camaro will continue to proudly represent Chevrolet Racing in the Repco Supercars Championship until at least the end of 2025.”
According to Chevrolet, the nameplate is not necessarily gone forever, with global vice president Scott Bell saying, “While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro’s story.”
That is consistent with speculation that the Camaro will morph into an electric vehicle, possibly a sedan and SUV, in coming years.
What it means for Supercars beyond 2025, the third year of the Gen3 era, is unclear.
At present, there are 14 full-time Camaro entries in the 25-car field, with the balance being the Ford Mustang S650 which hit the race track before being released in showrooms.
In Supercars, the Camaro was the successor to the ZB Commodore, the last in a long line of vehicles to go by the famous Australian nameplate which once formed a cornerstone of the category.
The 2023 season continues next week with the Beaurepaires Melbourne SuperSprint at Albert Park.
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