Our 5 Favourite Production Cars that Have Racing Counterparts In NASCAR
Inevitably, there are production cars that have racing counterparts and that’s thanks to The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). NASCAR car manufacturers like to bring cars from the street to the race tracks and vice versa.
There used to be a handful of manufacturers building cars for NASCAR. Today, there are only three manufacturers left: Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet. These 3 car brands continuously design road cars that are also bound to touch the tracks.
Here are our 5 favourite production cars that have racing counterparts in NASCAR.
Production Cars that Have Racing Counterparts
Toyota Camry
Toyota stays as one of the toughest brands to ever grace NASCAR’s lineup and for good reason.
Toyota is the first Japanese brand to join NASCAR back in 2007 with the Camry. For the NASCAR Cup Series, 4 auto racing organizations still run a Toyota Camry.
The production version of the 2022 Toyota Camry has good fuel economy with its base four-cylinder engine. This engine puts out 204 horsepower.
There’s also an optional V6 that puts out 301 horsepower. The V6 allows the Camry to go from 0mph to 60mph in six seconds or less!
Ford Mustang
This year, Ford unveiled its 2022 NASCAR NextGen Mustang.
This particular Mustang still has a lot of production car architecture incorporated in it—including rack-and-pinion steering, 18-inch tires, independent rear suspension and symmetrical body. It will make a debut next season, February 2022.
The 2021 Ford Mustang production version offers a balanced mix of straight-line acceleration and poised handling. It also offers a nice roomy cabin and user-friendly add-ons.
It has an impressive engine lineup starting with a reliable turbocharged four-cylinder and a then powerful V8.
Chevrolet Silverado
Chevrolet Silverado trucks are manufactured under the Chevrolet brand by General Motors. It is the running model of Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since its inception in 1995.
Chevrolet’s redesigned NASCAR Silverado for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck series was released to the media in October 2021. Among the changes is a new-look front bumper and grille that are closer to those on the upcoming production Silverado in 2022. It will make its public on-track debut during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway in February.
When equipped with either the turbodiesel or turbocharged four-cylinder engine (although the largest V8 remains the engine with the best towing capacity), the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 has increased towing capacity compared to the 2020 model.
There are several engine options available for the Chevrolet Silverado, including the standard 285-horsepower V6. There’s a turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 310 horsepower, a V8 engine with 355 horsepower, a V8 engine with 420 horsepower, and a turbocharged six-cylinder diesel with 277 horsepower.
There is a very wide range of mpg ratings for the Silverado. Using the turbo-four engine in this Chevy, it gets 20 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway, which is good for a full-size pickup truck. If you select the 5.3-litre V8, you’ll get 17/23 mpg city/highway. Both of those are better than the ratings delivered by some competitor V8s, as well as the V6 engine in the Silverado base model.
The best fuel economy is achieved by diesel models, which get 23/33 mpg city/highway. As a result, it is one of the most fuel-efficient powertrains in its class.
Buick Regal
With NASCAR’s NextGen, a new era of stock car racing is fast approaching. But let’s not forget the pioneers of this adrenaline-pumping event.
Buick regals are a good example of have-beens.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Buick was heavily involved in racing. It was possible to hear their V8s at Daytona, their Turbo V6s at the Indy 500 and IMSA tracks, and their Regals on the streets embarrassing Corvettes and challenging Ferraris. With Buick, the world was sold an idea that the name was synonymous not only with quality but also with speed and performance. However, in 1992, they retired from NASCAR with their 3rd generation Regal.
Why do we love this old pal? It’s simple.
Although Buick had stopped competing in NASCAR, the Regal lives on. The most recent model is the 2020 Buick Regal and it’s available in two body types: a wagon called the Regal TourX and a hatchback called the Regal Sportback. Both models come with a potent engine, a cushioned ride, and plenty of cargo room.
Regal Sportback comes in five trim levels: Regal, Preferred, Essence, Avenir, and GS. The TourX is available in three versions: Base, Preferred, and Essence. The GS is the only car without a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Instead, the Buick Regal GS has a V6 engine.
Dodge Charger
Did you know? NASCAR changed the rule book once in 1971 only because the Daytona and Superbird kept dominating the races and overwhelming other cars in 1969 and 1970. These two were even banned from the race afterwards! Talk about setting standards.
The newest production model from Dodge of this legend is the 2022 Dodge Charger. It comes with a variety of powerful engines. Combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission, the V6 outfit provides strong acceleration. Scat Pack and R/T models, which combine performance and everyday livability, feature naturally aspirated Hemi engines. The Dodge Charger Hellcat models also feature a supercharged V8 engine that makes this car incredibly fast.
Final Thoughts
While there are technologies that come from racing and are brought over to road cars, there are also whole cars that are redesigned to fit NASCAR stock car design. You’ve seen our favourites, from the young generation to the old ones.
Which NASCAR car do you like the most?
