Is this for real? I have never seen a Camaro pace car like this before, and how it ended up in Italy I have no idea. WTF






http://www.autoscout24.nl/Details.aspx?id=vgsbybgxcyaw

I've requested the VIN so that I may see if the car is an original export Camaro, or was a conversion. If someone speaks the language or can figure out how to translate, please ask them for the VIN.

This is blowing my mind, as #1 I have never seen or heard about such a pace car, and #2 why is it an export Camaro when the race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway?

NASCAR is not something I watch, but from what little I can find out, a Monte Carlo paced the 2000 Allstate 400. Anybody have a pic of that car to see if this Camaro has its decals on it?

 

According to the Camaro white book 55 2000 Camaro SS convertible cars were ordered for the Indy 500 Brickyard 400 ALL White in color (Arctic White) all A4's.

Looks like someone made some decals and sold him or he made his own car not to mention the graphics are not like the real ones.

Here is a pic of the 2000 Brickyard Yard 400 Camaro SS car convertible.

 

There were a LOT of minor pace cars for tracks throughout the US, but what strikes me as odd is that the Allstate 400 is a major deal. This isn't like a hometown track's pace car. This is claiming to be something that is a televised event's pace car essentially.

Hopefully the dealership in Italy will send me the VIN so I can diagnose it.

 

Well the year 2000 didn't begin the Centennial Era for the track. That didn't begin until 2009, so the logo is 9 years too new for the car it's on. Not to mention that Allstate wasn't the race sponsor in 2000 either. Oh yeah, all the track vehicles were white as mentioned above for the 2000 race.

That is just a homemade pace car.

 

The whole issue is that those were two different races as far as I know--Allstate 400 and Brickyard 400.

While they made festival cars for the Brickyard in 2000, which were made available for sale after their duties, they obviously did not make dozens of festival cars for the Allstate 400 if this pace car is legit, otherwise this wouldn't be the first time we've seen one.

Supposing this is legitimate, which I doubt it is, (because why would they use an export Camaro?) I would assume it is 1 of 3 at the very most. GM tended to provide three near-identical pace cars for races.

I'll email Scott and find out what he thinks... I don't know any NASCAR fans who could remember a pace car from a race 9 years ago...

That's a really good observation. I looked it up, and the centennial for Indianapolis Motor Speedway should be 2009. But the logo for 2009 is a different color. And what the term "Centennial Era" means is really vague. It's possible that the decade leading up to the 100 year anniversary is considered the "Centennial Era."


The date and year on the side of the maroon car are accurate to the day the race was run, so I'm still saying this is inconclusive so far.

I've never paid a great deal of attention to the Camaro pace cars, but I believe the RPO code for the 2002 silver Brickyard cars is Z7D. If I get the VIN # of this one, I can at least check it for that hopefully.

 

Someone on another forum pointed me to a website showing pictures of all the past Brickyard/Allstate pace cars, and the logo on the actual pace car from 2000 (a Monte Carlo) is nothing like the logo on this Maroon Camaro.


Apparently the race started being known as the Allstate Brickyard 400 in 2005. I'm not a NASCAR or racing fan, so I thought they were two different races run on the same track.

So, if this Maroon Camaro was going to be a real pace/festival/support car, it would have at least had the same logo as the Monte Carlo.

The logo on the sides of the maroon Camaro definitely appears to be this 2009-only logo, but with the dates changed and logo recolored.



I think we can 100% decree this a fake pace/festival/support car.

Cars like this aren't always fakes though. For example, this Camaro was used as a support vehicle at the '94 Brickyard 400, and there was a black one similar to it supposedly. You sure don't see cars like this mentioned as a special Camaro anywhere, but cars like this exist.


Pace car from that year:


It's a shame this Maroon one is a fake. :-\

 

The car happens to be in The Netherlands and I'm a Dutch guy, so I'll translate.
It says:
"Really Nice Chevrolet Camaro Z28, very special edition
Indianapolis Pace Car. Targatops (glas) en fast edition; LS1 Corvette motor in a Z28 . All books are there.
Trade ins possible "

Let me know if you wanr to know more of this add.

 

Thanks Matthijsgrit, that was great!

I think you guys have helped me conclude this is a fake for sure. It's a really nice looking fake though. Very production quality. The yellow looks great with the maroon.

 

I guess since I live about an hour from the Speedway, I take it for granted that everyone knows what all the support vehicles look like. After the races each year, they all end up at all the Central Indiana Chevrolet Dealerships. Our dealership here in Tipton has several trucks from the last race sitting on the lot right now.

 

y2k, do you have any old photos of Camaro pace/festival/support cars sitting on the dealership's lot? I'd like to use them on my website if so. Even if you have to scan photos from the '90s.

 

one of a kind!!

 

I'm afraid I don't....I just have seen them sitting there.

 

I just sent the guy an e-mail...
Said it is a rare car and that I'd like to know if it's the real deal...
I asked him what tells him this is a real pacecar (like VIN)...
I wonder what the answers will be...

 

I forgot to follow up with you guys. I emailed Scott Settlemire and he emailed some guys who are pace car experts at GM and they confirmed it was a fake. The recolored 2009 logo was a dead giveaway that it was a fake.

 

Good call. If anyone could find out, it would be Scott Settlemire.

 

How come it has all the export changes except taillights?

Or did they change the export style to same ones all 97 + Camaros used?

Seems odd that it would have the bumpers, mirrors, side marker lights, and standard North American taillights.

 

The candy corn tail lights were only '93-'96, or '94 - 96 if GM didn't export in '93

 

These lights are exactly the sames as I have on my 1999 Z28 (export).

Check my car: http://www.autoscout24.nl/Details.aspx?id=lg4js4fkaeyl

Still no reply to my email-request though...

MG