Daytona International Speedway and General Motors announced today a multi-year extension to keep longtime NASCAR partner Chevrolet as a founding partner. With that, Chevrolet will maintain the naming rights for an injector at the World Center of Racing, as well as shared pace car duties for events like the 2027 DAYTONA 500 and more.
The roots of Chevrolet’s relationship as a founding partner go back to 2013, when Daytona International Speedway announced major renovations that transformed the Speedway’s concourse, seating and more. The $400 million dollar project opened to the public for the 2016 racing season, as the entrances, in particular, saw significant upgrades with the introduction of fan injectors – massive 20,000 square foot areas spanning four concourse levels.
Five founding partners joined the project, including Advent Health, Axalta, Chevrolet, Sunoco and Toyota. Each partner received naming rights to an injector, brand activations and more. This new extension makes Chevrolet the first founding partner to renew with Daytona.
“Chevrolet has been woven into the fabric of Daytona and NASCAR since the very beginning,” said Frank Kelleher, President of Daytona International Speedway. “From the days of racing on the sands of Daytona Beach to celebrating countless DAYTONA 500 championships, Chevrolet has helped shape some of the most iconic moments in our sport’s history. As a founding partner of Daytona International Speedway, Chevrolet’s continued commitment speaks to the strength of that legacy and its belief in the future of this venue and NASCAR. We’re proud to continue this partnership and look forward to creating many more memorable moments together for our fans for years to come.”
As part of the renewed agreement, Chevrolet will retain rights to one of the five fan injectors at Daytona International Speedway. Chevrolet will also continue sharing pace car responsibilities with Toyota, with the two manufacturers alternating duties for marquee events, including the DAYTONA 500. Lastly, Chevrolet will maintain the naming rights for the Chevy Experience Center located in the infield.
“Chevrolet has raced in NASCAR at Daytona since the beginning, over six decades, making it especially meaningful to renew our role as a founding partner of Daytona International Speedway,” said Jim Campbell, vice president, Performance & Motorsports Commercial Operations, General Motors. “With a record 27 DAYTONA 500 victories and more NASCAR Cup Series wins at Daytona than any other manufacturer, Chevrolet has a special history at the World Center of Racing. This partnership gives us meaningful ways to connect with fans and showcase the spirit of Chevrolet through our cars, crossovers, trucks, and services. We look forward to creating many more memorable moments together for years to come.”
Prior to the 2026 DAYTONA 500, General Motors invested in a refreshing rebrand for the fan injector. The façade includes a new color scheme with a black-and-blue pattern and a massive 66-foot Chevrolet sign. The changes are meant to align more with the graphic designs on their pace cars, engineering trailer and overall racing image.
General Motors’ history at Daytona Beach, especially at the World Center of Racing, is both lengthy and successful. On February 22, 1959, Chevrolet claimed the first-ever DAYTONA 500 Qualifier with Bob Welborn behind the wheel. The very next year, Junior Johnson rode his No. 27 Chevrolet into victory laneafter winning the 1960 DAYTONA 500 by 23 seconds.
Fast forward to today, Chevrolet continues to dominate at Daytona with William Byron hoisting the Harley J. Earl Trophy after winning back-to-back DAYTONA 500 championships in 2024 and 2025. Overall, no car or manufacturer has witnessed such success at the hollowed grounds of NASCAR’s origin like Chevrolet. With the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson leading the Chevrolet team over the years, their 27 DAYTONA 500 victories far surpass the next leading manufacturer (Ford – 17).
Over the past 25 runnings of the summer’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, a Chevrolet car found its way to victory lane in more than 50 percent of the races. Their most recent win came with Austin Dillon’s 2022 victory, marking Chevrolet’s third victory in four years. Overall, Chevrolet has 22 summer wins at the superspeedway, the second most in history, despite not earning their first until the 18th edition of the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
General Motors has deep roots in all forms of racing, too. Every year, the World Center of Racing kicks off their racing season with the Rolex 24, featuring some of the best endurance vehicles the world has to offer. Collectively, General Motors has fielded cars under Chevrolet, Corvette and Cadillac – which won the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA in four consecutive years spanning 2017-2020.
In addition to the founding partner extension with Daytona International Speedway, Chevrolet reached a multi-year renewal as an official OEM for NASCAR and NASCAR-owned tracks. This partnership includes IMSA assets at Watkins Glen International, as well as the official and pacing rights for the Homestead-Miami Speedway Championship Weekend. Lastly, General Motors will continue operating as the fleet and track vehicles for NASCAR.
—Daytona International Speedway —