It’s only 15 races into the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series, but it might be time for Chevrolet to start panicking. The new Camaro ZL1 introduced this year has disappointed, to say the least, winning only one of the series’ 15 races so far this season.
The car replaced the Camaro SS, and drivers were excited when it was introduced before the season in January. During the annual NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte, North Carolina, several Chevy drivers were on hand to talk about the new rides.
“I’m really excited about it,” Austin Dillon said. “It’s an awesome-looking race car, and as far as the body goes, I hope we gain some of the speed we were missing last year. This catches us up and puts us in a better position to be able to compete. As far as the wind tunnel goes, there are definitely differences between the SS and the ZL1. I’m optimistic about Daytona, but Atlanta (on Feb. 25) will be the real test.”
Dillon did say because of the different body styles between the and the ZL1 there might be a period of adjustment.
“It’s a totally different body, so it’s hard to take anything we’ve learned to the ZL1,” Dillon said. “That’s what our learning curve is going to be. All the teams from Chevrolet are working hard together, more than they ever have. That’s going to push us further than not working together. I think each team has tackled a different part of this new car, and it’s been a good thing. That (cooperation) has been a big part of all the developmental meetings.”
Early Promise at Daytona
When the season kicked off with three non-Cup races, Chase Elliott won the Can Am Duel 2 in the new car. Dillon then took the first Cup Series race of the year, the Daytona 500.
It appeared the car was going to be a player throughout the year’s circuit. Dillon certainly thought so after winning the Daytona.
“The Camaro ZL1 has showed some promise already, and obviously it takes a lot of pressure off when you get that first win for getting in the playoffs,” Dillon told the media after the race. “I think we have a high ceiling, especially we build fast race cars and work together as a team, and the ceiling is as high as we want to take it. We’ve just got to keep working together.”
From Success to Slump
That would be the last Cup Series win Chevy would get, and there have been some alarming stats as compared to last year. Through this period in 2017, Chevy had seven victories. Ford had six, and Toyota had two. This year Chevy has one, Ford eight, and Toyota six. Chevy drivers had been on the pole just twice this season so far as well.
Two areas have illustrated Chevy’s struggles this season. The first was Dover in May. Jimmy Johnson had piloted Chevy to 11 victories at the track, but at the AAA 400 Drive for Autism, the iconic driver finished ninth. It was the highest finish by a Chevy that day.
Another area is the standings for the drivers. The highest spot for a Chevy driver is Kyle Larson at 10th. Larson admitted that there was room for improvement.
“We’ve got to just continue to work hard and, yeah, try and get our cars a little bit better,” Larson said.
