Overnight, Chevrolet unveiled a new 2005 Corvette that will pace NASCAR's most prestigious event -- the Daytona 500 -- on 20th February. Dale Earnhardt Jr., the 2004 Daytona 500 champion, was on-hand to introduce the pace car.

"The pace car is based on the new 2005 production Corvette, which brings more power and precision to drivers than any Corvette in history," said Brent Dewar, Chevrolet general manager. "The Daytona 500 provides a good opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the Corvette."

The design of the Daytona 500 Corvette pace vehicle includes elements that reflect the heritage and attitude of historic winning Corvette race cars. It is painted in millennium yellow with a black racing stripe centred across the hood, roof and boot. The Daytona 500 logo is displayed on each door along with Chevy's "An American Revolution" slogan on the rear spoiler.

"We are proud to once again have our good partners at Chevrolet pace the field at NASCAR's signature event," said Robin Braig, president of Daytona International Speedway. "We are looking forward to showing off the 2005 Corvette pace car on national television and in front of millions of fans."

The Corvette pace car is nearly identical to the production version. Both are powered by a 6.0-litre V-8 LS2 engine that produces 400 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. They have a top speed of 186 mph on a race track and reach 0-60 in 4.2 seconds.

Chevy returns to the Daytona 500 with an impressive win record - 17 victories, the most of any manufacturer. Chevrolet also kicks off the 2005 racing season as the defending manufacturer's champion, a feat it has achieved 28 times. In 2004, Chevy drivers captured 22 wins to tie a record for most wins in a single season during NASCAR's "modern era."

"We've worked with our Monte Carlo teams during the off-season, particularly on aerodynamics and engine development, and feel very good about going into this race," said Dewar.

This will be the 34th consecutive year General Motors has provided the Official Pace Car for the Daytona 500. The Daytona 500 will be one of 60 NASCAR events Chevrolet will pace in 2005, including 28 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, 17 Busch Series and 15 Craftsman Truck Series races.