NASCAR has made a massive change to its Daytona 500 pace car, and outraged fans fear the “woke” agenda has taken over.
The major update to the lineup left some racing lovers declaring they would boycott the sport entirely.
On Monday, General Motors announced Chevrolet’s 2025 Blazer EV SS would lead the Daytona 500 on Sunday at the Florida track.
In a statement, Chevrolet’s Vice President Scott Bell said, “Chevrolet has a long history with racing – it’s in our DNA – and the Blazer EV SS is a testament to that.
“We’re excited for customers to watch the Blazer EV SS – the quickest SS we’ve ever produced – pace such an iconic race this weekend.”
The pace car helps to warm up racers by leading the competition through the beginning lap but does not actually participate in the race.
This year will be the first time in history that an EV has paced The Great American Race, the first time a Blazer has opened, and the 16th time Chevrolet has led the Daytona 500.
The change caused a massive stir in the racing community, as NASCAR has always been about the loud roar of engines and the smell of burning fuel.
“Who asked for this? We don’t want EVs in NASCAR,” one fan raged online.
Others slammed it as “corporate nonsense” and a sign the sport is abandoning its roots.
“We don’t want it! This isn’t Formula E,” one fan raged on X, formerly Twitter.
Others called it the “beginning of the end” for the sport, claiming NASCAR is abandoning its roots in pursuit of an image makeover.
“NASCAR=WOKE,” tweeted another fan.
A NASCAR fan slammed the EV and said that he has been “team Chevy” most of his life but wants “raw horsepower, not woke electric crap.”
“They missed it here along with putting Little 4 bangers w/ turbo’s in the beautiful Chevy traverse. Why just WHY?”
Another fan said that the electric vehicles in the US will be a strange novelty of history by 2040, like Betamax or laserdisc.
What is the Daytona 500?
The Daytona 500 is the iconic 500-mile NASCAR Cup Series season-opener held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
NASCAR’s biggest and most prestigious race, dubbed the “Great American Race.” First held in 1959, it has been the season opener since 1982. Takes place every February at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. A 500-mile race on a 2.5-mile high-banked oval. Offers one of the largest prize purses in NASCAR. Winners are cemented in racing history, with past champions like Richard Petty (7 wins) and Cale Yarborough. (4 win). Denny Hamlin is the only active driver with multiple Daytona 500 wins (3). Part of NASCAR’s “Crown Jewel” races alongside the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. One of two Cup Series races at Daytona, with the other being the regular-season finale. The 2025 NASCAR season kicks off on Feb. 16, 2025, with the 67th running of the Daytona 500.Source: NASCAR
“Literally no one wants this garbage,” the fan tweeted.
Monday’s decision marks a massive shift in NASCAR’s identity – as the auto racing company searches for ways to attract a younger audience.
The sport has been losing viewership for years, and officials are eager to attract younger audiences growing up in a world where EVs will be everywhere, Essentially Sports reported.
BLAZIN’ IN
Chevrolet’s choice of the 2025 Blazer EV SS as the pace car is no coincidence.
Automakers are investing heavily in EVs, and NASCAR, like any business, has to keep up.
“NASCAR is always changing. NASCAR is competition, innovation, and new audiences,” said President Steve Phelps.
He said that progress doesn’t mean forgetting the past.
“It doesn’t mean we forget how we started. It does mean we grow with the times. “
Still, fans aren’t buying it. Many argue that if NASCAR wants to draw in new viewers, alienating its most loyal supporters isn’t the way to do it.
“They’re ripping the soul out of NASCAR,” one longtime fan wrote.
“Chevy is going to go bankrupt pushing that nonsense.”
“If NASCAR is fully electric, I am out,” warned another fan.
The Chevy Blazer EV will lead the field at the 67th running of the Daytona 500, which will take place this Sunday.
For the first time ever, an electric vehicle will lead the pack at the Daytona 500, as Chevrolet extends its long-running role as the race’s official pace car provider.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Daytona 500 pace car gets controversial ‘woke’ upgrade for first time ever as Nascar fans rage ‘we don’t want it!’ )
Also on site :
- Everything You Need To Know About 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 34
- Iran sanctions state TV channel for mocking Saudi Foreign Minister
- Elon Musk claims Tesla demonstrators are somehow being paid by the government ‘waste and fraud’ he is fighting with DOGE—they just won’t admit it