The pace car for this year’s DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 16 has been chosen… and it’s electric. The shocking pick is none other than the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS. While this will be the first time an electric vehicle has paced “The Great American Race,” it will be the 16th time in the race’s 67-year history that a Chevrolet has held the honor. The last time was in 2023 when the new mid-engine Corvette Z06 paced the race.
The Pace Car In Question
As with most pace cars, the 2025 Chevy Blazer EV SS being used as this year’s DAYTONA 500 pace car is essentially stock; the only changes are custom graphics and embedded strobe lights. That doesn’t mean this electric SUV will have a pack of 510-horsepower stock cars riding its bumper during yellow flags. The Blazer EV SS makes 615 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque right out of the box.
With General Motors’ patented Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode, the Blazer EV SS can reach 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. That makes it the quickest SS model Chevy has ever produced, which includes the last Camaro SS that made 455 horsepower from its 6.2-liter V-8. The Blazer EV SS also has front Brembo brakes and sportier chassis tuning compared to the standard Blazer EV.
Daytona International Speedway is only 2.5 miles long, so with a range of 303 miles, the Blazer EV SS can lap the track approximately 121 times before needing to recharge. The SUV also has standard Super Cruise, so the pace car driver may not have much to do while going in circles.
Chevy’s Presence At Daytona
Chevrolet has more going on at Daytona International Speedway this weekend than its electric SUV pace car. Chevrolet products will also be pacing the other two races opening NASCAR’s season: the 2025 Corvette Stingray is pacing the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 on Saturday, February 15, while another EV, the Silverado RST, will be the pace vehicle for the Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 on Friday, February 14.
Last, but certainly not least, will be the debut of the Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype ahead of the DAYTONA 500. The Blazer EV.R is Chevy’s version of NASCAR’s own EV prototype that debuted in July 2024. That car was followed by the debut of Ford’s NASCAR EV prototype, which debuted in January 2025 and has a two-door body inspired by the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype will likely follow the Ford’s prototype’s lead with a similar two-door version of the Blazer EV’s body. Chevy has only released a teaser image (above) for now. Like the original electric NASCAR prototype, it will also have three motors. While NASCAR’s own prototype makes over 1,300 horsepower, Ford’s version has been tuned to produce around 800 horsepower. We have no information from Chevrolet regarding specs for the Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype, so we’ll have to wait for the big race to find out.
TopSpeed’s Take
No one should get upset over an electric vehicle pacing the DAYTONA 500. NASCAR made it clear when it debuted its electric NASCAR prototype last year that gas engines would be powering its race cars for generations to come and there are no current plans to start an electrified oval racing series. There’s nothing wrong with showcasing the latest and greatest in electric vehicle technology in the meantime, and the powerful Blazer EV SS is an excellent ambassador for NASCAR’s demographic.
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