SSR - A Day at The Races

[Cash]

SSR – A Day at the Races

The SSR proved to be very popular on the race circuit, not as a race vehicle, but at the track performing duties as both pace vehicles and driver introduction, or parade lap vehicles. The SSR made it’s debut as the Official Pace Vehicle for the 87th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25, 2003 and went on to pace races in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series, the IRL and serve as parade vehicle at several race venues. It even served as a push truck at Bonneville Salt Flats.

The SSR's participation at the race track is without a doubt a large part of the SSR heritage. It is my goal to portray the SSR’s role in automobile racing history and eventually place this information in The Heritage Centre. This will be a lengthy process to research and assemble information for the several areas I intend to cover and will also be an ongoing process where information will be added as obtained through further research, and hopefully member involvement.

Although not nearly chronologically correct, the Daytona 500's will be the first installment of several that will be a rather lengthy undertaking, but I had to start somewhere. I began with the Daytona’s as I have been able to peruse the entire 50 build sheets. When completed I will put the segments in chronological order as I transfer them into the Heritage Center.

I will take this opportunity to thank Blue Streak and Doophus for there diligence in assisting in the search for build sheets for the other venues where we are not so fortunate to have the VINs in sequence. Dwight has been doing this each morning throughout his entire trip! Thanks very much guys.

[Cash]

The Daytona 500’s
The 2005 Daytona 500 was run 2.20.2005 at Daytona Speedway in Florida.
To showcase the "New for 2005" LS2 6L and available M10 6sp standard transmission option GM provided the use of 50 SSR’s for the week leading up to race day. During this time the SSR’s ran the streets of Daytona Beach, driven by race car drivers, team members and owners. They served as Driver/Dignitary Introduction vehicles for the parade lap on race day.

There were 50 SSR’s in total built for Daytona. Other than the Signature Series at Indy 2003 this is the first time GM provided all units in a consecutive VIN order beginning with 1GCES14H15B119001 through 1GCES14H35B119050. They were all 1SB’s but, with the exception of the optional chrome wheels, were relatively austere with B32 standard carpets and built without boards, auxiliary gauges or carpeted cargo.

Except for the 5 colours, they were built identically, only varying in 2 RPO’s.
1. There were 40 built with automatic transmissions and 10 with 6sp manual transmissions.
M32 automatic - (40)
M10 6sp manual - (10)
2. The 18 and 2 SSR’s had the “R6P – Premium Paint” code added to their build sheets.

RPO’s of Note
1SB - Package #2
14P – Chrome Wheels
B32 – Standard floor Carpets
B8Y – GM Production Week #49
LS2 – 6L V8
M10 – 6sp – (10 of these)
M32 – 4sp Automatic (40 of these)
R6F – Identify B Code Users
R6P – Premium Paint (20 of these)
VP6 – Noise Level Control

- The R6F Identify B Code Users RPO is notice that this particular SSR has a special destination.
- The B8Y GM Production Week #49 was assigned only to these 50 SSR’s in 2005.
Being as they all had to get to a single destination as a group in a timely manner this was GM’s way of keeping all the horses in one corral.

The breakdown by colour was as follows:
– 18 (2 6sp)
– 10 (2 6sp)
- 10 (2 6sp)
– 10 (2 6sp)
– 2 – 6sp

43 were built 12.7.2004
7 were built 12.8.2004

Following the Daytona 500 race 49 of the SSR’s were sold by dealer auction.
The 50th SSR, 1GCES14H25B119024 (SSR32) was presented by GM to be sold by auction with proceeds going to the American Red Cross International Response Program to benefit victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. The SSR was autographed by race winner Jeff Gordon and sold by auction for $46,100 January 10, 2005.



Link to more pictures showing signatures rear quarter and on tail gate:
http://www.ssrfanatic.com/forum/867475-post1.html

Each SSR had:
- A Certificate of Authenticity and Window Sheet signed by the driver, team member or owner who drove the SSR that week.
- An assigned vehicle number, SSR001 – SSR050.
The corresponding number was taped to the windshield as well as inside the fuel delivery door.
- An Official Team Vehicle tail gate decal
- An American Revolution sticker as a windshield header.
I am unclear on any other decals as there does not appear to be any continuity as there is with other events. I am not sure but perhaps teams placed some decals themselves.



Cert – Window Sheet - Gas door - OTV

[xoxoxoBruce]

Last edited by Cash; Today at 03:20 AM.

[Cash]

The Auto Club 500's

This was the second of 36 NEXTEL Cup races which took place 2.27.2005 at the California Speedway at Fontana, CA.
Race winner was Greg Biffle in the #16 car. There were 43 SSR’s in attendance acting as Parade/Driver Introduce vehicles.
The VIN’s were almost sequential beginning with 1GCES14H25B119900 through 1GCES14H95B119943 but there was one exception. Somehow one lonely Redline, which was not part of this group, snuck in with VIN 1GCES14H55B119910 to mess up the sequence.
These were all automatics and had identical build sheets with exception of the color of course and for the AB’s the R6P –Special Paint code was added. They were quite heavily optioned as compared to the previous Daytona 500 group.
The 43 units consisted of:
23
10
10

All had the following RPO codes on their Build Sheet:
1SB – Preferred Equipment Group
14P – Chrome Wheels
BCP – Satin Engine Cover Insert
BKF – Custom Floor Mats
BVE – Satin Running Boards
B0X - GM PRODUCTION WEEK #52
CTD – Cargo Bar and Net
C44 – Cockpit Windbreak
ERG – Satin Console Gauges
ERK – Carpeted Cargo with wood slats
E2C – Order Delivery grouping
LS2 – 6L Engine
M32 – Automatic Transmission
RAE – Side Saddle Storage
VR4 – Hitch Insert
California Emissions Codes NU4, YA7 YF5

This is the #7 SSR for parade rider Robbie Gordon. Notice the #7 is only on the passenger door which was visible to the crowd. The build Sheets show the RAE hard storage bins but they have been removed from this one.



As with the Daytona’s, these were sold at dealer auction after the Auto Club 500.
A big thank you to BlueStreak for his assistance and MarcNY for compiling a bunch of build sheet data for me.