Chevrolet SSRs Seen and Heard In and Around Daytona Beach
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of thousands of racing fans in Daytona Beach attending the annual Speedweeks will notice a host of Chevy's all-stars driving around town in a collection of 2005 Chevy SSRs. Chevrolet has provided 50 SSRs to its racing drivers, team owners and crew chiefs for their extended use leading up to the legendary Daytona 500. Following the race weekend, each of the vehicles will be available for purchase at Chevy dealerships throughout the Southeast.
All of Chevy's full-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers, their crew chiefs and team owners received a Chevy SSR for use while in Daytona Beach from Feb. 8 through Feb. 20. The vehicles have been a major hit among the recipients.
"This is the first time I've driven the Chevy SSR," said Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet. "The SSR has great performance with a lot of power. I've had a lot of fun driving this car."
The 2005 Chevy SSRs used by the Chevy race teams will be available beginning Feb. 28, 2005. Each vehicle includes an autographed window label and a certificate of authenticity signed by the Chevy driver, team owner or crew chief that drove the specific SSR.
"The Chevy SSRs that were driven by our elite Chevy teams provide a unique opportunity for race fans in the market for a new vehicle," said Janet Echkoff, marketing director for Chevy trucks. "Our goal is to have an individual be able to purchase the very same SSR driven by one of our prior Daytona 500 winners or an SSR used by their favorite Chevy driver, owner or crew chief."
The 2005 Chevy SSR is a unique blend of an open-air and pickup functionality. Powered by a new 6.0 Liter LS2 small block V8 engine with 390 horsepower with the option of a six-speed manual transmission, each SSR includes the standard one-button, power-operated retractable hardtop that stows vertically and out of sight in its own compartment without compromising cargo carrying capacity. The SSRs featured in Daytona are painted Smokin' Asphalt, Ricochet Silver, Red Line Red, Sling Shot Yellow, and Aqua Blue.
To get more information on how you can purchase one of these vehicles, contact a local Chevy dealer near you.
"We're really excited about featuring some of the SSRs driven by Chevy's racing talent in our showroom," said Bobby Soldano, general manager of Roger Dean Chevrolet. "It's great exposure for this unique vehicle and a simple way to increase traffic to our showroom."
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader since 1931. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 324,000 people around the world. It has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in 200 countries. In 2004, GM sold nearly 9 million cars and trucks globally, up 4 percent and the second-highest total in the company's history. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM can be found at
http://www.gm.com .
SOURCE General Motors Corporation
02/16/2005 14:40 ET
Thanks to Scott 0168 for the heads up on this article! :thumbs 
