‘New’ 2026 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 NASCAR Car Revealed

The Chevy Camaro is coming back to NASCAR! That is to say, it’s not going away.

Chevrolet has revealed its much-anticipated redesigned 2026 NASCAR Cup Series car body as an update of the Camaro ZL1 that Kyle Larson drove to the 2025 championship.

The production Camaro was discontinued after the 2024 model year, so Chevrolet needed special approval to update the car to keep racing it. It needed the updates to keep pace with the latest cars from Ford and Toyota, with an aim at improving downforce. The 2026 car gets a larger power dome hood, redesigned grille and new rocker panels.

To give it a production hook, Chevrolet recently introduced a $17,495 Carbon Performance Package for existing Camaro ZL1s that echo the changes to the racecar that includes a new splitter, rocker extensions, a spoiler and a hood insert that are all made of carbon fiber. Unique Tech Bronze wheels are a $3,880 option.

When word got out that a new Chevy NASCAR Cup Series car was in the works, speculation ran rampant. Would it be a Corvette? An SUV? Or a new model? Ultimately, this seemed the most logical outcome.

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One of the new Camaros has already been on the track during a tire test held behind closed doors at Bristol Motor Speedway this week. It was the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports car, which was there along with an RFK Racing Ford Mustang and 23XI Racing Toyota.

The cars were testing various tire compounds and also the new 750 hp short track package that will be used in 2026. Bristol is also switching from the intermediate aero package to the lower downforce short track package, which all of the cars used during the test.

The 2026 Camaro ZL1 will make its racing debut at the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 1 before the season kicks off with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

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