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CUP: Hendrick Collects First Two Camaros
Written by: Tom Jensen   
04/24/2009
Detroit, MI
 
While his NASCAR Sprint Cup team was practicing at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday, Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick was in Detroit, where he was officially presented with 2010 Chevrolet Camaros VIN 001 and 002 at a ceremony at the General Motors Heritage Center.
Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick was in Detroit, Michigan on Friday where he was officially presented with 2010 Chevrolet Camaros VIN 001 and 002 at a ceremony held at the General Motors Heritage Center. (PHOTO: Tom Jensen for SPEEDtv.com) ยป More Photos

Flanked by about 20 of his dealers, many key Camaro project team members and some 200 GM historical vehicles, Hendrick fought through a case of bronchitis to make the trip northward. It was a big day for both Hendrick and the people involved in the creation of the car, the first Camaro since the 2002 model year.

As part of the ceremony, Hendrick presented the American Heart Association with a check for $350,000, the amount he bid at the annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event at Scottsdale, Ariz., in January for the right to buy Camaro VIN 001. And Hendrick, who has been a Chevrolet dealer since the mid-1970s, is convinced the new Camaro will be a huge hit.

“It’s caused more excitement in our dealerships than anything that we’ve had in years, other than maybe the anticipation of the ZR-1 (Chevrolet Corvette),” Hendrick said of the new Camaro, which is available with V-6 and V-8 engines producing as much as 426 horsepower. “It’s bringing back a lot of customers who are real enthusiasts, and it’s got our dealerships excited. The whole world is excited about this car. It’s every bit as good as we thought it would be, and we can’t wait to get ‘em on the floor. It’s going to be unbelievable.”

Production of the new Camaros began March 16 at GM’s flexible manufacturing facility in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Retail deliveries of the cars are just beginning, with the bulk of the rollout slated for early May.

In addition to his two new Camaro SS models — VIN 001 is black with an orange interior, and VIN 002 is silver over black — Hendrick brought a pair of restored black 1969 Z-28 Camaros, one of which was equipped with an ultra-rare set of GM hemi heads, believed to be one of only three such sets ever produced.

Hendrick had high praise for the design team of the new car. “This is really special, to see the engineers, the design staff, the interior design staff and all the people that are here,” said Hendrick. “It’s really special to see all of them today.”

And it was special
for the GM staff as well, especially given the much-publicized struggles of the company, which is rumored to be shuttering its Pontiac division and is actively working on a radical restructuring plan for the future.

John Fitzgerald, marketing manager for the new Camaro, said Hendrick’s presence in Detroit on Friday was a shot in the arm for the people who had worked on the car. “This is a very special day for us, to finally get to the point where we’re actually delivering cars,” said Fitzgerald. “And it’s great to have Rick be the first one to take (delivery) of this car.”

GM has released a number of Camaros in select markets in the last month, which according to Fitzgerald have been very well-received with consumers. “It’s really a great feeling to get to the point where we’re giving cars to customers,” Fitzgerald said. “And the response we’re getting back from them is just fantastic. The feedback that we’re getting from the field, from our dealers and our customers, is that they all seem to love the car.”

Asked about his plans for the two new 2010 cars, Hendrick said they will be part of his growing collection. “I’m going to put ‘em away,” he said. “I’ve got 17 Camaros now and I don’t want anything to happen to them.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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