Chevrolet (as has been expected) is going to be making some changes to its NASCAR Cup Series vehicle ahead of the 2026 campaign, but those changes are much more subtle than many originally anticipated.
The manufacturer is committed to using the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 as the base model for its NASCAR Cup Series program moving forward into next season, but the vehicle will change, adopting characteristics of Chevrolet's newly released Carbon Performance Package.
According to a release from Team Chevy, the Carbon Performance Package is an accessory kit that will allow owners to optimize the performance capabilities of the sixth-generation Camaro ZL1 production car.
All of the Chevrolet-partner teams will have these new updates in place for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign, which begins February 1 at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for the pre-season exhibition event known as 'The Clash'.
Those teams include Trackhouse Racing (No. 1, 88, 97), Richard Childress Racing (No. 3, 8), Hendrick Motorsports (No. 5, 9, 24, 48), Spire Motorsports (No. 7, 71, 77), Kaulig Racing (No. 10, 16), Haas Factory Team (No. 41), and HYAK Motorsports (No. 47). As Chevrolet holds the majority of teams on the circuit, most of the field will be impacted by this change.
The biggest differences in this iteration of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 versus previous are threefold, with a larger hood power dome, a revised front grille, and more pronounced rocker panels along the side of the car. These changes mirror those of the Carbon Performance Package's carbon-fiber hood insert and rockers, plus ZL1 1LE-spec front grille and splitter.
Over the last seven decades, Chevrolet has been an integral partner in the NASCAR landscape, using 14 different nameplates at NASCAR's top-level. The automaker has also been a part of an astonishing 881 victories, 34 driver championships, and 44 manufacturer's championships (including five in a row, which put the manufacturer in the lead for the most manufacturer titles all-time).
In 2025, Chevrolet went to Victory Lane a series-leading 15 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, between several drivers, including Shane Van Gisbergen (Mexico City, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, and Charlotte ROVAL), William Byron (DAYTONA 500, Iowa, Martinsville), Kyle Larson (Homestead, Bristol, Kansas), Chase Elliott (Atlanta, Kansas), Austin Dillon (Richmond), and Ross Chastain (Coca-Cola 600).
Kyle Larson and Hendrick Motorsports captured the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship at Phoenix Raceway, defeating a pair of Toyota drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing, as well as Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet teammate William Byron.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign will see the debut of the newly-styled Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, beginning with The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Sunday, February 1 on FOX. The points-paying season begins two weeks later with the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, February 15, also on FOX.
