Jay Leno Camaro finally finds its way home

Back in 2009, General Motors whipped up a special-edition Chevrolet Camaro for Jay Leno. With a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine, unique aerodynamic and cooling work, Brembo brakes on all four corners and a Pedders coil-over suspension kit, the vehicle was designed to be a modern interpretation of the old Z28. Small aesthetic tweaks abound as well, from a revised front fascia to functional brake duct inlets on the rear quarters and unique exhaust outlets. GM even slathered the vehicle in the same paint as the original Camaro Concept. Very sexy.

Why do we bring up the 420 horsepower special edition now? Because Leno just took delivery of it. The latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage pours over every last detail of the car before hitting the road.

We like the idea of a better-handling, more track-focused Camaro, and while the Camaro ZL1 has scratched that itch for plenty of people, Leno's V6 bruiser is very cool.

Courtesy of Auto Blog

"Recharging Hamtramck" | Documentary | Chevrolet

Welcome to Hamtramck, a city within the heart of Detroit and home of the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where the Chevrolet Volt is produced. "Recharging Hamtramck" is a documentary that unveils the core values that drive the residents of this town as they look forward to a bright future.

This Day in History: February 22nd, 1959 - Lee Petty wins first Daytona 500

On this day in 1959, Lee Petty defeats Johnny Beauchamp in a photo finish at the just-opened Daytona International Speedway in Florida to win the first-ever Daytona 500. The race was so close that Beauchamp was initially named the winner by William France, the owner of the track and head of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). However, Petty, who was driving a hardtop Oldsmobile 88, challenged the results and three days later, with the assistance of news photographs, he was officially named the champ. There was speculation that France declared Beauchamp the winner in order to intentionally stir up controversy and generate publicity for his new race track.

Today, the 200-lap, 500-mile Daytona 500 is one of auto racing's premiere events and the first race of the NASCAR season. France, a gas station owner and racing promoter, officially co-founded NASCAR in Daytona Beach in 1948. The following year, Lee Petty, a mechanic from North Carolina, began his racing career at the age of 35. He went on to win more than 50 races on NASCAR's Grand National circuit (subsequently known as the Winston Cup from 1971 to 2003, the NEXTEL Cup from 2004 to 2007 and the Sprint Cup from 2008 onward) and three championships before being seriously injured in a crash during a qualifying event at Daytona in 1961. Following the crash, Petty drove in a handful of races before retiring from competition in 1964. He went on to found Petty Enterprises, which became NASCAR's oldest and most successful racing team. In January 2009, Petty Enterprises merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and became Richard Petty Motorsports.

Petty's son, Richard (1937- ) became one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times between 1964 and 1981. Richard Petty's sixth victory at Daytona, in 1979, also marked the first time the race was shown live, flag-to-flag, on television. Due to a snowstorm on the East Coast, a larger-than-anticipated TV audience tuned in to the race, which included a memorable fistfight between drivers Cale Yarborough and brothers Donnie and Bobby Allison, and the broadcast was a key moment in NASCAR's rise to become one of America's most popular spectator sports.

The Petty racing dynasty also includes Richard's son, Kyle Petty, and Adam Petty, Kyle's son, who died at the age of 19 in a crash at the New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12, 2000. Adam's great-grandfather, Lee Petty, had died less than a month earlier, on April 5, at the age of 86.

Courtesy of History.com

Phase Five: The Ring | Chevy Camaro ZL1 | Chevrolet

After hours of track tuning and vehicle development, watch the Camaro ZL1 take on the Nurburgring in this final installment of exclusive ZL1 videos.

Join the Camaro community at http://www.facebook.com/chevycamaro, and learn more about the Camaro ZL1 at http://www.chevrolet.com/camaro-zl1-performance-sports-car/.

Introducing the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible | Corvette 427 Convertible | Corvette

Introducing the most capable Corvette convertible ever created: the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible. You don't have to take our word for it, though. Tommy Milner, 2011 24-Hours of Le Mans Class Winner, shows off just what it means to be the car that really has it all.

To connect with the Corvette community, visit http://www.facebook.com/corvette. To learn more about the 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible and other Corvette models, visit http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette.

This Day in History: February 15th, 1998 - Victory at last for Earnhardt at Daytona

On February 15, 1998, after 20 years of trying, racing great Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally wins his first Daytona 500, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) season opener and an event dubbed the "Super Bowl of stock car racing." Driving his black No. 3 Chevrolet, Earnhardt recorded an average speed of 172.712 mph and took home a then-record more than $1 million in prize money. Following his victory, crews from competing teams lined the pit road at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, to congratulate Earnhardt, who drove his car onto the grass and did several celebratory doughnuts, or circles.

Earnhardt, whose tough, aggressive driving style earned him the nickname "The Intimidator," was born on April 29, 1951, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The son of a racecar driver, the younger Earnhardt dropped out of high school to follow in his father's footsteps. He went on to become one of NASCAR's most successful and respected drivers, with 76 career victories, including seven Winston Cup (now known as the Sprint Cup) Series championships, a record he shares with Richard Petty. Despite his success as a driver, victory at the Daytona 500--a 200-lap, 500-mile event first held in 1959--eluded Earnhardt for years. At the 1997 Daytona 500, Earnhardt's car flipped upside down on the backstretch; however, he managed to escape serious injury.

His win in February 1998 represented Earnhardt's sole Daytona victory. Tragically, on February 18, 2001, Earnhardt died at the age of 49 during a crash at that year's 43rd Daytona 500. After being cut from his car, he was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead of head injuries. As it happened, the race which cost Earnhardt his life was won by Michael Waltrip, who was driving for the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) racing team. Earnhardt's son, Dale Jr., also a DEI driver at the time, took second place. Three years later, on February 15, 2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his first Daytona 500, with an average speed of 156.341 mph.

Courtesy of History.com

Bruce Springsteen's 1960 Chevrolet Corvette Takes Center Stage at New Exhibit

Just the Facts:

• Bruce Springsteen's 1960 Chevrolet Corvette will be one of the key pieces at a new exhibit celebrating the American songwriter that kicks off on Friday at the National Constitution Center.
• Springsteen bought the Corvette in 1975, after the success of Born To Run.
• The classic Corvette is one of more than 150 artifacts from the musician's career.

PHILADELPHIA — Bruce Springsteen's 1960 Chevrolet Corvette will be one of the key pieces at a new exhibit celebrating the American songwriter that kicks off on Friday at the National Constitution Center.

Springsteen, the working-class guy from New Jersey who has chronicled the American dream in songs ranging from Born to Run to Promised Land, bought the vintage Corvette in 1975, after the success of Born To Run.

The classic Corvette is one of more than 150 artifacts from the musician's career. Springsteen wrote many of his songs about his experiences in and around his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey. The National Constitution Center, which is devoted to the U.S. Constitution, describes Springsteen as an artist who has "pushed the boundaries of the First Amendment."

"Bruce Springsteen's music is all about achieving the American dream," said David Eisner, the museum's president and CEO in a video on its Web site.

<p>Introducing "From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen" from National Constitution Center on Vimeo.</p>

The exhibit, which was created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, also includes Springsteen's Fender Esquire from the cover of Born to Run, along with family photos and his 1993 Academy Award for Best Original Song for Streets of Philadelphia.

The exhibit runs until September 3.

Courtesy of Inside Line