Chevy Monte Carlo ends era

Jeff Burton Monte Carlo

The final Nextel Cup Series race of the 2007 season will mark the end of an era for the Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS – the winningest nameplate for the bow-tie brand in NASCAR competition. Since its NASCAR introduction in May 1971, the legendary Monte Carlo/Monte Carlo SS contributed to 24 of the 31 NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers' championship won by Chevrolet. Of the 23 NASCAR Cup driver's championships won by Chevrolet drivers, 16 of the champions powered their way to the top prize with the help of the Monte Carlo collecting 396 wins in the process. Chevy's key partners in NASCAR Cup competition are quick to recognize the contribution of the Monte Carlo/Monte Carlo SS to the success their organizations have enjoyed through the years. Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, has been an exclusive Chevrolet driver throughout his remarkable career. With 81 wins, 233 top-five and 316 top-10 finishes on his Chevrolet Cup career resume, Gordon leads the distinguished list of drivers who have enjoyed success in the Monte Carlo/Monte Carlo SS. The Monte Carlo SS will be gone from NASCAR Sprint Cup series competition, replaced full-time in 2008 by another legend in the Chevrolet lineup, the Impala SS. However, the strong, winning tradition of Monte Carlo SS will continue in the NASCAR Nationwide Series starting at Daytona 2008. GM Racing PR