Something’s cooking in the NASCAR’s bowtie camp, and it might hit the track in 2026.
Rumors are heating up that Chevrolet is working on an updated Camaro body for the NASCAR Cup Series for 2026. According to several sources, including @NASCARRumorNostalgia on Instagram, which has a strong track record for accuracy, the current ZL1 is getting a facelift for 2026, not a full replacement.
This would be a smart move for Chevy especially since the street Camaro went out of production at the end of 2023. But the Camaro ZL1 lives on in NASCAR — sort of. While the silhouette is the same, Chevy stripped the “Camaro” branding from its Cup cars starting in 2025. For example, William Byron’s №24 ride from Hendrick Motorsports now has “Chevrolet” across the back of the car, no “Camaro” in sight.
That move sparked questions earlier this year: Was Chevrolet introducing a new nameplate? Or were they just playing the long game with the current body? If the latest chatter is true, it’s the latter — Chevy isn’t leaving the Camaro look behind just yet, even if the street car is gone.
Motorsports influencer BrakeHard added fuel to the fire recently, saying Chevrolet’s focus is less about a specific model and more about the Chevy brand. “They’re viewing NASCAR as a marketing platform,” he said, pointing out that for most fans a bowtie on the grille is what really matters.
Chevy brass have said the same thing. Eric Warren, GM’s head of global motorsports competition, has repeatedly said fan brand loyalty trumps nameplate consistency, so even without a Camaro in showrooms, the look can still turn laps.
So what does it all mean? No official word from Chevrolet yet, but if the rumors are true we could see a “new” Camaro-inspired body — updated but familiar — on the track in 2026.
Read the full article here