On the heels of the successful introduction of the new Impala SS race car in NASCAR Nextel Cup competition, Team Chevy is beginning the transition to the new Chevrolet R07 racing engine. Approved by NASCAR for competition in 2007, the Chevrolet R07 is making its debut this weekend in the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The Chevrolet R07 marks another step in the evolution of the GM small-block V-8. It is the successor to GM’s SB2 (Small-Block/2nd Generation) engine that was introduced in NASCAR Cup competition in 1998. The Chevrolet R07 will eventually replace the SB2 as teams turn over their inventories of engines and components.

“The GM Racing engine development team had four key objectives in mind throughout the design and development of the Chevrolet R07 engine,” said Mark Kent, director of GM Racing. “Our goal was to create an engine that produces competitive power, delivers excellent reliability, enhances safety, and reduces costs for Chevrolet teams. Based on the feedback we have received from Chevy teams after extensive dynamometer and track testing, I believe we have achieved our objectives.”

The evolution of the GM small-block V-8 racing engine mirrors the development of the GM small-block V-8 production engine, which is now in its fourth generation. Until the introduction of the Chevrolet R07, all of GM’s small-block racing engines shared key dimensions such as cylinder bore spacing, camshaft location and deck height with the original small-block V-8 introduced in 1955.

[GM]