NASCAR's Gen-6 Racer Coming Soon To A City Near You

Following extensive on-track testing over the last 18 months involving more than 30 drivers, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Gen-6 car’s roll out has reached its next phase, and it starts in less than 24 hours.

It’s time to meet the masses.

The NASCAR #Gen6 Road to Daytona Fueled by Sunoco – a multi-city media blitz introducing the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry to America – begins Tuesday in Detroit, with additional visits to New York City and other locations before culminating in Daytona Beach, Fla. on Feb. 13-14 for Daytona Speedweeks.

Appearances by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltrip, as well as NASCAR executives and Miss Sprint Cup, highlight the two-week media tour.

Speedweeks opens with The Sprint Unlimited on Feb. 16 and concludes with the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 24.

The Gen-6 marks the first platform revision in NASCAR’s premier series since 2007. It features body panels unique to each manufacturer that better represent their production counterparts – effectively putting the word “stock” back in stock car racing for 2013. The long-nose, short-tail designs more closely mirror the styling of the production cars and better enable the manufacturers to use NASCAR to market their brands.

“Manufacturers, teams and drivers have praised the Gen-6 car in terms of both performance and styling,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “All of us are eager to share their enthusiasm with media and fans across the country as we prepare to open the 2013 season with The Sprint Unlimited and the Daytona 500.”

The NASCAR #Gen6 Road to Daytona Fueled by Sunoco can be followed on Twitter via @NASCAR and @SunocoRacing using the hashtags #Gen6 and #NASCAR. Since 2004, Sunoco has been the “Official Fuel of NASCAR,” providing fuel for NASCAR’s three national series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Scheduled highlights of the NASCAR #Gen6 Road to Daytona Fueled by Sunoco include an Autoweek-hosted breakfast and panel session at the College for Creative Studies In Detroit on Feb. 5. Participants include NASCAR president Mike Helton, NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton and NASCAR vice president of brand, consumer and series marketing Kim Brink. Also schedule to appear are Chevrolet’s U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports Jim Campbell, director of Ford Racing  Jamie Allison and David Wilson, senior vice president of Toyota Racing Development. Autoweek Editorial Director and Associate Publisher Dutch Mandel will moderate the conversation. The program will be streamed live starting at 9 a.m. ET on NASCAR.com and autoweekracing.com.

NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski will accompany the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford at ESPN’s campus in Bristol, Conn. on Feb. 6 and appear on several of the network’s shows.

On Feb. 7, two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip and his team’s No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota will visit FOX Plaza in Manhattan.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet will be in New York on Feb. 8 and visit the set of FOX News’ “America’s Newsroom,” among other New York City media stops.

The tour also will visit Jacksonville, Fla. – a city less than 100 miles north of the birthplace of speed, Daytona Beach – as well as other cities along the Road to Daytona.

The NASCAR #Gen6 Road to Daytona Fueled by Sunoco arrives in Daytona Beach, Fla. on Feb. 13, and will be on display throughout the annual NASCAR Media Day scheduled on Feb. 14.