Chevrolet The Earnhardt Connection
Text links are located at the bottom of the page.


Monte Carlo Pictures

View the collection of over 20 different 2000 Monte Carlo photos.  Go!
tmb1.jpg (10439 bytes)


2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

Welcome to The Earnhardt Connection's 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo page, connecting you with news and pictures leading up to the debut of the fifth generation 2000 Monte Carlo to the NASCAR circuit.

In 1998, Chevrolet announced it's plans to redesign the Monte Carlo for the 2000 model year.  The news meant another Chevrolet would soon be pressing to make its mark in NASCAR history and continue Chevrolet's winning NASCAR tradition.  The new model will make its NASCAR debut in the 2000 season. The street model is now ready for sale. This page contains all the news relating to the model's debut in NASCAR. Over 20 great photos of the car can be found near the bottom of the page. Enjoy!

Taz Daytona Pics  |  2000 GM Goodwrench Monte Pics

Latest Headlines:

Earnhardt, Skinner preparing new Monte for Daytona
Dec. 16  Like many drivers, teammates Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner are staying busy preparing for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 20.

Both the Intimidator and Skinner have been doing a lot of wind-tunnel testing lately to gain a better understanding of their cars' new Chevrolet Monte Carlo bodies.

One of the two -- it has not been determined which -- will participate in the first test session on Jan. 10-11 at Daytona International Speedway. But both drivers will likely take part in the second round of testing at the track in the last week of January. (From CountryCool)

 

Mixed reviews for new Fords, Monte Carlos  Sept. 9
The 2000 model Fords and Monte Carlos slated for competition on the Winston Cup circuit next season are generating some decidedly different comments as they progress through testing.

NASCAR Winston Cup team-owner Felix Sabates recently told ``National Speed Sport News'' that a wind-tunnel test of the 2000 model Chevrolet Monte Carlo indicated it was a piece of junk. Or words to that effect.

Meanwhile, crew chief Ryan Pemberton said the new Ford Taurus 2k is ``a truly good car,'' but not without its flaws.

``The biggest problem we have with it is it has a little more drag than we need,'' said Pemberton, crew chief for the No. 2 Miller Lite Fords driven by Rusty Wallace. ``On speedways like Daytona and Talladega, that's the biggest problem we've got.

``Ford is a little bit behind on the introduction of the car -- probably two months behind for sure. We'll start working on it hot and heavy when we get pieces and parts from NASCAR.''

 

Cup drivers test new Monte Carlo at Gateway   Sept. 2
Opinions were divided over the 2000 Monte Carlo among the nine Winston Cup drivers who began two days of shakedown test runs for the new car at Gateway International Raceway on Monday. Article

 

Up close look at the new Monte SS  Sept. 1
Meet the street version of Chevrolet's redesigned 2000 Monte Carlo. "It's just like Earnhardt's, if ol' Ironhead raced a V-6 front-driver." Full Report.

For more Monte Carlo reading:

Chevy Supercharged Monte Carlo

 

Old Monte Carlo Still Faster
Dale Earnhardt not only tested the new Monte Carlo last week at St. Louis but also his Richmond car. ''We compared the two, and right now our current Monte Carlo is faster than the new car,'' crew chief Kevin Hamlin said. ''But we're still in the development stages of the 2000. We're wanting the new car to have more downforce, but NASCAR isn't necessarily wanting it to have more downforce. So we're caught in a tug of war.'' (PitNow) 9/5/99

2000 Monte Carlos set for test  Aug.
BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Chevrolet officials will conduct a two-day test of the 2000 Monte Carlo Monday and Tuesday at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis.

The following drivers are expected to take part in the test: Bobby Hamilton, Ken Schrader, Sterling Marlin, David Green, Jerry Nadeau (in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 25 Chevrolets), Geoffrey Bodine, Dale Earnhardt and Mike Skinner.

Terry Labonte was also asked to participate in the test, but elected not to. NASCAR officials will be on hand to monitor the test and results.

 

Earnhardt & Skinner to test 2000 Monte Carlo  Aug. 1
The 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo is scheduled to be on the track Aug. 30-31 at Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis. Teammates Mike Skinner and Dale Earnhardt are scheduled to drive the car. Richard Childress Racing developed the cars for all the tracks except Daytona and Talladega. Hendrick Motorsports developed the restrictor-plate cars.

 

Chevy gets nod to make new templates  June 4
Nobody was making any official announcements on Friday, but Chevrolet has received NASCAR's approval to start making templates for the Monte Carlo its teams will run next season.

"We've had some good meetings with them,'' said Gary Nelson, NASCAR's Winston Cup director.

``We're getting close,'' said Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, which has played a major role in the development of the new race car.

NASCAR has approved a car from which templates are now being made. Once complete, the templates will be sent to Chevrolet teams so they can start building cars for next season. The car's first official appearance would be in Daytona 500 qualifying next February.

Chevrolet had hoped to have the car ready for use last week in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, then moved the target back to the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis in August. Further delays in getting NASCAR approval led to a decision to wait until next year to get the car on the track.

New Monte Carlo ready for wind tunnel  Apr. 25
Terry Laise, General Motors' chief NASCAR aerodynamics expert, says that Tuesday's wind-tunnel test of Chevrolet's new 2000 Monte Carlo could be critical.  Full Story.

Chevrolet continues Monte Carlo testing   Mar. 24
Chevy engineers were busy preparing to run their 2000 Monte Carlo through its paces in the Detroit wind tunnel today. The fate of the new Monte Carlo has been weighed by NASCAR officials for two months now, and its Indianapolis debut in August has been scratched. The new model is all but dead for any Winston Cup racing in 1999, because of the stalemate between NASCAR and GM executives, though some NASCAR teams are holding out slim hope they might get to run the model somewhere in the final month of the season.  (Speedworld)

Monte Carlo Debut on Track for Indy
After the top Ford, Pontiac and Chevrolet from the Atlanta race are tested in the wind tunnel next week, NASCAR officials will compare test results with those of the new Monte Carlo and see where they are at. Originally set for a May debut, the new car should appear at the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis on Aug. 7. Because there’s only one superspeedway race on the schedule after August, Chevrolet is expected to allow the old model to run at the Oct. 17 race at Talladega.

2/17/99:
NASCAR STILL HAS NOT APPROVED THE 2000 MONTE CARLO racing body for competition in 1999.  This has delayed the planned debut of the racing Monte until at least the Brickyard 400.  Even then Chevrolet is not forcing the top points teams to use the body, as they want to avoid any chances of it negatively affecting the points races.   This development has forced Dale Earnhardt Jr. to alter his driving schedule, as DEI will not develop a Super-speedway body for the 1999 season.  All teams are expected to switch to the 2000 Monte body style at the beginning of the 2000 racing season.

The street version of the 2000 is still scheduled to hit the showrooms in the late part of May, and Jay Leno is scheduled to drive a 2000 Monte Carlo as a Pace Car for the 1999 Indy 500, over Memorial Day weekend.

4/10/99 - Chevy makes it official: No new Monte Carlo in 1999 - Chevrolet finally made official Saturday what has been no secret for several weeks now - the new Monte Carlo won't be racing in 1999.
dot.gif (845 bytes) 3/14/98 - Chevrolet to redesign Monte Carlo for '99 - Chevrolet has announced it will switch to a redesigned Monte Carlo in '99.
dot.gif (845 bytes) 5/23/98 - 'The Intimidator' meets 'The Intimidator' - Chevrolet officials recently dedicated their 1999 Monte Carlo car to Dale Earnhardt, the man for whom it was named.
dot.gif (845 bytes) 10/15/98 - New Monte Carlo to debut mid 1999 - According to sources at GM and on Chevrolet teams, the new Monte Carlo will make its Winston Cup debut in May for the Coca-Cola 600.
dot.gif (845 bytes) 1/12/98 - 2000 Monte Carlo readies for competition -
dot.gif (845 bytes) 1/17/99 - 1999 could prove a model season for Chevrolet drivers -
dot.gif (845 bytes) 2/10/99 - Monte Carlo aimed to debut at Brickyard -

.

dot.gif (845 bytes) Shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo SS 3.8 liter 200-horsepower power plant. (Chevrolet) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Photo showing rear of a black 2000 Monte Carlo taking a curve. (Chevrolet) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Angle of the front wheel on a red 2000 Monte Carlo SS. (Chevrolet) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Excellent shot of a black 2000 Monte Carlo SS, showing the front and side. (Chevrolet) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Simple photo of a navy blue metallic Monte Carlo. (Chevrolet) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Spy Photograph from Popular Mechanics of the 2000 Monte Carlo. (Chevrolet) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Second Spy Photograph of the 2000 Monte Carlo, again from PM.  View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Front shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo in the Chicago Auto Show. (Velocity Automotive Journal) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Shot of the #3 Goodwrench 2000 Monte Carlo in the Chicago Auto Show. (Velocity Automotive Journal) View
dot.gif (845 bytes) Shot of the rear of the 2000 Monte Carlo in the Chicago Auto Show. (Velocity Automotive Journal) View
Shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo that will pace the Indianapolis 500, this year, with Jay Leno driving.  Taken from Velocity Automotive Journal's images from the Chicago Auto Show. View
Interior shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo, from Velocity Automotive Journal's images from the Chicago Auto Show. View
Image from Jayski's Silly Season NASCAR Site, of the front of the #3 Goodwrench 2000 Monte Carlo, as on display at the Chicago Auto Show 2000 Monte Carlo Unveiling. View
Image from Jayski's Silly Season NASCAR Site, of the front corner of the #3 Goodwrench 2000 Monte Carlo, as on display at the Chicago Auto Show 2000 Monte Unveiling. View
Image from Jayski's Silly Season NASCAR Site, of the decklid, spoiler, and rear bumper of the #3 Goodwrench 2000 Monte Carlo, as on display at the Chicago Auto Show 2000 Monte Unveiling. View
Side shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo from Velocity Automotive Journal's images from the Chicago Auto Show. View
Image of Earnhardt alongside the 2000 Monte Carlo concept car. View
Shot of the rear of the 2000 Monte Carlo concept car. View
Interior shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo concept car. View
Image of 2000 Monte Carlo concept car on the race track. View

 



© 1998, 1999 Unimount Enterprises