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.
.
 |
 Shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo SS 3.8 liter 200-horsepower power plant.
(Chevrolet) View |
| Photo showing rear of a black 2000 Monte Carlo taking a curve. (Chevrolet) View |
| Angle of the front wheel on a red 2000 Monte Carlo SS. (Chevrolet) View |
| Excellent shot of a black 2000 Monte Carlo SS, showing the front and side.
(Chevrolet) View |
| Simple photo of a navy blue metallic Monte Carlo. (Chevrolet) View |
| Spy Photograph from Popular Mechanics of the 2000 Monte Carlo. (Chevrolet) View |
| Second Spy Photograph of the 2000 Monte Carlo, again from PM. View |
| Front shot of the 2000 Monte Carlo in the Chicago Auto Show. (Velocity
Automotive Journal) View |
| Shot of the #3 Goodwrench 2000 Monte Carlo in the Chicago Auto Show.
(Velocity Automotive Journal) View |
| 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
|
View the collection of over 20
different 2000 Monte Carlo photos. 
