WINNING VORTEC-POWERED CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER SEEKS CHALLENGE AT BAJA 2000 RACE

FOR RELEASE: October 25, 2000
CONTACT: Chevrolet Communications
PHONE: 1-800-CHEVY MI or 313-667-9317

WINNING VORTEC-POWERED CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER SEEKS CHALLENGE AT BAJA 2000 RACE

With Three Victories, Vortec I6 Engine Demonstrates Power And Durability

PONTIAC, Mich. - After capturing wins at the Baja 500 and the Best In The Desert Nevada 2000, General Motors' off-road racing Chevrolet TrailBlazer featuring a powerful, durable and efficient Vortec inline six-cylinder engine will compete in its final race of the season at the SCORE Baja 2000 in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico on November 9-16.

The Baja 2000 off-road race features approximately 1,725 miles of rugged terrain from start to finish. Beginning in Ensenada, 65 miles south of San Diego, the course will pass through Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur before reaching the finish line below the Tropic of Cancer in Cabo San Lucas. The course includes existing dirt roads and trails that travel through pine forests, boulder-strewn mountains, dry-lake beds, dry riverbeds, sandy beaches, and cactus-filled deserts. Elevation will range from sea level to over 1,500 feet, and temperatures will fluctuate from 50 to 80 degrees in the day and 30 to 50 degrees at night.

Two identical TrailBlazers will run the race. Powering each TrailBlazer is a race specific all-aluminum 5.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine featuring dual overhead camshafts. The engine shares the same basic design architecture of the production Vortec 4200 I6 engine that will debut in the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada, Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy. With more than 600 horsepower at 7500 rpm and 450 lb-ft of torque at 6000 rpm, the 5.0-liter engine will power the 4800-pound TrailBlazers to speeds up to 120 mph.

The TrailBlazers feature a computer-designed carbon-fiber body mounted on a tube frame chassis. A dual wishbone front suspension, Hydra-Matic transmission and solid rear axle will allow them to handle various terrain, regardless of weather conditions. For the first time in an off-road competitive setting, the TrailBlazers will feature an integrated Night Vision system. The infrared system was first introduced in the 2000 Cadillac DeVille and showcased in this year's Northstar-powered Cadillac LeMans LMP race car. It allows the drivers the ability to see down the road up to three to five times farther than standard headlamps.

The Baja 2000 will conclude GM's off-road competitive season with the Vortec-powered TrailBlazer. The SUV won its debut race at the Baja 500 in June in Mexico as veteran-racer Larry Ragland captured both the overall four-wheel vehicle win and the Trophy-Truck divisional title. Ragland completed the grueling 440.6-mile loop-style trek with a time of 8:56.43. He collected his third overall win (1982, '84, '00) and fourth class title (1982, '84, '91, '00) in the history of the race.

Ragland also drove a Vortec-powered GMC Envoy with the inline six-cylinder engine to victory at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on July 4 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Ragland completed the 156-turn, 12.42-mile gravel course with a time of 11:17.66. His time earned top billing in the High Tech Truck and Sport Utility Vehicle class and the overall race victory.

The TrailBlazer went on to capture its second win at the Best In the Desert Nevada 2000 off-road race on July 14 in Las Vegas. The Herzog Motorsports team of Brian Stewart, Mark Miller, Bekki Freeman and Ryan Arciero traded responsibilities behind the wheel of the winning TrailBlazer. The TrailBlazer won the Trick Truck class with an overall time of 26:28:36. It beat the next entry by more than 30 minutes and was the second best overall time out of the 66 truck and car-based entries.

"The Baja 2000 race provides a great opportunity for GM to continue to demonstrate the outstanding capabilities of the Chevy TrailBlazer and its Vortec inline six-cylinder engine against V8 competitors," said Brian Miller, GM Racing off-road program manager. "With our excellent off-road racing record going into this final competition of the season, we are confident that the Vortec-powered TrailBlazer and team of acclaimed drivers will continue our commitment to racing a winning combination."

An experienced team of four accomplished off-road drivers will skillfully maneuver the two Vortec-powered Chevy TrailBlazer sport utility vehicles in the competition. The team includes Larry Ragland, Brian Stewart, Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero.

Larry Ragland, veteran off-road racer and four-time Baja 500 and five-time Baja 1000 winner, will co-drive the #80 TrailBlazer with Brian Stewart while Mark Miller and Ryan Arciero trade responsibilities in the #81 SUV.

Stewart, a recent winning co-driver of the TrailBlazer in the Nevada 2000, has also won two Baja 1000 events. Arciero, also a winning team member in the Nevada 2000, is a one-time Baja 1000 winner. Miller has won many off-road and rally races on motorcycles and in trucks around the world including the Baja 500, Baja 1000 and his recent win in the Nevada 2000.