[Retired] - Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (LM)

From a few feet away, the fiberglass body on a late model stock car looks, well, pretty much like a race-prepared stock-bodied American sedan. But underneath, instead of a folded-sheetmetal unibody, the Late Model Stock Car has a steel-tube frame and a full complement of racing hardware.

Monte Carlo SS Late Model Stock Cars are ubiquitous on America's short paved ovals, and have launched the careers of many of NASCAR's current Sprint Cup stars, including former champion Kurt Busch and his brother, Kyle. But until recently, there were almost as many sets of rules and technical specifications as there were tracks running Late Model classes. Now, with NASCAR strongly encouraging its member tracks to adopt a common set of economical rules, the specifications of all Late Models are beginning to converge into a truly national class.

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS runs a performance-restricted but highly reliable V8 engine, producing around 370 horsepower. But in a car that weighs just 2,900 pounds with the driver sitting behind the wheel, that's enough for quite good performance. On a half-mile oval, the Monte Carlo SS can produce lap times competitive with a NASCAR Sprint Cup machine. The fiberglass bodies are good looking and in the case of on-track contact - which is common on short tracks - easy to repair.