With February season-opening NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway closer than it might seem, the 'off season' is anything but quiet for the GM Racing technical team that supports Team Chevy key partners in the top-tier of NASCAR competition.

After the history-making 2007 season - which saw Chevrolet teams and drivers score 26 NSCS wins, Jimmie Johnson repeat as series champion with a remarkable ten wins, Chevy drivers score seven of the final top ten standings, including four of the top-five, all culminating in Team Chevy claiming an unprecedented 31st manufacturers' title and 24th drivers title - the men and women of GM Racing have barely had time to catch their breath.

Critical components for Team Chevy in the upcoming NSCS season are NASCAR mandating the new-generation race car, Chevy's Impala SS, to full-time status for NSCS competition and Chevy's innovative and award-winning R07 engine as the power plant.

“There really isn't much of an off season,” GM Racing's Chevrolet programme manager Alba Colon confirmed, “We are working hard with the teams to have another successful 2008 season. I believe that when you are at the top of your game, you have to work harder to stay there. All the teams and manufacturers have had a chance to work with the new generation race cars, and everyone is improving. Our Chevrolet teams are working hard to stay ahead of the game."

After scoring 14 victories in 31 Nextel Cup events since its debut, the new Chevrolet R07 engine and its development team have already recognised with a prestigious global award. In late November, GM Racing's Jim Covey was named the 2007 Race Engine Designer of the Year by the World Motorsport Symposium held at Oxford Brookes University in England for his efforts in overseeing the development of the new engine.

In addition, the Impala SS, which made its debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2007 and came home with a victory - followed by twelve additional wins before season's end - received world-wide motorsports attention when Kurt Romberg, head of aerodynamics at Hendrick Motorsports, was presented with the Race Car Aerodynamicist of 2007 award by the Symposium.

“We are very proud of the fact that the R07 has already proven to be a reliable, safe, and cost-effective engine for our Chevy teams," Colon concluded, "So, in addition to learning more and more about our new Impala SS race car, we have a better understanding of the R07 engine now too. But we must continue to stay ahead of the other teams and manufacturers. Before we know it, we'll be back on the race track at Daytona.”