2007: A Sleeping Giant Awakes

In 2006 NASCAR unvelied its plans for the Car of Tomorrow, a safer version of the traditional stock car. This move was sparked by the death of Dale Earnhardt seven years earlier, In 2007 Kyle Busch won the first race in which the CoT requirements were enforced. He won it in an Impala. Although Busch would later say that the car "sucks", the CoT and the Impala were here to stay. The win by Busch was the first win for the Impala since Wendell Scott won at the Speedway Park in Jacksonville, FL, the first and only win in the NASCAR circuit by an African-American.
  In 2007 the Impala took over full-time NASCAR duties from the Monte Carlo for all Chevy teams. Ford teams had the Fusion, Dodge teams used the Charger, and Toyota emplyed the Camry. Perhaps the most famous NASCAR racing team, Hendrick Motorsports, chooses the Chevy Impala to help it dominate the NASCAR circuit.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. sports the Impala in the #88 car, while Cup champions Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson rock the #24 and #48, respectively. This virtual All-Star team of drivers has helped make Chevrolet the winngest team in NASCAR history. After 40 years of lying dormant, the Impala was ready to challenge all other autos on the highest stage.