NASCAR is making a bid to occupy the 56th garage stall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023. The plan is to bring the latest NASCAR Cup car, a properly prepped Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the historic endurance contest, marking a return of sorts for NASCAR. Big Bill France first brought stock cars to The Sarthe Circuit at Le Mans just about half a century ago; this entry, if accepted, would be a collaboration between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, IMSA and Goodyear. Technical details and the team’s selected drivers will be announced at a later date.
“From the early days of NASCAR, it was important to my father that we played a visible role in internationals motorsports, and there is no bigger stage than the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO recognizes. “In partnering with Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, we have the winningest team, manufacturer and tire in NASCAR history. We look forward to showcasing the technology in the Next Gen car and putting forward a competitive entry in the historic race.”
Kyle Larson Fontana 2022
Hendrick Motorsports, which is the all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series championships, in points-paying race victories and laps led, is coming off its second consecutive Cup Series title and has won two of the four races held to date in 2022. The Cup Series’ visit to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend marks the fifth points-paying race of the 2022 season. Hendrick Motorsports has chosen seven-time champion crew chief Chad Knaus to serve as its Garage 56 program manager.
The first stock cars to come to Le Mans traveled the Atlantic Ocean in June of 1976, after Bill France worked an agreement with the Le Mans race organizers, Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) for two NASCAR stock cars, a Dodge Charger owned and driven by Hershel McGriff and a Junie Donlavey-owned Ford Torino driven by both Richard Brooks and Dick Hutcherson, to compete in a new Grand…
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