(Photo: Chris Graythen | Getty Images)
LE MANS, France – In the midst of some of the most recognizable sports cars of the world, including the Porsche 911 RSR, Corvette C8.R, Ferrari 488 EVO, and Prototype factory efforts from Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, and Cadillac, there was one unmistakable car that you couldn’t miss by sight and by sound – the Garage 56 entry by NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports, the NASCAR Next Gen Camaro.
To celebrate NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary season, NASCAR entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Innovative Class (IC) Garage 56 entry meant for a participant that does not filter in any of the normal categories for the race (Hypercar, LMP2, GTE AM).
The Hendrick Motorsports fielded entry brought in a modified Chevrolet Camaro that had working lights, more aero elements, more power output than the current Cup car and additional components to be able to compete in the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Hendrick Motorsports recruited seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jensen Button, and two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller to drive the No. 24 at the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The goal for the race was to complete the race and post competitive times comparable to the GTE class.
From the moment the Chevy Camaro was unloaded on the streets of Le Mans for the Scrutineering Day and fan event, it was already a fan favorite. The fish out of the water turned heads and made fans out of the NASCAR beast that looked incredibly out of place.
They also endured themselves to the fans during the Pit Stop competition when the Hendrick Motorsports crew showed off the NASCAR style pit-stop to the world stage when they posted the fifth fastest overall time and best of the GTE field.
However, the moment the test and practice sessions started up early in the week, the No. 24 car would not just meet those hopes but would start to destroy them as they would best the GTE field by multiple seconds through the test and practice sessions through the week.
(Photo: Chris Graythen | Getty Images)
Because of this, the FIA/ACO/World Endurance Championship allowed the entry to open up a little bit more and fielded them ahead of the GTE field for the start of the race for safety concerns, so they would not be fighting through the GTE field while being faster.
Once the Tricolore was waved, the field was off and almost immediately, the Hendrick Motorsports crew was put to the test with chaos and rain falling in certain parts of the track.
However, it survived and started putting down laps. Rockenfeller, Johnson and Button all worked their way around the track in changing conditions, turning heads wherever they went. While there may have been some hiccups in the early portions of the race that forced them to have to fight through the GTE field multiple times, they never quit.
Even at night, with occasional rain, the Camaro kept fighting. Johnson, with his experience racing in the Camaro, raced at night and in the rain with little to no errors.
By the time the sun rose over Northern France with Button putting down thrilling lap times and making his way through the GTE field, he cleared them and put the Camaro solidly in the top 30 with the faster Prototypes ahead of him, about where the raceday expectation was to be.
Then, disaster seemingly struck. About 20 hours in with the waning stages coming into sight, the transmission gave up and the team had to bring it into the garage.
Nevertheless, the HMS crew did not give up. The gearbox was replaced and Rockenfeller was sent back out to make sure it was working. The fix was successful and the Camaro’s story at Le Mans was not complete.
Rockenfeller handed the car back to Johnson, who would finish the day.
While they lost a lot of time and laps to the point that they would not be able to make up spaces for a nice overall finishing position, the never-quit attitude from the Hendrick crew gave Johnson a chance to make it to the end of the race with a 39th place finish.
The finishing result doesn’t matter. What mattered is that the Garage 56 entry made it to the checkered flag and the showcase of NASCAR was complete.
The Camaro was a hit with fans and competitors alike, always turning heads whenever it was seen and heard. There were moments that if you were at the track, the unmistakable noise from the Camaro was able to keep people awake through the night.
(Photo: Chris Graythen | Getty Images)
If you were watching on the broadcast, you could tell if the Camaro was going by without even seeing it. All and all, the showcase was a success as it brought NASCAR further into the world stage.
What is next for the NASCAR Garage 56 Entry? That has not been truly decided yet.
Hopefully, this trip to France opens up opportunities for showcases and similar entries in other endurance races in the future. NASCAR has the opportunity to make it big on the world stage.
More importantly, this attempt at Le Mans was the best way to open those doors for the future and give fans of other forms of motorsport a chance to open their horizons.
