- This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will see a modified NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 stock car run in the Garage 56 entry designated for experimental race cars.
- The car, revealed today ahead of the Daytona 500, still has the 5.8-liter V-8 engine, but adds a large fuel cell, upgraded brakes, and unique aerodynamics.
- The decorated driver line-up features Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button and Mike Rockenfeller, and the team has already completed 3600 miles of testing.
NASCAR is going to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What are you waiting for?! Yes, you read that right—a stock Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is facing a grueling and iconic all-day race at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France this year. NASCAR racers will run in Garage 56, an entry reserved for experimental vehicles, and the car was unveiled today at Daytona International Speedway ahead of this weekend’s Daytona 500.
Since 2012, Garage 56 has included cars such as the unorthodox triangular DeltaWing and a modified LMP2 car driven by two drivers paralyzed from the waist down. This year, however, the entry will be occupied by a Cup-spec Camaro powered by a snarling 5.8-liter small-block V-8. The project is run by Hendrick Motorsports, the most successful Cup Series team with 283 race wins to date.
The Garage 56 Camaro remains close to the original, but some changes are needed for 24-hour racing duties. Functional headlights and taillights replace the faux decals usually plastered on stock car bodywork, and the team also fit a 32-gallon fuel cell and larger carbon brake discs. The car will ride on unique Goodyear Eagle tires, and will wear unique aerodynamic elements with a revised front splitter, a diving plane on the front bumper, a new rear diffuser and a special rear wing that protrudes from the bodywork.
While the standard Cup car weighs 3200 pounds, the Garage 56 car has reduced that to 2960 pounds and added two extra inches of length. Racing Le Mans-spec retains the front and rear double wishbone suspension with adjustable coil over shocks.
Behind the wheel will be three leading drivers. Jimmie Johnson brings his extensive experience in stock cars as a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, while two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller knows the track like the back of his hand. Although he has never driven a stock car and has only one start at Le Mans, 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button is no slouch either.
The team has been testing the Garage 56 Camaro since last August, covering more than 3600 miles at Road Atlanta, Virginia International Raceway (where we finish the annual Lightning Lap competition), Goodyear Proving Grounds, Carolina Motorsports Park, Sebring International Raceway and Daytona International Speedway. The team will return to Sebring this Monday for endurance testing, and the team hopes to have its entry approved by the race’s governing body in the coming weeks. The 24 Hours of Le Mans will start on Saturday 10 June 2023.