The NASCAR Cup Series Next-Gen machine will launch internationally. Along with Chevrolet and Rick Hendrick, a NASCAR machine will compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 thanks to a special project called Garage 56.
56 . garage is a class specifically designed for “future technology test concept cars possible for the automotive industry.” The cars must meet certain safety regulations, but they don’t necessarily fit conventional powertrain and engine options. Each year, that single space in the garage is reserved for a new car, which has previously included diesel and DeltaWing vehicles.
Garage 56 is a class of its own. Competing vehicles in that class are often more showy in nature; they don’t compete with Hypercars, for example.
The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 built by Hendrick Motorsports will take to the Circuit de la Sarthe in the small town of Le Mans, France for the iconic endurance race in 2023. Chad Knaus, seven-time champion team leader NASCAR, will manage the program as it moves abroad. Quite simply, we have some tough guys set up to take care of this.
“I never dreamed I would go to Daytona,” Rick Hendrick said at the press conference, “so to represent NASCAR [at Le Mans] is a unique experience, the epitome of racing. For me, it’s an honor.”
From the 24 Hours of Le Mans website, here’s more about NASCAR’s history at the iconic event:
Two cars from the NASCAR Winston Cup (now the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series) came to La Sarthe in 1976 to celebrate this momentous moment in history. Hershel’s Dodge Charger and Dick Brooks-Dick Hutcherson-Marcel Mignot’s Doug McGriff and Ford Torino cranked up their massive 7L V8s at 24 hours. The two cars are forced to retire, but that’s not the point: it’s about shared Franco-American history during the Revolutionary War and the fascination American rivals have always had with Le Mans’ 24 Hours. Having been regular participants in the Le Mans Classic for several years now, Charger and Torino have not lost their charm.
It will be interesting to see vintage cars return to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the first time in nearly five decades.
