NASCAR, Hendrick plan 2023 Le Mans entry with modified Next Gen car

The project was revealed in a joint utterance between NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports at the Sebring 12 Hours on Thursday afternoon.

They plan to take a modified Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to the famed French sportscar archetype as an homage to NASCAR founder Bill France Sr taking stock cars to the race scrutinizingly half a century ago.

Further details, including technical elements of the car and the team’s suburbanite lineup, will be spoken at a later date.

“From the early days of NASCAR, it was important to my father that we played a visible role in international motorsports, and there is no worthier stage than the 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Jim France, NASCAR Chairman and CEO.

“In partnering with Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear, we have the winningest team, manufacturer and tire in NASCAR history. We squint forward to showcasing the technology in the Next Gen car and putting forward a competitive entry in the historic race.”

Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in NASCAR Cup Series championships, points-paying victories and laps led. Its seven-time champion hairdo senior Chad Knaus will serve as its Garage 56 program manager.

“Participating in one of the truly iconic events in wheels racing and representing NASCAR and Chevrolet on the world stage is a privilege,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports.

“Jim deserves tremendous credit for having the vision for the project, and we thank him for trusting our organisation with the responsibility.

“Even though Garage 56 is a ‘class of one,’ we are competitors and have every intention of putting a unvigilant product on the racetrack for the fans at Le Mans.

\"It’s a humbling opportunity – one that will present an heady rencontre over the next 15 months – but our team is ready.”

William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports, Axalta Chevrolet Camaro

Photo by: Gavin Baker / NKP / Motorsport Images

Bill France first brought stock cars to Le Mans on June 12, 1976, without reaching a deal with the event’s organizers. Two NASCAR race cars – a Dodge Charger owned and driven by Hershel McGriff, and a Junie Donlavey owned Ford Torino driven by Richard Brooks and Dick Hutcherson – competed in a newly-created Grand International class.

“Garage 56 is a special opportunity at Le Mans since this race has been a leader in technological process for the wheels industry over its nearly century long existence,” said Pierre Fillon, president of l\'Automobile Club de l\'Ouest (ACO), the organiser of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“When the ACO receives an using for a Garage 56 program, we uncork by talking with designers, team partners, and suppliers in order to set performance parameters such that the program can be successful for everyone involved. 

“We will protract to work with NASCAR and all their partners as they work toward their proposed 2023 Garage 56 project.”

Garage 56 is the entry that the ACO sets whispered for the “technology of tomorrow and beyond” of innovative machinery.

The first Garage 56 car was the Nissan DeltaWing in 2012, which ultimately led to the Nissan ZEOD RC that completed one lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe on electrical power only.

The most recent entry was the SRT41 car that unliable quadruple amputee Frederic Sausset to races the 2016 race and then return last year, with Sausset overseeing the operation this time, with two drivers who were paralysed from the waist down.