It’s Happening – NASCAR Heads to Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is about to get an interesting dose of NASCAR flavor this year with the joint Rick Hendrick/Chevrolet Garage 56 Project.  Seven-time NASCAR champion and IndyCar driver Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, and 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller will be driving the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 at the iconic event this June.

The Garage 56 project is a partnership between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, and Goodyear, and is led by legendary crew chief Chad Knaus.  Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, stated that “Since the beginning of the Garage 56 project, it has been our goal to partner with the top racers in the world to represent us in Le Mans.”  He went on to say that “The lineup of Jimmie, ‘Rocky’ and Jenson is everything we could have dreamed of – three elite drivers who have won at the highest levels of motorsports worldwide.”

Jimmie Johnson, who made his name in NASCAR driving for Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports, has since branched out into sports cars and the NTT IndyCar Series.  Johnson is eagerly anticipating his first time driving at Circuit de la Sarthe, stating that “I’m super thrilled – it’s been at the top of my bucket list to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans someday.”  Jenson Button, on the other hand, is still getting used to the idea, joking that “This is a total surprise.  I was on the way to Disneyland and took the wrong road.” However, he quickly became more serious, saying “It’s really, really special to be here.  I’ve always thought of myself as a racing driver, and I finished my F1 career and I looked for new challenges.  And this is definitely an exciting challenge to work alongside these two.”

Rockenfeller has been working with Johnson in the No. 48 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi and has a long list of accolades, including winning the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2013 German DTM championship.  He has been the lead test driver for the Garage 56 project and is excited to have Jimmie and Jenson as teammates in Le Mans, stating that “To be involved as a driver from day one until now was already a great honor, and to now have Jimmie and Jenson alongside me as teammates in Le Mans is unbelievable.”

Corvette Racing driver and four-time IMSA champion Jordan Taylor, who also won the 2015 Le Mans in GTE, will be offering assistance to Button and the others as well as serving as the reserve driver.  The three drivers will participate in a two-day test at Daytona International Speedway, which will be the first time the car will run in the darkness with lights.  The details about the car and what has gone into making it suitable for Le Mans will be forthcoming.