Series to race a Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro as Garage 56 entry to showcase innovation of new car.
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- A specially engineered Chevrolet Camaro, prepared by Hendrick Motorsports will race as a Garage 56 entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 2023.
- The 2023 Le Mans race will mark the legendary event’s 100th anniversary.
- In 1976, through an agreement brokered by NASCAR, two Cup cars—driven by Dick Brooks, Dick Hutcherson and Hershel McGriff—participated in the race.
NASCAR’s Next Gen car is going international.
A specially engineered Chevrolet Camaro, prepared by Hendrick Motorsports with support from General Motors, is scheduled to race in the world’s biggest endurance event—the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France—in 2023.
After years of development, NASCAR’s new Cup Series model debuted in February in the Busch Light Clash, a non-points event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The car, designed to trim team budgets and to improve competition, generally has drawn good reviews in the season’s early races.
The 2023 Le Mans race will mark the legendary event’s 100th anniversary. The race course is located about 120 miles southwest of Paris.
Beginning in 2012, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, the 24-hour race’s organizer, has designated an entry for a car testing new technology and innovation. The program is called Garage 56 and offers an entryway for cars that will be judged more for their design and innovation than the ability to be competitive in the 24-hour race.
Dan Gurney brought the DeltaWing to Le Mans as a Garage 56 entry in 2012.
Although the Le Mans race grid has cars of various breeds, designs and engine sizes, heavy stock cars like those raced in NASCAR circles typically don’t fit into the program. In 1976, through an agreement brokered by NASCAR, two Cup cars—driven by Dick Brooks, Dick Hutcherson and Hershel McGriff—participated in the race. Fans at the event were enthralled by the roar of the engines mounted in the Dodge Charger and Ford Torino.
Drivers for the 2023 race will be announced later.
Keyword: NASCAR to Race Next Gen Car at 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023