Le Mans 2023: NASCAR “reaches its goal” – Chevrolet Camaro impresses at Le Mans

Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button also reached the end and survived the entire 24 hours.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Johnson was just as happy after crossing the finish line at Le Mans. “My heart is full,” said the American, who won his NASCAR title with Rick Hendrick and already has long-distance experience in the IMSA and Action Express series.

“That applies to all areas because we came here with NASCAR, Hendrick, Chevrolet and Goodyear.”

The results are also impressive, as the Camaro was able to keep up with the GTE cars and was faster in some cases. However, many gas stations and late repairs on the car ensured that the trio finished only in 39th place out of 62. Meanwhile, Johnson, Rockenfeller and Button were even in 27th place. special, Chevrolet quickly became an absolute favorite among fans.

Johnson also saw this, and he couldn’t help but be amazed: “The reaction from the fans was incredible – both in the parade and in the second round. The managers were completely confused at every turn. That was a very surprising thing. ”

“I have achieved everything and I am very happy.” The American recipe for success was simple: take a new generation car, modify it for Le Mans and impress with its sound and special appearance.

The car stood out in the group photo, when the big Camaro overshadowed some of the models and made it look like a smaller model in comparison. A 770 hp V8 engine displaced 5.86 liters rumbled under the hood. NASCAR was already a guest at Le Mans in 1976, but the 100th edition of the classic was a different chapter in the history books because of the stock car appearance.

NASCAR boss Jim France was also very satisfied with his team’s performance. “That was amazing,” he says. “It was thousands of hours of hard work from hundreds of people who made this happen. The team and the pit crew did a great job this weekend. It was great. I hope that my brother and my father are watching from somewhere up there with a smile.”

Before the race, France had set a clear but simple goal for his team: “Get there and not be last.” Hendrick achieved this with all his experience. The team boss explains later why it went well: “That makes me proud of our game. We didn’t want to come here and fall flat on our faces. I had my worries.”

That is why the organization invested a lot of money to increase the chances of a smooth race. “Our NASCAR teams can run any race they want. They have engineers and smart people,” praised Hendrick.

Chad Knaus, NASCAR’s race car project manager, added, “I feel like we already won the trophy when the green flag flew.” The effort to prepare the car for the legendary 24-hour race was huge, said Knaus.

“Everyone took on this role as a passion project and something they wanted to be a part of,” said the project leader. “And when you get people like that together, you can do anything.” Hendrick Motorsports has now proven this in an impressive way with a NASCAR car.