The Chevrolet Camaro was fantastic at Le Mans!

(Motorsport-Total.com) – NASCAR also celebrated its 100th anniversary at the 100th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the championship, the Americans sent a specially modified Chevrolet Camaro for endurance racing to France to compete in a prestigious race on the Sarthe as part of Garage56. Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button achieved the goal of surviving all 24 hours.

Seven-time NASCAR champion Johnson was just as happy after crossing the finish line at Le Mans. “My heart is full,” says 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 was thrilled with the fans’ response

Johnson also saw this, and he couldn’t help but be surprised: “The reaction from the fans was amazing – in the parade and in the second round. The managers went absolutely crazy in every corner. That was amazing. I’ve achieved everything and I’m happy to pass volume.” 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.”

NASCAR boss: We’ve reached the goal

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,” praises 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,” says 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.