Jeff Gordon might not be racing in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, but the number that’s synonymous with his NASCAR career will take part in the Le Mans entry he’s in charge of.
NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports revealed that their Garage 56 entry at this year’s centennial 24 Hours of Le Mans race will have #24. Gordon is the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports and is in charge of the project. The drivers involved include 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner Mike Rockenfeller, and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.
Garage 56 is a program where a car can test new technology in the Le Mans race. The car is an unregulated entry so it will not be scored in the race. Past Garage 56 entries included cars that ran on hydrogen, electricity, and bio-methane, as well as a car equipped for a quadruple amputee driver. NASCAR will test out various things not usually in standard stock cars, including a hybrid engine, an enlarged fuel cell, and headlights.
This coincides with a partnership between organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (ACO) and the Rolex 24 at Daytona (IMSA/NASCAR). Circuit de la Sarthe named one of their chicanes the “Daytona Chicane” while Daytona International Speedway named their chicane the “Le Mans Chicane as the two sides hope to strengthen the sport of endurance racing worldwide.
The last time NASCAR raced at Le Mans was in 1976 to celebrate America’s bicentennial. Two cars raced in a special class where the longest-running car lasted 11 hours.
[NASCAR]
