NASCAR announces Garage 56 Driver Line Up for Historic Entry at Le Mans. Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button are the drivers for garage 56 NASCAR announces Garage 56 Driver Line Up for Historic Entry at Le Mans. Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button are the drivers for garage 56 GARAGE 56
RacingBy Sean Keeley on

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button, and 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike “Rocky” Rockenfeller will be the drivers for the joint Rick Hendrick/Chevrolet Garage 56 Project at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The lineup was announced Saturday before the Rolex 24 at Daytona with the 100th anniversary of the sports car classic happening on June 10-11.

The Garage 56 entry is a collaboration between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, and Goodyear based on a modified version of the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 race car.

“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,” said Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO. “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. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of NASCAR, we are honored to have these world-class champions help bring the sights and sounds of a NASCAR race car to fans in Le Mans, and across the world.”

Johnson, who retired from NASCAR full-time in 2020 and recently decided not to race full-time on the IndyCar circuit, is thrilled by the opportunity.

“I’m super thrilled,” Johnson said in a news release. “It’s been at the top of my bucket list to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans someday. To have this opportunity come — and to partner with everybody and this driver lineup — is truly an incredible opportunity and one that I am thankful to be a part of.”

The NASCAR world had some strong reactions to the news about the Garage 56 driver selection.

[NASCAR]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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