Can Jimmie Johnson be the man at Le Mans?
Johnson is one of motorsports' all-time greats. The former NASCAR driver found plenty of success in stock car racing, taking home the NASCAR Cup Series title seven times in a storied career.
While Johnson has endured on oval circuits, his next step will be the ultimate test of endurance: Johnson will be stepping into the cockpit of an endurance car at the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race this weekend.
As part of the Garage 56 invitation, NASCAR and Hendricks Motorsports are getting the opportunity to wave the American flag with their entry to Le Mans, the first time in 47 years that a stock car is getting a shot at racing glory.
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Here's why Johnson and NASCAR are heading to France to show off some good ol' American muscle this weekend:
Why is Jimmie Johnson driving a car in 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Johnson is getting the start in Le Mans as part of Garage 56, which is an experimental slot at Le Mans that encourages technological innovation. The Garage 56 program was established in 2012, and focused on innovation and advances in motorsport.
In years past, electric cars, hybrids and cars designed for disabled drivers have made an appearance under the Garage 56 banner. Cars that operate as the Garage 56 invite typically aren't expected to compete for a title, given their experimental nature. That said, the Hendricks Chevy has put forth some respectable times during testing.
At the time of the announcement, Johnson, along with 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button and 2010 Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller were designated as pilots for the car.
It's not the first time that Johnson has been behind the wheel for an endurance race. He's spent some time in IMSA endurance, including sitting in the driver's seat in a few 24-hour races in years past.
For Johnson, getting to run to his car at Le Mans is a lifetime dream set to be accomplished:
"As a young boy watching racing with my father, he would show me this race where drivers would line up on the opposite side of the race track, run across the track and get in their cars to drive off. And as a kid, I said, 'I need to do this. I've got to do that someday,'" Johnson said recently.
NASCAR at Le Mans
The stock car racing at Le Mans this year is a modified Camaro ZL1, which is fielded by Hendricks Motorsports. While the car design doesn't look dissimilar to what you'd see on a NASCAR Sunday, the guts of the car were modified to handle an endurance race.
In test laps, the No. 24 Chevrolet showed well, pacing the field and beating out GT2-spec spec cars by a full two seconds with a fastest lap time of 3:53:761. Of course, the car still boasts a voluptuous V-8 engine, too, and the weight reductions saved 500 pounds on the frame of the car.
NASCAR's presence at Le Mans in 2023 marks the first time since 1976 that NASCAR will have a presence. A Dodge Charger and a Ford Torino competed that year, and neither finished the race.
Johnson should hope that this car will finish — and secure some star-spangled bragging rights in the process.