Many were sceptical about the announcement in March 2022 that NASCAR would take one of its Gen 7 Cup cars to Le Mans to compete as the Garage 56 entry for the 2023 centenary race. It seemed to be an unlikely pairing for the race, but GM’s Hendrick Motorsport, NASCAR and IMSA are working to get the car prepared and ready for the Centenary race in June.
The announcement was made at Sebring, and was immediately controversial. GM’s Hendrick Motorsport was confirmed to run a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which could have disadvantaged both Ford and Toyota, both of which compete in the US Touring Car series.
Some claimed it was just a marketing gimmick, one that would take up a space on the grid instead of a more deserving competitor, likely from the LMP2 grid. It was, said the detractors, simply a move to strengthen the tie between the ACO and IMSA, which is part of the NASCAR family, and it did not showcase future technologies in the way Garage 56 was designed for.
Yet to put the project down on these bases alone would be to underestimate the effort being put into the project even to make it happen, never mind to be successful.
NASCAR introduced the Gen 7 cars in 2022. The new cars were closer aligned with the manufacturers’ street cars than the previous Gen 6, with a smaller greenhouse, longer rear deck and changed underfloor aerodynamics aimed at enhancing the racing. The series also moved to 18-inch centre lock wheels, while tyre supplier, Goodyear, mounted softer compounds onto the bigger diameter rims to change
