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Look Inside NASCAR'S Garage 56 24 Hours of Le Mans RacerLook Inside NASCAR'S Garage 56 24 Hours of Le Mans Racer
Our visit to the NASCAR R&D Center provided a close-up look at the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the NASCAR Camaro added headlights and a windshield wiper.Getty Images via NASCAR
At a Glance
- The modified NASCAR Cup Camaro ZL1 shed 500 pounds for duty in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
- It carries an extra 12 gallons of gasoline compared to the NASCAR version.
- The car completed 2,413.1 miles during the race.
NASCAR collaborated with Hendrick Motorsports to develop a modified version of the Next-Gen NASCAR Cup Camaro ZL1 that was suitable for driving at the 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car race. Every year, Le Mans reserves one entry for a special demonstration vehicle that doesn't fit into its existing classes. This is called "Garage 56" as it is the last garage in the pit building at Le Mans.
The NASCAR Garage 56 entry needed a larger fuel tank, headlights, and a windshield wiper, among other modifications to make it suitable for the long-distance run in France. It was piloted by seven-time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson, sports car ace Mike Rockenfeller, and 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button.
The team's goal was to finish the race and show the world the current state of NASCAR racing technology. They succeeded, qualifying with an unexpectedly quick lap time and traveling 285 laps for 2,413.1 miles in 24 hours. Alas, late-race brake and transmission replacements wrecked hopes for a high finish and the Camaro came home in 39th place in a 62-car field.
The race car now sits at NASCAR's R&D Center, where Design News got a close look during our recent 3D printing technology tour. Click through the photo gallery of the car for details.
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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