24 Hours of Le Mans: Jenson Button can’t wait to enter NASCAR car alongside racing legends - ‘So much fun!’

ByEurosport

Published 27/03/2023 at 10:24 GMT

All eyes at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans will be trained on Garage 56 and the modified NASCAR car that will be making its entry into the event. The car will hold plenty of intrigue for fans, but perhaps even more so will be the motorsport legends that make up the driver team. Jenson Button, Mike Rockenfeller and Jimmie Johnson make for an absolute all-star cast and everyone is very excited.

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Garage 56 will be home to a very special entry at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2023 as the Hendrick Motorsports team will be entering a modified version of the new generation of NASCAR cars.

The Chevrolet Camaro LZ1 will be doing its best in the legendary endurance race, a fantastic opportunity for a different audience to see what NASCAR cars are capable of.

And it will contain an all-star driver line-up.

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The team consists of 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button, two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson.

Speaking about the event, Button said: “I've tried, I'm trying, something very different: F1 car, super light, a lot of downforce, not really that much mechanical grip; Stockcar, no downforce, really heavy!

“But it's so much fun! And when you hear that rumble go past, it just puts the biggest smile on my face and my being again, you know, a kid.

"It's that what excites me, that adrenaline rush you get from the sound and the visceral experience of a NASCAR stock car. That just reminds me of ‘Days of Thunder’.”

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Johnson added: “Yes, I think it's been a great experience for all of us.

“You know my experience in stock cars. You know, maybe I'm a little more relaxed in some areas of the performance of the car because it's just what they do.

“But it's nice to have Rocky's opinion and Jenson's opinion about a car with a lot more potential - what we’re supposed to do in those areas so we can work on it.”

Rockenfeller said: “We tried to optimise everything. We have traction control, we have pedals shifting, we have no lights on a NASCAR, of course, we have now a pit speed limiter.

“We lightened the car. We have still a lot of power from the V8, we have more downforce. So I think we did a lot to suit the car to the Le Mans track.”

Chad Knaus, VP of competition at Hendrick Motorsport said: “We want to try to get on a global stage with our Gen seven car. Super excited to be out there representing Chevrolet really excited to be out there with Goodyear, NASCAR and IMSA.

"And it's an opportunity for us to show the capabilities of a NASCAR race car at Le Mans.”

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You can stream the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Eurosport and discovery+

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