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NASCAR's beloved Garage 56 project, which captured global motorsport headlines last season after competing in an exhibition entry during the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, is set to make a return on the track this weekend.
The project, which saw the governing body team up with Hendrick Motorsports and the official tire supplier of the sport, Goodyear, came up with a version of NASCAR's seventh-generation Next-Gen Cup car adapted to go around road course layouts as fast as possible.
'The Beast,' as it was dubbed during its appearance at the historic endurance race in France, is set to return on track this weekend ahead of MotoGP's visit to the Circuit of the Americas.
Fans will be able to see the blue and white Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven at the 3.5-mile-long circuit, which will be hosting MotoGP's Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday.
IMSA veteran and part-time NASCAR driver Jordan Taylor will be seen behind the wheel of the car, with the 32-year-old confirming the show run on X (formerly Twitter), writing:
"Garage 56 Moto GP Austin. See you Saturday at 11:30am for some demo laps and maybe a little burnout."
Justin Marks appreciative of NASCAR and MotoGP world intermingling this weekend
Co-owner of the Cup Series team Trackhouse Racing with rapper Pitbull, Justin Marks also recently took over a MotoGP outfit under the same name to compete in the two-wheeled racing championship.
Naturally, the 43-year-old was appreciative of what Hendrick Motorsports and Jordan Taylor agreed to for this weekend. To expose NASCAR as a sport to a global audience, this could be yet another step by the team owner in that direction with significant results.
He took to X (formerly Twitter) and expressed his delight, writing:
"Really happy that @TeamHendrick @MotoGP and @jordan10taylor leaned in on this opportunity. Bringing two Motorsport worlds together in Austin this weekend!!"
Meanwhile, Cup Series drivers prepare to get rid of the short-track aero package after the Martinsville race and head to Texas Motor Speedway for a return to intermediate tracks for the sport. The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 goes live on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 3:00 pm ET.
