Which NASCAR drivers are in the Garage 56 Le Mans team?

Celebrating its 75th Anniversary, NASCAR is making waves in Europe with its next-gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 exceeding expectations ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The modified next-gen car built by Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet represents this year's Garage 56 entry, with three renowned drivers behind the wheel.

The star-studded driver lineup for Garage 56 includes NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, former F1 champion Jenson Button, and multi-time Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller. Coming from different categories of racing, all three drivers have achieved immense success in their careers.

Le Mans 24-Hour Race - Drivers Parade

Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion with 83 race wins for Hendrick Motorsports in his illustrious career. Retiring from the series in 2020, Johnson raced in IndyCar and IMSA categories. He has plenty of experience in endurance racing, with multiple starts in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

British driver Jenson Button is the 2009 F1 world champion and accomplished racer in other categories of racing. Button is the 2018 Super GT champion and recently made his NASCAR debut. He has plenty of mileage in Endurance racing, having made his Le Mans debut in the LMP1 class in 2018.

Unlike the rest of the Garage 56 drivers, Mike Rockenfeller is an established endurance driver. He is the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and the 2005 24 Hours of Le Mans GT Class winner. He is also a DTM and Rolex 24 at Daytona champion.

Along with the three drivers, Jordan Taylor, who competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, serves as the backup driver for the team. A four-time IMSA champion, Taylor won the Le Mans GTE Pro Class in 2015.

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Exploring the origins of Garage 56 and why NASCAR decided to enter Le Mans

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Entry

In 2012, Le Mans introduced the Garage 56 entry for developmental and innovative cars in the world's most prestigious race. Back then, there were 55 entries and the 56th garage was given to the unique car. Racing in the single-entry class, the Garage 56 car doesn't compete with any car on the track.

The extraordinary cars can range from the 2012 Nissan DeltaWing to the modified LMP2 machine driven by quadruple amputee Frederic Sausset in 2016.

NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France had the vision to enter Le Mans and identified the Garage 56 entry as the best suited for the next-gen car. Entering the world's most prestigious race provided a global stage to showcase the capability of next-gen machinery.

With NASCAR celebrating its 75th anniversary and Le Mans in its centenary year in 2023, the series decided to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans.