The Garage 56 NASCAR entrant has completed running the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The #24 Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 finished 27th, ahead of the entire GTE-Am field after 20 hours.
Up to this point the car had no real problems and no failures worth mentioning. Unfortunately, after twenty hours and nine minutes of racing, they suffered their first major mechanical setback.
“We have a drivetrain issue and the team is currently working to fix it,” said Chad Knaus, Hendrick’s vice president of competition. “The goal remains to finish the race.”
Jenson Button was behind the wheel at this point and the car had completed 254 laps. They spent an hour and 21 minutes in the garage changing the transmission, doing a lap and then spending another 15 minutes checking everything.
When they finally got back to racing, Mike Rockenfeller was driving the Camaro. He quickly showed that the car was back in action and set his fastest race lap to date at 3:50.512.
#65 Panis Racing Oreca 07 – Gibson driven by Manuel Maldonado, Tijmen Van Der Helm, Job Van Uitert, #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Jenson Button
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
They were now 40th overall, last among the cars still in the running. Rockenfeller finally handed the car over to Jimmie Johnson, who was to finish the race. After a few more minutes in the pits, he finally made his way to the final stint of the 24-hour endurance race.
One of the team’s stated goals was to beat the GTE field, but the main goal was of course to finish the race. Despite the late drama, they managed to do just that, crossing the finish line in 39th place overall and completing 285 laps.
Johnson and Button each drove 97 laps while Rockenfeller drove 91 laps.
Button praises “great group”
“It was great,” Button said on television after the race. “Of course the crowd is here to celebrate everyone who competes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But hearing the cheers for our car as it drove by here… it’s been a long journey for these guys to get the car ready for Le Mans. Many long hours but what an amazing group of people to achieve what they have with this car. Transformed it from a cup car into an endurance car for Le Mans. Stunning. The best in the business. I am proud to work with these guys.
“We (the drivers) didn’t make any mistakes, but we still want to push the car hard. It’s a car that’s reasonably easy to drive, a wonderful car to drive.”
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