Mike Rockenfeller, Jenson Button to pilot the Hendrick Motorsports entry
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 11, 2023) – A month after NASCAR’s Garage 56 car successfully completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the innovative program will return to participate in the Goodwood Festival of Speed Hillclimb in West Sussex, England.
Garage 56 drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button will pilot the Garage 56 program backup car –
which is identical to the No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that completed 285 laps on the 8.4-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in June – up the 1.16-mile hill seven times over four days. The entry will be part of a celebration of NASCAR’s 75-year history that will include several cars from throughout NASCAR history.
“The Garage 56 program has been an overwhelming success for us in further introducing motorsports fans from around the world to NASCAR,” said John Doonan, IMSA President and Garage 56 Program Manager. “Taking the Garage 56 car to the Goodwood Festival of Speed gives us another chance to bring the world of stock cars to fans of a wide variety of motorsports.”
The Garage 56 Hillclimb schedule is as follows:
Thursday, July 13, 2:30 p.m. BST / 9:30 a.m. ET – Mike Rockenfeller
Friday, July 14, 9:10 a.m. BST / 4:10 a.m. ET – Jensen Button
Friday, July 14, 3:10 p.m. BST / 10:10 a.m. ET – Mike Rockenfeller
Saturday, July 15, 8:30 a.m. BST / 3:30 a.m. ET – Mike Rockenfeller
Saturday, July 15, 2:55 p.m. BST / 9:55 a.m. ET – Jensen Button
Sunday, July 16, 9:15 a.m. BST / 4:15 a.m. ET – Mike Rockenfeller
Sunday, July 16, 3:50 p.m. BST / 10:50 a.m. ET – Jensen Button
The Garage 56 project is a partnership between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear – the winningest team, manufacturer and tire in the sport’s 75-year history.
About NASCAR
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2023, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 16 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada), NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)
International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and the IMSA Prototype Challenge, as well as four one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. For more information please visit IMSA.com, www.twitter.com/IMSA, www.facebook.com/IMSA or www.instagram.com/imsa_racing.
About Hendrick Motorsports
Founded by Rick Hendrick in 1984, Hendrick Motorsports is the winningest team in NASCAR Cup Series history. At the sport’s premier level, the organization holds the all-time records in every major statistical category, including championships (14), points-paying race victories (297) and laps led (more than 78,000). It has earned at least one race win in a record 39 different seasons, including an active streak of 38 in a row (1986-2023). The team fields four full-time Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series with drivers Alex Bowman, William Byron, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. Headquartered on more than 100 acres in Concord, North Carolina, Hendrick Motorsports employs approximately 600 people. For more information, please visit HendrickMotorsports.com or interact on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Goodyear is one of the world’s largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.
