It brought Roger Penske to Le Mans with three Porsches as the 86-year-old attempts to win his first ever Le Mans. The top class of sports cars from the United States were permitted to compete this year under a convergence of rules that created a new hybrid hyperclass that has brought manufacturers flocking to IMSA and the World Endurance Championship as a means to showcase their hybrid and electric technology.

But from James as the official starter, to future NASCAR Hall of Famer Johnson, the race had a heavy American feel. Even so, the Hendrick crew set a goal of at least finishing the race, and maybe even beating cars from other classes.įerrari’s two-car effort led the field to green in a celebration of Le Mans’ 100th running, marked by a military flyover of jets leaving plumes of smoke in the colors of the French flag. That put the car 39th for the start, but because NASCAR is running its second-year Next Gen car in the specialized “Innovative Car” class designed to showcase technology and development, the entry is not competing against any other cars.

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