Garage 56 extends Le Mans mission at UK American SpeedFest

The NASCAR Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Cup Series car continued its promotional effort beyond the 24 Hours of Le Mans with an appearance this weekend at the British circuit of Brands Hatch. The Hendrick Motorsports-run machine, which attracted a wide following en route to finishing 39th at Le Mans last weekend, was a key part of the fan zones at the “American SpeedFest” event at the former British Grand Prix venue.

The team’s spare car was on display in pristine condition (the finished Camaro has not been cleaned!) and attracted huge numbers of fans throughout the weekend, all keen to see it up close and get pictures. Some lucky younger fans were also invited to sit in the car and get a feel for its cockpit.

“The media coverage for Garage 56 is just relentless,” IMSA president and NASCAR Garage 56 program manager John Doonan told RACER at the event. “It just keeps coming — we can’t believe it. Rick Hendrick is so excited by it; we’re sharing links all the time.”

Doonan was on hand to help showcase the car and soak up the atmosphere at what he says is his favorite European circuit, having visited multiple times in the past — including its annual Formula Ford Festival, where he discovered and signed Tristan Nunez for Mazda.

Whelen NASCAR Euro Series is enjoying growing interest in partnership with the American SpeedFest. Photo courtesy of Brands Hatch

Doonan was also tasked with giving the “Gentlemen, start your engines” call on Saturday before the first of four Whelen NASCAR Euro Series races on the Indy circuit for the annual SpeedFest, which features a wide variety of U.S.-themed support races.

The bill included 70th Anniversary of Corvette races, pickup truck racing and a grid of Bernie’s V8s and Historic outlaws that featured everything from 2000s Chevrolet Monte Carlo Cup cars, a 1979 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, 1966 Plymouth Belvedere and a heavily-modified 1970 Triumph Spitfire.

The NASCAR Euro Series itself, which was founded in 2009, features a field of European-based teams and drivers competing in a mixture of Toyota Camry, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro-bodied stock cars manufactured in France, powered by 5.7-liter V8 engines. The races are held throughout the year as part of a calendar that features six rounds on European road courses in as many countries.