Jimmie Johnson to Head All-Star Driver Lineup for NASCAR's 24 Hours of Le Mans Entry

NASCAR today announced its driver lineup for its Garage 56 entry for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, set for June 10-11.

Driving the NASCAR/Hendrick Motorsports/Goodyear Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 will be seven-time Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula 1 champion Jenson Button and past Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller.

The NASCAR entry is still awaiting final approval for the l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). Garage 56 is a classification given to experimental or exhibition cars entered in the race.

This will mark the first time since 1976 that NASCAR will race at the world's largest sports car race. In 1976, Herschel McGriff and Junie Donlavey brought the roar of the stock car to France.

“Since the beginning of the Garage 56 project, it has been our goal to partner with the top racers in the world to represent us in Le Mans,” said Jim France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, in a press release on Saturday. “The lineup of Jimmie, ‘Rocky’ and Jenson is everything we could have dreamed of—three elite drivers who have won at the highest levels of motorsports worldwide. As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of NASCAR, we are honored to have these world-class champions help bring the sights and sounds of a NASCAR race car to fans in Le Mans, and across the world.”

Johnson, who is back in NASCAR this season as a driver/co-owner of Legacy Motor Club Cup Series team after a two-year run in the NTT IndyCar Series, will race in next month’s Daytona 500.