The Automobile Club of the West (ACO) reserves Garage 56 for the “innovation of tomorrow and beyond” of cutting-edge machinery.
This year’s NASCAR entry is a collaborative effort between the sanctioning body, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), and Goodyear, and features a modified version of the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 race car. This weekend, it will compete in the event despite being, in most regards, unbeatable.
The Hendrick pit crew, despite being the only team in the GTE class to finish with a manual jack, bested 16 competitors on Tuesday to win the Pit Stop Challenge. Also, they were the fifth general.
Picture by: NASCAR Media
In 10.364 seconds, the five-person team replaced 4 Goodyear Eagle tyres, beating Northwest AMR by 0.12 seconds. Overall, they placed fifth, only 0.3 seconds behind the winning team.
Hendrick’s pit crew coach Evan Kureczka remarked, “It was really our fastest stop of the day, so I would say I was amazed, but likewise really happy.” Fans, as you can see, were blown away by the revelation that we were raising the car with a jack.
“You could look at their faces and tell we put on a great show for the patrons,”
Not only that, but it was the team’s very first time working together in a competitive context.
Kureczka explained that the team had spent the past eight months getting everyone up to speed in preparation for Le Mans.
Picture by: NASCAR Media
We have Donovan Williams (jackman), Cody French (front tyre provider), Jarius Morehead (rear tyre provider) and Dawson Backus (front tyre changer). In the NASCAR Cup Series, HMS has a perfect five-for-five finish.
Williams, the lone jackman competing, remarked, “This is a unique moment to be able to represent Hendrick Motorsports, represent our households, represent America, and NASCAR as a whole.”
We rely solely on our education, and the knowledge of where to go came to us automatically. I think we all went out there and did our best without getting our hopes up too much.
“That’s what makes sports so special; we all come from athletic backgrounds and were able to draw on that when you talk about going against the grain, securing and staying in the moment.”
Image by: NASCAR Media
This weekend marks the 100th running of the world-famous endurance event, the Le Mans 24 Hours, and three-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, two-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner Mike Rockenfeller, and 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Jenson Button will all be behind the wheel of the NASCAR Garage 56 entry.