American Thunder: NASCAR to Le Mans (2025) Movie Script

1
Huge anticipation from
more than 300,000 fans
packing Circuit de la Sarthe.
They could not have
sold another ticket.
Everything is full
to the rafters.
Have you seen anything quite like
this, this atmosphere like that?
No. It's so special.
I think the crowd is big.
But you have only one
centenary at a time, huh?
That's right.
This centenary, I don't think I...
...we will leave with them, huh?
Yeah.
Get ready for the start
of the centenary race
of the world's greatest
endurance motoring event.
-Now the nerves come in.
-Yeah.
Expectation.
Optimism.
24 hours of Le Mans.
It's absolutely... It's
the best in the world.
-All right. Thank you.
-Have a good one.
-I see you at the pit stop, hey?
-See you at the pit stop. Yes.
I'll see you in 24 hours.
It's 16:00,
and the second centenary of Le
Mans endurance racing starts now.
Coming in the green here.
Coming in the green.
Le Mans 2023 is underway.
Le Mans is the biggest
race in the world.
We've seen it in
Steve McQueen movies.
Ford v Ferrari. You know,
Matt Damon, Christian Bale.
It's a 24-hour race pushing
man and machine to the limit.
It's about survival really.
75 years ago, NASCAR is
the vision of Bill France.
There's a general stereotype
that NASCAR isn't considered
as technologically advanced
or as innovative as other
racing series in the world.
I really do think that
the rest of the world
thinks that NASCAR
is Days of Thunder.
In 1976, Bill France took a couple
of NASCAR stock cars to Le Mans.
For the first time American stock
cars are going to race here.
One made only two laps... ...before it
had some sort of mechanical failure.
My dad, he said the fans
absolutely loved our race cars.
A seed was planted
at that time
and that seed germinated
for nearly 50 years.
You're gonna race a
NASCAR at Le Mans?
We're gonna do what?
It seemed like a really big idea
that was probably unrealistic.
I was so excited
about this project.
Then I drove the car initially.
And I thought I made
a massive mistake.
We have one shot and one opportunity
to go and make this successful.
Thank you all for everything.
It's when it
starts to get real.
-When we get over there...
-Yeah, let's fire.
It's time to put on a show.
Every summer, for
the last 100 years,
the oldest, biggest and most
difficult endurance race in the world
is held in this small
town of Le Mans, France.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans.
130 miles southwest of Venice
is the Circuit of the Sarthe.
It consists of 8 1/2
miles of main roads.
And in the middle weekend of June,
the Circuit of the Sarthe becomes
the focal point of interest for the
motoring enthusiasts of the world.
Three, two, one.
Drivers run to their
cars at the start of
the greatest sports car classic
of all: the Le Mans 24 Hour Race.
The race is a grueling,
unforgiving endeavor.
A snarling pack of Ferraris,
Fords and Porsches.
All in pursuit of being
first lap leader at Le Mans.
The cars are state of the art.
And the fans are as
passionate as they come.
Only four times in the
race's storied history
have they allowed for a special
entry for innovative cars
that fall outside the
normal regulations.
The program is
known as Garage 56.
Well, good
afternoon, everybody.
Uh, from backstage I could hear
all the brain cogs grinding
as to what's this
group doing together.
Over a year out from the race,
NASCAR announced that
their Chevrolet Camaro
would attempt to compete as the
2023 Garage 56 entry at Le Mans.
This is going to
be a fun, fun ride.
Fulfilling a nearly 50-year
dream of NASCAR CEO Jim France.
I went over to Le Mans
with my father in 1962.
I was at an age where you get
impressed by different things
and sports cars kinda
sparked my interest.
My dad went to bat to spread NASCAR
brand to the European sports car fans.
Early in the race, the first
American car has to give up.
You know, my father would've
like to finish the race,
so part of our goal
this time going over
was to make sure that
we beat their record.
The goal is to finish the
race and, uh, not be last.
So NASCAR has
announced this project
and we're going Le Mans to
compete against the world
and the people who have
been doing sports car racing
and endurance racing
for many, many years.
There are a lot of fears here.
Does the car make it?
Are the drivers good enough?
Is the car fast
enough to compete?
It seemed like a strange decision to
bring a current cup car to a 24-hour race.
Uh, like... maybe like bringing
a knife to a gun fight?
The biggest challenge
is taking a car that's
designed to make left turns
on a mile-and-a-half
track for three hours
and turning it into a car that
can handle an 8.5 mile road course
with 38 turns for 24 hours.
France also needed a team
to build and race the car.
And there is no more accomplished
team than Hendrick Motorsports.
Hendrick Motorsports is NASCAR's
most successful, most powerful team.
I mean, if you were
gonna choose a team
that you wanted to finish
a 24-hour race with,
this was the team
you'd want to choose.
We gonna do this right.
Whatever it takes,
we're gonna do it right.
We're not gonna go over
there and be embarrassed.
The choice to lead
the team was obvious.
The most decorated crew
chief in the sport's history.
Chad Knaus.
The Garage 56 project
was run by Chad Knaus,
who I would consider to be the
greatest crew chief of all time
in NASCAR's premier series.
If you want to
make a comparison,
Chad Knaus is like the Bill Belichick
or the Nick Saban of NASCAR.
He is ruthless, he is a taskmaster
and he is all about winning.
The first step:
travel to France to witness
the challenge face-to-face.
So, we went over to Le
Mans just to check it out.
And, uh, all that was actually
really intriguing and exciting for me
as-as the thing
started to tumble
and, uh, the conversations
began to become more real.
Our goal is to make 24 hours, but
we gotta start the race first.
-Yeah.
-Right?
We're gonna do everything
in proper order, folks.
We're gonna be in some
semblance of that right there.
This is team hospitality and
team engineering hospitality.
Ah.
-This is Porsche.
-Yeah.
For Knaus, the
mission was clear.
One year to build
a team and a car
that could withstand the
grueling conditions of Le Mans.
-Perfect timing, hey?
-Pleasure.
So, shit, how are you
gonna make this work?
Well...
You coming to the garage?
I really appreciate
your hospitality
and this is good
for him to see this.
-Have you raced it?
-I've never been.
This is my first time
I've ever even been here.
The FIA and the ACO, they drew
a line in the sand and said,
"Look, you need to run, uh,
about a 354-minute lap time."
Okay. Great.
"We don't want you going over 200
miles an hour down the straightaway."
Okay. Great.
So, well, now we have some
criteria. Now we can get to work.
Running a stock car at Le Mans
is like trying to win the
Masters with a baseball bat.
The car will have to get lighter,
more agile, carry more fuel
and be prepared to race in
the rain and total darkness.
Saying, "Oh, hey, this has
never been done before,
so if you're not going
to be able to do it,"
drove a lot of us even further to say,
"Hey, we're gonna make this happen."
Everybody take a look at
the pallet over there.
It's what it came with.
Well, there's more
to go in there.
Brian, how much is that?
-It's roughly 200 pounds of steel.
-Wow. Really? Wow.
The team will be operating
an ocean away from home
on a global stage where
respect for NASCAR is limited.
And the success of Garage
56 is considered doubtful.
A lot of Garage 56 cars
have not finished this race.
We have not had an American
Garage 56 car finish the race,
we have also not had a custom
built car finish this race.
There is a lot riding on this and there's
kind of a rocky history behind it.
NASCAR's had a pretty
rough ride, in all honesty.
In Europe and some of the
other parts of the world.
This hasn't been taken lightly.
This is the pride of NASCAR, the
pride of the US, Chevrolet, Goodyear.
It's gonna be mega.
It's gonna be mega.
You know you can bring all the
right partners together, uh,
you can have the right race car
but when the green flag falls...
For 24 hours you need three
drivers and you need experience.
-Hey, man, how ya doing?
-Morning, everybody.
-How are you guys?
-Good to see you.
Good to see you, man.
The first time I heard about it really,
it was at Sebring when it was announced.
Uh, at the press conference.
And I understood that it's a
personal thing also for Mr. France.
2,000 pounds. It's
gonna be light.
-We will see.
-I know.
I heard some rumors that they,
you know, are looking for drivers
to develop it from the beginning,
to be involved, who is available,
who's not tied properly to
a different manufacturer.
Probably with a little
more experience ideally.
I mean, two-time Le Mans winner.
I mean are you kidding me?
He's got so much experience in so
many different types of race cars.
Mike, you've won Le Mans, you've
won the 24 hours in Nrburgring.
Now you get a Daytona.
You're gonna get a Rolex.
Oh, finally, man.
Uh, you needed
someone like Mike.
You needed someone that could
dedicate a huge portion of their time
to getting this platform ready to go
do what he had done for so many years.
You know, no matter
what we get used to
maybe there's one or two
buttons we have to change.
But I think as a
start, it's nice.
I think the first
day in the sim,
was one of the moments where
I realized how big this is
because I saw a lot of
cameras, a lot of people.
So it was like, whoa, this is...
this is probably the biggest attendance
I've ever seen on a simulation day.
This is a pretty good lap too.
Yeah, Mike's doing great.
He's... He's awesome
on this thing.
I'm very impressed.
I expected him not being... having
the experience in this car to...
to spend the first couple of laps just
finding the limits, spinning, going off.
He's just smooth as glass.
Nowadays, you do so
much with simulation.
Um, which for this project was I
think crucial, um, because you cannot,
you know, build a car, go
testing, rebuild it, go testing.
So you can set your realistic goals
nowadays, um, basically on the computer,
try it out and see
what the effect is.
Uh, yeah.
The car is a bit more stable,
but, um, overall, yeah...
...it's still very difficult
to drive, for sure.
-Okay. I jump out.
-That's good.
The platform movement is...
I can remember him getting
out of the simulator,
said, you know, this
isn't good enough,
no that's not gonna happen, we
can't do this, can't do that.
And I was like, "Whoo."
He's a tough guy to please.
But he's right.
We realized that
it's a long way,
we need to improve stuff,
but there was always a positive atmosphere
and we always wanted to make it better.
Better and better every day.
The timetable was ridiculous.
We have one shot and one opportunity
to go and make this thing successful.
And if we blew it, it
would be lost forever.
Can we get somebody to
cut these studs out?
Just because it aggravates
the shit out of me.
Watching everyone work together on
something so unique and different
and just bringing everything
that they had to the table
to try and make it succeed.
It's fascinating to watch
and kinda nerd out on it.
An exciting day because a lot of
work has been put into this car.
First time, you know,
going out there.
Being in the simulator you have some
expectations but you wanna feel it.
You know? You wanna hear it.
You wanna smell it.
I think the whole
team is super excited.
Just getting the car built and on
track for the first time is a...
is a major, major milestone.
But you go to the
track the first time
you're not really sure
how things are gonna go.
Okay, time to play.
Theory and simulation
will only take you so far.
With seven months until the eyes of
the racing world were on Garage 56,
the true testing began.
Turn one.
Copy, turn one.
So the dashboard went black,
engine switched off when I
accelerated out of Corner Two.
And now it came back
on. It's like a reset.
Okay, it did it again.
Fuck.
All right, copy.
Let's just see if we can take it slow and
then just get it back here to the garage.
It was cold, we had electrical
gremlins that were creeping up.
And you realize pretty quickly
the complexity of the car,
you realize really quickly that we
need to learn more about the car.
So now we found already
some weak spots,
unreliability, and, uh,
this will go on and go on.
And we will stop more times on the
track. That's part of the game.
Let's hope that's it.
Whoo!
-All good.
-Copy.
Starting to pick up
over here by the garage.
Mother nature brought a
quick end to the first test.
NASCAR does not typically
race in the rain.
But the team must prepare
for every condition the 24 hours
of Le Mans might throw at them.
All right, good to go, Rocky.
In Le Mans you can
have everything, right?
It's a long track so one part could be
dry and the other part could be wet.
So it can be all in one race
and you have to be prepared.
I mean, tires are the most
important part in every road car.
Race car, for sure.
That's why we are here to improve
the product and be ready for Le Mans.
Mike, they want you
to do the circle.
Okay, the circle again.
The goal was to
come out of here
with the best wet package
that we possibly could.
So we've really leaned on everybody
within the corporation, uh,
to be able to design
and develop something
just specifically
for this vehicle.
In order to make a positive contribution,
uh, when we're on the ground at Le Mans.
That's three laps complete.
One more lap.
We told you not to
get the car wet.
Huh? Yeah, I mean this
is... this is shocking.
It didn't have it that bad of
a memory from the first run.
-Right.
-But once you get used to the other stuff...
We gave you the good
stuff now. Yeah.
You're spoiled and then
you go out, you're like...
No grip.
So when it comes
to driver selection
we wanted to retain some
NASCAR DNA and NASCAR history.
And Jimmie Johnson to me was
the perfect choice for that.
There's another
seven-time champ.
Jimmie Johnson wins his seventh
NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
You're not gonna get
bigger star power.
You know, very much a
staple in our sport.
Jimmie Johnson has retired from
full-time NASCAR Cup competition.
And Jimmie Johnson had indicated
on a consistent basis that,
"Yes, I want to run Le Mans,
I want to race Le Mans."
It just seemed like it
would be a natural fit.
As a young boy, and my dad being
a mechanic and around racing,
at some point in time
he pointed out Le Mans
and the cars looked so cool
and they raced for so long.
I thought, "Man,
I wanna do that.
I wanna drive one of those cool
looking cars for as long as I can.
I wanna do that."
I knew a stock car was potentially
coming to Le Mans in 2023.
And all the pieces of the puzzle were
there and I got the formal invite.
And I'm honored to
be a part of it.
What do you think?
-I'm in a good spot.
-Yeah.
And then, they'll have
to explain to you,
like, neutral, 'cause
you'll have to push a button
and then hit a paddle and...
Which I think you can
go to neutral over there
to a reverse over there as well.
And there's plenty of buttons.
The helmet fan switch again?
It should be on the center console.
I don't know which number it is.
Found it.
Six months out from Le
Mans, the testing continued.
The team was still
missing a crucial piece.
The third driver.
That's eight timed laps.
He's coming in next lap.
Hey. Know him? That's Jenson.
Oh. Well.
-Yeah. How ya doing?
-Good to see you, man.
-Hey. How's it going?
-Chad Knaus.
-Hey. Nice to meet you.
-My name is Ben Wright. Nice to meet you.
-It's loud.
-It is.
It's fucking awesome.
You brought your helmet? Ready?
Jimmie said, "Did you
bring your helmet?"
I said, "Nah, I would just like to
come and see what you guys are doing."
Jenson Button is the 2009
Formula 1 World Champion.
We are World Champions!
World Champions!
Whoo!
And Jenson is at a point in his
career where he is out of Formula 1
and now he's dabbling in other
things just like Jimmie Johnson.
I've known Jenson a long time,
but honestly Mike Rockenfeller
has a lot to do with
getting Jenson to that test.
It was a coincidence actually.
Um, he shoot me a text, uh, saying
"Hey, uh, how was your two cup races?"
So when he texted me I
was like, wait a minute.
Jenson? He would be the
perfect fit actually.
So, straight away I said, "Okay.
My experience was like this"...
"But I have a great idea.
What do you think about racing a
NASCAR in Le Mans for the Garage 56?"
And, uh, I was like,
"Man, that's so cool."
He sent me a photo and, uh...
I was like, "Can I come along?
Can I come and see the
car?" And he went, "Yeah."
It looks awesome.
-It looks so cool.
-Nice. Thanks.
-Fans are gonna love it.
-Yeah, I'm... Yeah, they're gonna go nuts.
-They're not gonna care who wins the race.
-No.
Although, this car is
not built to do 24 hours,
they're built for four-hour
races here in the States.
But I'm well up for the challenge doing
24 and I think it's gonna be epic.
Rockenfeller did the egress test
for us to get out of the right side.
Typically it's yeah, body facing
this way, that leg in, that leg in,
-grab you know here...
-Well, I was gonna go head first.
-I mean...
-Go ahead. Do it. Do it.
You could push it on. You
don't have to pull that.
And then you have to
pull that to get off.
-You look pretty... pretty jammed in there.
-Yeah. Yeah.
Let's put your
helmet on with this.
Just to see where you're at.
For me, the dream scenario
would be to tilt it.
Tilt it which way?
-That way. Okay.
-Just like that. Yeah.
So I think we need to pour
a second seat-liner then.
When they get
here, which is fine
'cause I think you'll be
probably our tallest driver.
So, look, you can get out.
-Look at this guy. Happy birthday.
-Hello, mate.
-Thank you very much.
-Good to see you.
-I always love taking a red eye...
-You look...
-...on my birthday.
-You look bright-eyed though.
-I figured you might be all banged up.
-Um... Coffee.
-Good.
-Yeah.
Good, good.
-Yeah, all good, mate.
-So, what, 50?
50, yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-I can't remember if I'm older than you.
-I'm still behind you.
-Oh, damn. Oh, shit.
-I'm 43. Come on.
You can sit in that one
if you want, Jimmie.
-Tell me what you think.
-I'll go and get my suit.
-I'm wearing it.
-Oh... Oh!
-That really doesn't fit.
-No?
That one is a little.
This distance.
Oh, your body is longer,
my-my legs are long.
-Okay.
-Yeah.
-That distance is really uncomfortable.
-But it's...
-I mean it's definitely...
-Yep.
-It's definitely tight.
-Nice.
It's like it's been
painted on. Yeah.
You guys see a NASCAR on a...
on a banking all the time.
I don't.
-He's excited.
-You look so NASCAR.
I know. Look at this.
B5 is...
So you'll be getting in next.
About ten minutes for the
driver change and tire change,
which should be less than that.
Should give you enough time for
about, uh, three to four timed laps.
I'll get dressed now then.
All right, we're going to push you.
I'll let you know when to pop it.
Ready... Go.
It's definitely a
shock to the system.
The steering, you feel like
you've got lots of front grip.
And then as soon as
you get into a corner,
you have a massive
amount of understeer.
Which doesn't fill me full of
confidence on my first run.
Completing lap
three. Five to go.
You know, I-I was so
excited about this project,
and then I drove
the car initially
and I thought I'd made
a massive mistake.
That's what I thought.
The-The weird thing is how much
the car actually moves around,
you know, even when you're
just lightly loaded.
Uh, the-the car is kind of rocking
around, which is very strange for me.
Also the brakes.
You know, I'm braking unbelievably
early just 'cause I'm working up to it.
I'm so out of my depth.
This is just so different
to anything I've driven.
-You hit the brakes...
-Oh, okay.
-And it just doesn't slow down, does it?
-Told you.
So you get to the corner, you think,
"Oh, I'll release the brake now,"
-and then it just keeps going.
-Too fast. Mm-hmm.
I feel like... Uh, I felt
like I'm on the dirt here.
The drivers weren't the only ones
stepping out of their comfort zones.
So, 165 inches...
Back in Charlotte,
the Garage 56 pit crew also
faced a learning curve.
That's crazy.
That's so narrow.
Ready. Set. Go.
With a Garage 56 car, you
cannot do a NASCAR pit stop.
You have to modify it.
So, the crew had to
learn new choreography,
new muscle memory, new rules.
And I think it really speaks to
how good of athletes they are
in finding these tiny little
advantages everywhere.
Better job, Jarius,
finishing with your
hands on that left rear.
Going to Le Mans,
we're looking at potentially 40 pit
stops and going 24 hours straight.
So, we want to show the
world what we truly do
and put that on the platform.
So, we had to definitely
put in the time and effort
to make sure that we were
mentally and physically ready.
And the practice itself
was just grueling
but the bonding of the team
and those guys coming
together as one
and really building a very
tight-knit relationship
is what kind of kept everybody
driving on the same path.
Now that is a stop.
Way to finish it.
Way to finish it.
To look the part for Le Mans,
the black and gray of
the test car wouldn't do.
Jim France's dream was more
than just finishing the race,
it was to grab everyone's
attention while doing it.
Which called for a
proverbial new coat of paint.
Thing that I like the
best about the car is
I like the color
selection. Number one.
It-it's just a badass
looking race car.
Look at that, man. My God.
Oh, it's a beautiful work of
art. The fans will love it.
The next test on the journey to Le
Mans was a 24-hour run at Sebring.
A dress rehearsal for the race,
which was just 100 days away.
I don't know what you're
feeling. I just have a plan.
For the first hour and a half,
-we just gotta get the car closer.
-Right.
Anybody that's been grounded
during sports car racing knows
that there's only one place to truly
test the reliability of your car.
And that's at Sebring
International Raceway.
It's been said that
racing 12 hours at Sebring
is tougher than racing
24 hours anywhere.
We came here with the intent
of finding weak points.
And try to make sure
that in 100 days,
we are ready to accomplish the goal of
finishing the 100th-anniversary race
in what's going to be a
very, very competitive field.
We will pit this
time. Pit this time.
The pit stops. This is brand
new for these guys, right?
So this is a great
opportunity for us to
continue to refine and just make
it better and more efficient.
-What you got?
-12-90.
It's decent. That wheel was
stuck a little bit at 12-90.
-Core strength.
-What's the goal?
-Protect the car.
-Make sure... Yeah.
Protect the car and don't
get a penalty, right?
We're gonna get all core drivers
to talk a little bit more
to get their driver
changed a little better.
Driver change is a big one.
Yeah, we can make the car as
quick as we want on track.
But driver change is just so
far off where they need to be.
You know, we're getting
through a mailbox basically.
Trying to get in and out of where
everyone else has a door at Le Mans.
So, it's not easy but we're working on
it. We're getting better all the time.
I don't know what to say.
Honestly, it's so bad,
I've never had something
like that happen like that.
And the harder we
go, the worse it is.
First set, I thought had
less grip, more fall off.
And this one was doing
really good until it wasn't.
-And then it was just too big for me.
-Yeah.
Okay.
You like it?
See?
Do you like it?
-You like the color?
-It's Raptor?
You like Raptor more. Okay.
I know it's not as cool as the Raptor
car, but it's still cool, isn't it?
-Yeah, it is.
-Good.
I'm glad. All right.
Wash your hands.
I'll see ya later, buddy.
All right. We're going
to run about 32 laps.
Just do your best as you can and we'll get
into the night here and see how it goes.
Man, it's beautiful here.
Ooh! The lights are on.
Oh!
That looks nice,
like on tracks.
Go, Jenson!
There's a reason probably he
won the World Championship.
Yeah. Not bad.
He's not bad.
Really, right now, we're logging miles.
That's all we're just trying to do.
We're trying to fatigue the car. And
so, you're really focusing on, okay.
How are the brakes working
in the cooler temperatures?
How do the lights work? You know, are the
drivers able to use their switches well?
Hit the buttons well?
All of the things that
you're gonna go through
through a 24-hour
race over in Le Mans.
Sounds nice.
Oh... It's amazing.
-The sound and the look... Yeah.
-Down the Mulsanne?
-Yeah. At night?
-It's impressive.
-It's so massive.
-It's like Jim France says,
"It's hauling ass."
Yeah.
And you see it now.
I mean look at it.
Ten laps complete.
Twenty-two to go.
Yeah, we're just plugging along in
the middle of the night. Logging laps.
And then things started
to change pretty quickly.
Guys, I've got some sparks
coming inside the car,
up through the wheel
on the left-front.
Middle of the night, Jimmie's
coming on the back straightway.
He's like, "I think the car's on fire."
And everybody's ears perk up immediately.
10-4, you've got sparks coming in
on the left-front, is that correct?
Yeah, I definitely have a lot of smoke
in the cockpit now. Something's burning.
It was like, oh, my gosh. There I
ran all the way out to pit road,
a lot of the other guys were running
out to pit road with fire extinguishers.
We get it put out and it's
like, shoot. Okay, now what?
Everything was covered with
fire extinguisher dust.
Everything was covered in smoke. It
looked pretty ugly at that point.
The foot box was on fire
coming down pit road.
Currently, right now,
we've got one race car.
So, we gotta make sure that this
horse can continue to run. So, we...
we wanted to look at everything.
What we need to do here guys, like
we-we're doing, take off, uh...
the rocker, take off
everything we can.
Do everything we need to do to fix this.
And then we'll assess it from there.
Everybody and... no matter
which level on the team,
was, you know, trying to help.
Greg, this is what
I think happens.
I think that big ball that
you had was up here, right?
'Cause we saw the flap coming off.
And it gets down inside to here
and falls down on top of that
collector and catches on fire.
Yep.
There was a conversation
about maybe, you know,
taking a deep breath and
shutting it down at that point.
Well, this whole thing's
electrical, right?
I don't know.
What happens if throttle
position sensor goes...
-Yeah, exactly.
-...crazy or something like that, right?
-Yeah.
-And he ends up in the airport.
Oh, I think we'll
just count this as 24.
What? You gotta be kidding me.
We came here to
test. Let's test.
We had to change some break
lines, inspect the wiring,
get it all cleaned up.
Took maybe a little bit longer than what
we would want it to be sitting there,
but we had to do some diligence
to make sure the car was safe.
All right, we can go
back out for a little.
We got a driver yet?
When everything is smooth, it's
always easy to run something.
But when there is a problem,
that's when you see the difference
between the good and the bad teams.
And we definitely
had a great team.
Whoo-hoo!
When you do that
24-hour test together,
and you're up all night,
and, you know, you see each other at
2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning...
That was our best one yet.
...it's when it
starts to get real.
This is not easy.
This is a very difficult test, perhaps the
most difficult test in all of motorsport.
We're driving in
day, night, fog.
It was tough, but I loved it.
We solved some
things mechanically
that we needed to improve upon.
So we're gonna get home,
we're gonna talk about it
and we'll figure out
what we need to do.
Well, boys and girls, thanks
for all the hard work.
So I think everybody's pretty aware
of what's happening with the cars.
But I think we may
have to do some work.
I've got April 11th
would be when they pick up
the sea freight container.
And then May 18th for when they
would load up all the air freight.
Le Mans, there's just so
many unknowns and it...
You're in another country, so you
don't even know what you can get.
Like, there's no Walmart.
There's no Home Depot.
So I have a very
long Excel list. Yes.
If our goal was to
finish the race,
scientific back-to-back testing was a
key piece in getting to our Le Mans goal.
Rocky, you got a radio check?
Loud and clear. Feels like
we need more downforce.
Just running, running, running.
Putting mileage on the car.
All the development, you know, we
always went back to the simulator.
If that is really happening in a
real car, I think it's pretty fast.
Go to the racetrack,
come back, validate,
and make sure that we understood
what we needed for the next time.
We'll get that
thing running right.
From one test session to the next, we're
really in the window to maximize this car.
Mere weeks remain before
shipping out to France.
Cautious optimism
ran through the team.
But were they truly prepared?
Don't get over there too far but
just kinda stand right there.
Plug your ears, too.
Whoo!
I told you.
That's not even top
speed right there.
This test done in
Sebring, our final test.
We wanna come down and do
some durability testing.
We had some pit stops. We had
some, uh, driver exchanges.
We ran some at night to
double-check the lights.
Ran in the rain again.
I think that there are some areas
that we need to improve upon still.
Um... But all in all I think we're
ready to attack what Le Mans gives us.
It's starting to
hit me a little bit,
what's really getting
ready to happen.
We've come a long way with
the speed, the durability.
I'm really pleased with
what's happened so far.
And when we get over there, it's
just, it's time to put on a show.
You're never done working on a race
car, it's just time to go race.
So we can work on this thing
till this time next year and
still not be ready to go.
Just gotta go do it.
We're gonna go over and try and
shine a big light on ourselves
so we can't fall on our
ass when we get over there.
It's that DNA that is ingrained in our
sport from long before I came along.
Taking something like this, where
you went from a blank sheet of paper,
and now we're sitting here
with a running vehicle.
It is a major, major milestone.
And it's exciting to know that
we're gonna take this thing
and go over to Le
Mans and run it.
Finally on French soil, after
more than a year of work,
the team began a week of carefully
choreographed traditions.
The first was unusual
and unique to Le Mans.
The car left the circuit for the
center of town for scrutineering,
a version of technical and
safety inspection on steroids.
Perfect.
Crowds are lined up for
scrutineering at Le Mans.
At least, I presume they used
to do something like this
in the days when cars were raced
here for the first time in 1923.
Certainly today it is a highly
organized form of chaos.
At Le Mans, you can
tell very quickly
the cars which are going to capture
the imagination of the crowd.
The scrutineering process,
for the first timers,
that's where Le Mans becomes very
different from anything they ever did,
because tech is in the middle
of a city, Friday, Saturday.
And it is packed with fans.
And you spend two or
three hours there.
The mechanics don't just take the
car, go through tech and come back.
The drivers have to be there.
They have the team photo,
and the media are there.
So, it's a show.
-Horsepower?
-Yes.
It's 750. Similar miles per
hour and lap time as a GT car.
-Crazy car.
-Yeah.
-For Le Mans.
-Yeah.
Oh, I absolutely love it.
It looks very out of place.
But it is maybe the coolest thing
Le Mans has seen in a while.
We were just talking
about the aero choices.
But it's gonna be
incredible to see it.
That kid's hat.
-What? Huh?
-A Jimmie Johnson hat.
Jimmie Johnson
championship hat.
I'm mic'd, by the way.
-Oh, are you?
-Yeah.
There was your warning.
I'm mic'd, by the way.
-You're Mike?
-Yeah.
He's Mike.
Oh, you're Mike. Okay. I'm
sorry. I thought I was Mike.
Jimmie, make sure after the race, if
you win, you back it into the wall.
Crack the back?
Scrutineering at Le Mans is...
Well, there's nothing like it.
It's massive.
And it's not all
just for photos.
You're actually, you know, the
car is getting scrutineered.
They're like, "What
are we gonna check?"
Yes. First time.
First time?
The driver's race suit and
the driver's crash helmet.
We're all getting scrutineered.
And you're signing on.
We need to do a very, very...
NASCAR, marriage with the
two kids and the house.
-Now the matador.
-If you're not first, you're last.
Throw in like a Ricky
Bobby quote in there.
We signed on like Ricky Bobby.
"If you ain't
first, you're last."
I think it just showed the
atmosphere that is in our team
and how we were
enjoying the journey.
-It fits.
-My one is too big.
Well, maybe after I've washed
it. It's gonna be tight.
I'm not gonna wash it.
I got pockets, though.
Oh, you got pockets.
-Why don't I...
-Jimmie hasn't got any pockets.
-What am I gonna do with my hands?
-You can use mine, buddy.
Let go of me.
What are you dreams for...
Yeah, it's great to be here. You know,
Jimmie, Rocky, they're great friends.
To see race fans arrive a
week plus before the race
to be there for scrutineering,
to get the autographs,
it really has helped me grasp
just how special the race is
and what that
experience is like.
Welcome, everybody, to Le Mans
for the first on-track action in
this centenary 24 hours of Le Mans.
Now this track, it is very different
because it's not a permanent racetrack.
You know, high speed circuit.
You've got your chicanes on the back
straight, the Mulsanne Straight.
Different challenges up and down
regardless of what category you're in.
This circuit poses
a real challenge.
While Garage 56 turned
heads at scrutineering,
the fact remained they had yet
to turn a lap on the circuit.
No one knew what to expect.
And few outside the team
expected very much at all.
It was the first
chance to impress
or fall flat.
Did NASCAR belong at Le Mans?
-Got me, Rocky?
-I got you loud and clear.
We're looking at
four total laps here.
Just be ready for anything.
Being in the car, driving
through the first time,
yeah, I was for sure nervous.
Is it feeling like in the
simulator? Is it what we expected?
Boy, does this thing
look completely different
than anything else out there.
Look, we normally see these cars
just going around in circles
turning left and, uh, it's
turning left and right.
It looks like he's doing
a pretty good job of it.
And from what we've seen
so far, it's got some pace.
During the tests, they were really fast.
So not a lot of people expected that.
Just watch and
listen to this thing.
This is great fun.
It was ahead of most
at the GTE class.
So that was a great start.
It's a long, long lap.
And a long straightaway has really allowed
me to reflect on what I'm doing here,
what we're doing as a group,
all the time and effort and
energy that's been put into this.
Great job, everybody.
We're five seconds faster right now
than the next GTE car. That's awesome.
Great job, man.
That was awesome.
-That was so fucking awesome.
-They did a great job.
-That's so fun.
-All right?
-Yeah.
-Awesome. Great lap times too.
Photographs, autographs and
thousands of fans clamoring
for a piece of
motorsport excellence.
Their next chance to witness it,
the Pit Stop Challenge.
Each crew had one chance to knock
out the quickest stop they could
for bragging rights
throughout the Paddock.
The Garage 56 crew had
its eyes on the trophy
and a taste of Le Mans glory.
I feel like they've never
seen people work out.
Nope.
They're working out. They
were running sprints.
The other teams were
watching them and were like,
"What in the world
are these guys up to?"
It's like they've
seen bigfoot.
Seeing our guys practice
and... and get ready,
I was like, "These guys are
gonna do a pretty good job."
We didn't know what the other
people were capable of doing.
We didn't know. We
didn't really care.
We just knew what we needed to do
and we wanted to perform really well.
All right.
Everybody's gotta be behind the red line
other than the five guys doing the stop.
Smooth, guys. Smooth, smooth.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Go!
Nice, guys.
Nice.
Hey, way to go!
How about that!
It was honestly the best stop we had
run in any practice in the States
or any practice in
France leading up to it.
And we were at the top of the
leaderboard so it was really cool to see.
Here we are shoving a
manual jack under this car
and doing pit stops faster
than the whole Le Mans field.
NASCAR really earned the
respect of all the top teams
who really just have mechanics
often doing the pit stops.
Then it was the
waiting game, right?
We're all watching and
it's kind of nerve-racking
and it's just this huge deal.
And all the drivers were there,
super excited for the guys.
Chad's on the phone
with Mr. Hendrick
and he's over there waiting
to hear the details.
It was really cool to see the amount
of support around everybody there.
We won?
They wanted to win
that thing so bad.
And I think the guys
were... were just amazing.
-We were so proud of them.
-Good job, guys.
Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.
And the guys walked down, you know,
to the podium carrying the jack.
And I had the drivers separating the
fans so the pit crew could get through.
This is bad-ass, you know that?
And to watch the guys in
that pressure-packed moment
knock out an 11 second
pit stop and podium
against all those lightweight,
little cars with airjacks.
Um, yeah, it-it was really a prideful
moment for the whole project.
Seven, eight months ago, we
started this as a brotherhood
and we decided we were
gonna give our all
and to be able to see how far we came
is just the best thing, for sure.
They beat all of the GTE
teams with four jacks.
-Yeah. That was huge. Yeah.
-That got everybody's attention.
I don't think there was a
lot of talk about Garage 56
and a NASCAR Cup car maybe
stealing the headlines,
stealing the show at Le Mans
but I think this car really did.
Daylight faded and
headlights glared
as the final practice session
extended into the night.
Ready or not, soon they'd
be racing for 24 hours.
-All right, buddy?
-What's good?
We were just saying you
might need a beer after that.
I'll definitely take a beer.
-That looked so much better.
-Yeah, I mean, just...
uh, I could trust the mirror for a
while and then eventually it went shit
so it must be a film that gets
on there and it freaks it out.
-So the light was better? Or not?
-The... Yeah.
The lights were better. Yeah,
it was a little more up and out.
-Good. Okay.
-Um, yeah.
But, um, traction
control saved my ass.
-Did it?
-Mm-hmm. I would have been around.
Right, homework time.
So is Le Mans everything
you dreamed of?
-Me?
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
-Yeah?
-Cheers.
-Cheers, Mike.
-One good car.
-Congrats, gents.
Great job today.
-You guys are fantastic. Amazing.
-Thank you. Cheers.
The driver parade at, uh, at Le
Mans, it's a great atmosphere.
I think it doesn't
matter what car you're in
or what team you're driving
for, there's so much love.
It's the whole city.
I've never seen so many people.
That was way different than a parade.
That was... That was like Mardi Gras.
Rocky, you've got
'em going, dude.
-Huh?
-You've got 'em riled up.
That's awesome.
That's what you have to do.
Some people that come to Le Mans
they'll be a fan of Ferrari,
they'll be a fan of Porsche,
they'll be a fan of Caddy.
But with us, we had no
competition so everyone loved us.
USA!
Hey, look what I got.
Jimmie, you are bold.
Savoring a moment like that, knowing
that, at least in my own head,
I might not ever be here again.
It was awesome. What a... What
a highlight and a fun day.
-It's so crazy, isn't it?
-It's so crazy.
Start spraying the
champagne on them.
Hey, I tell you what,
they will love it.
Oh, you spilled all my booze.
Want some?
Yeah, might as well.
It's so bad.
Really foamy.
You know, obviously, a lot of hard work
going into, uh, the last two weeks.
I think we, uh, all
are ready for tomorrow,
uh, to-to start.
Uh, this isn't a NASCAR race
where you only go three hours.
This is an endurance race.
Don't think you have
to man up or woman up
to think you don't have time
to just take a 15 minute nap
and it's gonna definitely be worth
it in the end so use a chair.
Words of encouragement
could only do so much
to settle the nerves.
They'd come to Le Mans to run a race
and with any luck, reach its finish.
And no one could know if the months
of preparation had been enough.
We get ready for the start
of the world's greatest
endurance motoring event.
Here at the Circuit
de la Sarthe.
24 Hours of Le Mans.
Quest France, here you go.
Wonderful.
A truly massive crowd here.
It's great to have a NASCAR
here, and Button's the driver.
We're huge fans of Jenson Button
so it couldn't be any better.
Over the next 24 hours,
I'm pulling for NASCAR.
I came all the way from Texas to see
Garage 56 in my first Le Mans race.
It's something that I've wanted
to do since I could drive.
Today's the day.
To showcase what we have.
But now we just have
to run 24 hours.
Great to see that everybody's
in fine fettle this morning.
We have 62 operational cars.
This was it.
This is the culmination
of everything we've done.
-What's up, brother?
-What's up?
-How you doing? How's it feel?
-Wow.
Great, huh?
-I wanna wish you the best of luck.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
-Thanks for coming down.
The green flag was gonna fall.
And we have to go for 24 hours
straight with that Camaro.
I would go get staged, 'cause
it's gonna be chaos down there.
It's a huge effort from
these manufacturers
to bring all these cars, most
of them new racing this season,
to the grid here.
And they are absolutely blown away
by the reception from the crowd.
We would watch the
whole, entire pit road
just kind of slowly make its
way to the end where we were at.
That was pretty cool to see.
The basketball player in
the house, LeBron James.
This is the first time
I've been part of
something like this.
We're actually here.
We're gonna race a
NASCAR at Le Mans.
It blew my mind, as it blew
everyone else's mind at the Paddock.
USA!
America's taken over this year.
It really has.
Sixty-two teams have
jammed the grid.
300,000 fans here
for the 100th anniversary edition
of the 24 Hours at Le Mans.
The moment is at hand.
Hey, have fun.
Thank you, you too.
The race is declared
wet. I didn't know.
Okay, thank you.
Rocky, have you got me?
Loud and clear.
Drivers...
...start...
...your...
...engines.
Yeah, let's fire.
The engines have
roared to life.
We are so close to four
o'clock in the afternoon.
1600 hours and the start
of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
I appreciate
everybody's hard work,
dedication and determination
to get us to this point.
Drivers, go pilot
this thing with pride.
Let's service it
here with pride.
And let's go out there and
get us a 24-hour race in.
Thank you all for everything.
Garage 56, you are in
the group of LMP2s.
Let's stay with them please.
The world's oldest active
endurance racing event.
The grandstand is packed.
It's 1600 and the second century of
Le Mans endurance racing starts now.
Le Mans 2023 is underway.
Watch out,
the start with the first
attacks from behind. Watch out!
We have started
the 91st edition
of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
100 years since the
first race took place.
So much to watch
and best of all,
it's that perpetual
treat, the sound.
Magnificent engine though
of the Chevrolet Camaro.
This car is so loud.
A lot of the other cars
are whizzing by just...
And then the Garage 56 car...
It's this deep, guttural
wail that shakes everything.
And we were like, "Hell
yeah! Go, America! Rah."
Ooh, there's a barrier there.
It's a 311 into the barrier on
the exit of the first chicane.
There... There's
a crash exit...
Exit of the chicane.
Crash ahead.
Stay right. Stay right.
Coming out of the
Daytona Chicane
and has absolutely ruined
the front end of that car.
Who would have thought
that a 24-hour race
was gonna start out like
a-a-a demolition derby?
One car off the track! Help!
No.
Here's the 32.
Just ahead of
the NASCAR there.
With those slick tires, it is
literally like driving on ice.
To throw it away this early on in a
24-hour race, is just absolutely crazy.
Rocky, did you hit any debris?
Uh, I tried to avoid
as much as I could.
Tire pressure looks
okay all round.
We will pit this time.
We will pit this time.
Driver change.
Copy.
Here in five, four,
three, two, one.
Okay, fire when ready.
Go, go, go.
You're gonna have three
GTEs coming up behind you.
Reminder, cold
tires, cold brakes.
Jimmie Johnson now behind the
wheel of the Hendrick number 24.
-Car was good.
-Yeah, but we are...
we are missing a bit of straight
line and then bit of balance,
um, I think right now.
Twenty-two hours to go.
Feels like we've been really
through the wringer already though.
Doing a great job,
Jimmie. Doing a great job.
Oh, huge off!
It's absolutely destroyed
the right-hand side.
Jimmie, there's big
wreck, just for awareness.
Copy.
Watch for debris.
Watch for debris.
The Cadillac, number three,
got a whack as well at
the top of the hill.
Ricky Taylor, who has
crashed into the barrier.
That was a massive
hit. A massive hit.
There is going to
be a slow zone,
uh, exit of Porsche Curves, zone
nine, right before start/finish line.
Zone one and zone three
off of Tertre Rouge.
Okay, zone one, zone
three, slow zones.
Yeah, it's like playing
the Hokey Pokey.
We're gonna be making a call
on whether to pit you here.
I don't disagree,
Greg. You can...
He's been there long enough if
you want to make that change.
I think it's acceptable.
We wanted to make sure every driver
got an opportunity to get in the car
because we didn't know
what was gonna happen.
We could break on the fourth hour
and, you know, only one driver get in.
The driver's ready.
The tires are ready.
Change. Yeah.
Yeah, 10-4. Pitting this
time. Driver change.
You don't want to be thinking
too much as a driver.
There's a lot going on and
it's about you just relaxing.
Focusing on what you
need to focus on.
Three, two, one.
Go.
Jenson Button, Formula
1 world champion,
gets the honor in a
Chevrolet NASCAR Cup car.
Jenson, you're
doing a good job.
This whole block of GTE cars that
you're catching will be for position.
We were in a category of one
but we wanted to finish
in front of the GTE cars.
So at that moment, it's like,
"Right, this is where we need to make
up some time and some positions."
Where are we now? What
position are we in the GTEs?
We are, uh, one, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight, nine.
But we're on the lead lap.
And I love that challenge
of hunting cars down.
GTE cars are running
3:57s right now.
The 54 is the leader.
Fifty-four is the leader.
That's pretty good then.
If we can have a couple of seconds on
him a lap that's, uh, that's pretty good.
The #24, the NASCAR.
It's Jenson Button.
We're seeing a lot of support
for this #24 team.
Need to keep pushing hard
on this set of tires.
What position are
we in the GTEs?
Uh, looks like second.
You need to have a challenge.
And I loved it.
Feels weird that this could
all be over in 18 hours.
It's starting to get just
a little bit darker now.
The best time of the
race for me was sunset.
The most difficult time to drive
'cause the sun's in your eyes.
But when night falls, it's
a real special feeling.
Sixty-two cars just shedding,
shedding tires, shedding rubber.
It's like a war
zone out on track.
There's one racing line but you're
overtaking cars all the time.
It's the best moment
in a racing car.
Absolutely loved it.
How many more laps till
we need to pit, Jessica?
Seven laps next time by.
With all of these cautions,
you know, unfortunately it
caught us in a bit of a pinch.
Last thing we wanna do is just put
Jimmie out there at nighttime, right?
Three hours, you good?
I'm good.
We didn't want him out there
in just the dark of night.
And we didn't want him out
there and the rain to start.
So we're watching the weather
and everything looks great,
let's go ahead and
drop Jimmie in the car.
Pit this time. Pit this
time. unplug and off.
Driver change here.
You got... You got some gaps.
Just-Just get a good rhythm
and log some miles right now.
You always enter a
race with a strategy.
But rarely do things play
out as you would hope.
Three, two, one.
Forty-two seconds of fuel.
I've been endurance
racing enough,
there's always something
that's going to haunt you
and put a little
stress in your life.
Radio check.
Yep.
We're getting rain
reports on track.
We're getting some
rain reports on track.
Okay, it is starting to
sprinkle out here on pit road.
Shit.
All right. Make him aware, Greg.
We're heading that direction.
There's reports of rain
entering turn one and two.
Need your rain light turned on.
I need to turn on
my rain lights?
-Yes.
-Here is more drama.
Spits and spots of rain.
There's heavy rain
in the pit lane.
I don't have a ton of
wet driving experience.
And sure enough, they put me in.
And it just... complete downpour.
It's raining hard out
there, Greg, on pit road.
It's now coming down
much, much harder.
It's pouring.
Yeah, I'm flying
off the track.
10-4. Nice and
easy through here.
There are seasoned sports car
drivers wrecking everywhere.
There were a few very frightening
moments out there on track.
But ultimately, in the
back of my mind was,
we... I cannot make a mistake.
Very, very difficult for the drivers
now. It's becoming a race of survival.
The NASCAR Chevy
with Jimmie Johnson
getting round okay but under
very, very slow conditions.
NASCAR, they don't
race in the wet.
He had the worse conditions.
And he has the least amount of
experience in those conditions.
Make sure you're
staying on line, Jimmie.
Make sure you're
staying on line.
Nice and easy here. You're coming
to the worst part of the track here.
We put him out there in the
absolute worst possible conditions
we possibly could have
for a rookie driver.
And he did flawless.
He did amazing.
Go hard and pass this
car on track now.
You're doing a great job. Class
leaders, one straightaway ahead.
Catching up. Good catching.
You're doing a great job.
10-4.
Jimmie did something there that
he hadn't done in his life.
He elevated his status.
That was awesome. So much fun.
I mean, there were some
really sketchy moments
but all in all, um,
I had a great time.
We were talking about
like, oh, you know,
should have a good
transition into the night.
-Yeah.
-Get your eyes adjusted.
Somewhere I heard there wasn't
rain for an hour at least.
-Or it was like 10%.
-No, no.
What's funny is you said "rain
light on," and I didn't...
I'm like, all right.
Then I came around the
corner and it was pouring.
I'm like, okay. Now I get it.
But the nighttime, you can really
use, uh, the lateral grip off.
And also the breaking performance
is up. So, um... Yeah.
We can be really aggressive right
now. Car is... Car is great.
There's the Camaro. The
NASCAR to Le Mans entry.
And everybody associated with this
program is just over-the-moon happy
with how things have been going.
Mike Rockenfeller behind
the wheel of the car now.
Racing at night is for
me the coolest part.
When you are out there, I
always love it, you know.
And you are in your rhythm
and you push it to the limit.
You're doing a great job.
You're making up time.
Keep doing what you're doing.
Just after 2:00 in the
morning, Circuit de la Sarthe.
No shortage of action here.
In the middle of the night
at Le Mans, you're tired.
But every single four minutes,
this car wails by.
And everybody's
nodding off and then...
Oh, there it is.
It's there again.
Pit this time. Pit this time.
Go get, uh, Jenson down there.
Yeah, 10-4. We're ready.
Imagine you jump
out of a race car,
you're full of adrenaline
and you're pumped up.
It's super difficult
to switch off.
And you don't have
that much time to rest.
So it's important just to get your rest
because otherwise you pay for it later on.
And you need to be focused
every time you're in the car.
-Like this?
-Yeah, it's like, if you, like...
How are the belts?
The belts were good.
It's just the right arm
I feel a little bit.
-This arm?
-Yeah.
I don't know why. It must
be the steering or...
It doesn't bother
you in the car.
-You just notice it afterwards?
-No.
Well, yeah, or while driving.
And then you stretch a bit.
But I've never had this,
it's just in this car.
Must be something with
the shape of the wheel.
Right.
So, I need to be
a bit careful now.
Oh, man. I'm tired.
Good morning.
Regardless of what
happens from here,
what we've seen so far has
been truly spectacular.
The Hendrick Motorsports Chevy
Camaro putting on a brilliant show
with some of the best
drivers in the world.
Sunrise was
epic.
And it always is at Le Mans.
The cars are covered
in rubber, oil,
you know, the windscreen's
a bit of a mess
but you don't care.
You've made it through the night.
And it's just... It's a great time.
The drivers kept
upping their game.
The next thing you know,
we're running like 26th
in front of the whole GTE class
and some of the LMP2 cars.
Like, how did this happen?
And they're one of the...
In terms of incidents
and technical issues,
they're probably one of the cars
that's running most like clockwork
out in the entire field.
I mean, take a look
at that leaderboard.
The Camaro is outrunning
every GTE car in the race.
That's astonishing.
So impressive.
You're doing a great job, Rocky.
Continue to manage your brakes for us.
Continue to manage the
brakes. You're doing awesome.
Yeah. All good.
So, brakes.
Left front's not bad.
You can see both
wear indicators.
The right front, the circle is
starting to fill in with carbon.
So that means it's getting
really, really thin.
So what we're gonna need to do is
just kind of monitor and have Rocky,
if he starts to feel the pedal start
to get soft or anything like that,
we're just gonna
have to change 'em.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Stop on the sign.
Are you ready to go?
Go, go.
The brake's gone to the
floor, the brake pedal.
The brake is going to the floor.
Skates, skates, skates.
The team worked flawlessly.
Boom. Everybody knew exactly
what they were supposed to do.
The guys are bringing in the calipers
and the rotors from the back of the house
all the way up to the front.
Pump up the pedal here.
Pump up the pedal.
Nice and slow. Nice and slow.
All is good.
And it wasn't but a
matter of minutes,
we had had it fixed, changed
and back out in pit road.
Okay. Ready? Go, go, go, go.
Hey, guys. I know that was a pain
in the ass but good job doing that.
Good job, everybody. Great work.
Broke the brake bleeder off.
Oh, on the left front.
-That's hard to get in there.
-Yeah.
Pick up? Or something
in the wheel?
No, you know it was
fine all the way in.
It must have been
on the wheel change.
You guys did an awesome
job, so five hours to go.
Hendrick Motorsports,
the innovation car that has
gone out and come back again.
The adventure continues
for the innovation car,
the number 24 Hendrick
Motorsports seventh-gen Cup car.
Jenson Button is driving in the
middle at the moment of the GTE arms.
It still looks great and it's still
running absolutely brilliantly well.
Oh, guys. I think
we've lost the gearbox.
There's a really bad
sound. Really bad.
Looks like the transmission.
His rev lights kept going,
uh, there's no drive.
Okay, 10-4. Just manage
your pace then here.
There's no drive in first
gear, staying in second.
There is drama out on track for
the Hendrick Motorsports Cup car.
Jenson, you're saying it's
making noise and vibrating?
Yeah, really badly.
One of the things that
is unique to Le Mans,
if your car is out there and
it won't run or it won't drive,
they're just gonna move
it into a holding area.
And that's where, basically, the car stays
until the next day after the race is over.
It's done. Your race is over.
I'm just going slowly at the
moment. Driving in second.
It was nerve-racking.
And I was like, "Maybe head
on back to the garage,"
because you didn't want to get out of
gear and not be able to get back in.
Remember you're in second gear.
So try to manage your pace here.
We have a slow car on
track approaching MP30.
We have a slow car on track.
Painfully slow
for that Camaro.
If Jenson Button can't make it back
to pit lane, that's it for the team.
They'd be out of the race,
after all that effort.
You gotta get it home, right? That's
the aim when you have an issue.
But the problem is it was...
I was stuck in second gear on
the fastest part of the track.
So, you know, through
the Porsche Curves.
And you've got the hypercars coming
through there at 130 miles an hour,
and you're doing
30 miles an hour.
Which is kind of scary.
He was able to limp all the
way around the racetrack
in second gear, which...
How second gear did not
explode and get destroyed,
and allowed us to get to
pit road, I have no idea.
Bring it to the garage
here. We'll skate it in.
The car came into the pit
area, got up on skates,
came in, went up on four stands. And
it was all hands on deck once again.
Bit of a drama for the Hendrick
Motorsport Camaro. New gearbox.
Ooh, okay.
That is the first
significant delay.
And possibly a big situation.
That could be a big, big change.
Can we change it? How
long does it take?
We never practiced that.
Like, we never did a gearbox
change because we never had to.
I had the feeling that we might
not make it back out there
because it might take too long.
That's a shame.
I was also being so much more gentle
with it as well on the downshift.
Well, all we can do
is try and finish now.
First time I heard
that the gearbox issue,
we're gonna be down for,
I think initially an hour and a
half or what, some-some big number.
I was like, "Oh, no."
We had to jump in and
do what our team does,
which is just battle and fight
and claw and get this fixed.
It's all hands on deck down in
the Hendrick Motorsport garage.
They're trying to get a fresh
gearbox into the Camaro.
Will they have the time?
This could be the
end of the road.
Just do me a solid here and just
check everything one more time
after what we just did.
Just give everything a
once over one more time.
When they called me to-to be
ready, jump in the car and go,
it was actually
earlier than I thought.
-Sorry, Rocky.
-All good.
They got done fast.
I was happy that it was ready.
Hey, Seb.
Nah.
It was Seb Vettel. You
could have spoke with him.
-Oh, was it?
-He was just on the phone.
He's like, "I thought you were done."
I said "Americans don't give up."
They don't quit.
-No. The Americans.
-They never quit.
They never quit.
That's why they won the
Second World War and we lost.
Don't-Don't mess
with the Americans.
All right, confirming that.
We're gonna get rolling out here.
We're gonna do an install with Mike.
We need to make it to the finish.
Nobody panicked.
Never once did anyone think that
we're not gonna cross the finish line.
When we pulled back out,
the fans went crazy.
There's cheers up and
down the grandstands,
because the NASCAR Garage
56 Camaro is back out.
Rocky's right, you know.
The Americans won't quit.
And, uh, it was, again,
representing NASCAR.
Brand-new gearbox
is installed.
They are not going to be
denied their run to the finish.
The lap time that Rocky was putting
down at the end of the race,
I was like, "Dude, why
were you going so fast?"
He was like, "Didn't have
anything else to do."
Honestly, I was pushing every
lap as much as I could because
that's what you enjoy.
Everything feels
normal and good.
Great job so far, guys.
You can be proud of yourselves.
That was really good.
Rocky, that's a really good
space you're in right there.
Just try to pace. Doing a
good job. Nice and smooth.
Rocky went out and ran the fastest
lap of the race for our car.
It's a special feeling,
especially in this project,
to bring the car
to the finish line.
I had the feeling that
Jimmie deserved the finish.
Who better to finish the race
than seven-time NASCAR champion?
I mean, it has to
be Jimmie Johnson.
The bond that these drivers built,
Jenson and Rocky came to me.
And it was like, Jimmie's never
finished one of these races.
He's never crossed the
finish line at Le Mans.
-You have fun, buddy.
-Thank you.
Enjoy the next hour.
-Thank you.
-It's gonna be awesome.
It was incredible.
You know, the friendship
and the relationship I have,
and the experience and them
telling me this, and, you know,
the sincerity that I sensed in
the moment just meant the world.
I mean, for both of them to also
want to have that experience,
but look at me, allow that opportunity
to happen, go lobby for it,
take themselves out of
the-the opportunity.
Uh, it was really cool.
Radio check here,
Jimmie. You got me?
Copy.
All right. You can
fire. Let's go.
Go, Jimmie!
Look at him there.
It's going to be
good to see Jimmie...
...finish this deal.
I completely agree.
It's very fitting.
The NASCAR Garage 56 effort.
After all the cynicism
about, you know,
a novelty entry melted
away in a nanosecond.
The technology, the team spirit,
the attitude, the outlook
have all been warmly
embraced here.
And you've flown the
flag very proudly.
Really nice work,
Jimmie. Really nice work.
Straight and smooth,
buddy. Doing awesome.
There was pressure to
not make a mistake,
to really get this thing
to the finish line.
But at the same time, I
couldn't contain my excitement
in knowing that I was going to see a
checkered flag at the 24 Hours Le Mans.
You see everybody coming in,
right? Like, getting ready.
But you have to kind of
disconnect yourself from that
and really focus on the task.
We have to make sure
this car finishes.
Everybody's starting to congregate
together to celebrate this achievement,
all this work over the last year and a
half that went into it for this moment.
To see Rick and Jim and the
whole team that had this vision
and celebrate that
moment was very special.
Something I'll never forget.
Got five more laps, boys.
Everybody is in our garage
and you have a
flush of emotions.
When they set the white flag, everybody
goes out to where the pit perch is
and they all wave and cheer the cars
as they come down for the final lap.
It was an unbelievable
feeling at the end.
Something that I'm
always gonna cherish.
It was the pride of our
country, the pride of our sport.
And the fact that nobody
had a road map to this.
We had to invent it as we went.
And the feeling of
accomplishment was so strong.
-Thank you so much.
-Thank you.
-Hi. Congratulations to you. Great race.
-Thank you so much.
And I only can say thank you.
That's all I have, right?
I was doing my part but without
the team, without everybody, I...
Yeah, we could
have not succeeded.
And you can be proud, I tell
you. That was really good.
-Thanks.
-Thanks a lot.
All right. Final lap,
everybody. Final lap.
Should be coming to
the flag, my friend.
Enjoy this last lap.
Oh, right on.
Congratulations, team.
Congratulations,
Chad, Greg, everybody.
John, Mr. France.
Great job.
It's been a great
journey at Le Mans.
Very thankful for
the opportunity.
It was a dream to chase.
It was pretty awesome.
A Herculean effort
by the Americans.
They've done it.
They have finished here,
completing the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
We did it.
It was an honor being
one of your teammates.
-Thank you.
-Okay?
Thank you for giving
me the opportunity.
Hey, champ.
Congratulations, man.
How does it feel to get the checkered
flag here at the 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Uh... This is something special.
Thank you, Rick. Thank you, everybody.
Great job, Jimmie.
Really proud of you.
Thanks for the opportunity
of a lifetime, buddy.
It just all of a sudden
felt like a family moment.
All of us were experiencing
the same emotion
without even having
to communicate that.
You had this bond with these
people that, you know, was special.
That will never be recreated
in anything else that you do.
NASCAR made a massive
impression at Le Mans,
I think bigger than
anyone expected.
It's just a shame it's all over.
Being in that garage
with those people,
being part of that team,
fulfilling every...
Yeah, it was special.
My bucket's full. My heart is
full from this entire experience.
Man, I don't want it to end.
Seeing the look
on the faces...
was really gratifying.
-Thank you. No, it's a complete...
-Well,
-you pushed hard to make this happen.
-It was... I know but it was...
-It was all of our effort.
-I agree.
And, uh, Jim France.
I know what it meant to him
to recreate what his dad did.
And, uh, he wanted to...
...tell the world what
NASCAR's all about.