


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.
