Accommodating a NASCAR Cup machine into the Le Mans 24 Hours was no small task for the FIA. Here's how the governing body brought the fan favourite machine in line with its existing class structure for a memorable Garage 56 exploit
into that field of Hypercar, LMP2 and GTE Am cars was the challenge faced by Le Mans organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest in conjunction with the FIA, co-organiser of the WEC.
It was far from a new collaboration, however. The FIA, ACO and IMSA had jointly devised the LMP2 rulebook that came into force in 2017 and then the LMDh category, which from this year is an integral part of the WEC. NASCAR, meanwhile, has an involvement in a number of FIA working groups, including the one headed ‘research and strategy’, which looks at the future of motorsport.Photo by: Marc Fleury
The main task, however, was to bring the Camaro in line with the crash test requirements of the GTE regulations. This was inextricably linked to the attempt to equate the performance of the Camaro with the Porsches, Ferraris, Aston Martins and the Chevrolet competing in what had become the WEC’s lone GT class.
The car had to incorporate extra kit necessary for it to take part in an endurance race. For example, a NASCAR doesn’t have lights! This diet involved changes to the rollcage. The FIA oversaw static load tests and crash testing in the virtual realm to make sure it complied with FIA regulations and standards.
It was important for the FIA and ACO to ensure that the Garage 56 wasn't a disruptive influence on the race“We had to imagine how the car could be manageable in the middle of the track with the other GTE Ams, LMP2s and Hypercars,” explains Mestelan Pinon.
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