NASCAR Stock Cars Return to Le Mans for Historic 2024 Event

NASCAR Stock Cars to Race at Le Mans for First Time in 50 Years

Fifty years after their debut at the Circuit de la Sarthe, NASCAR stock cars are returning to Le Mans for the Le Mans Classic Legend, held over the Fourth of July weekend. The Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) NASCAR Classic Presented by Goodyear will feature 30 cars in three 35-minute sprint races as part of the exhibition event.

Preparations Underway: Cars Shipped Across the Atlantic

As of now, much of the 30-car grid is already packed into containers, awaiting shipment to France in early May. The cars will arrive in the Netherlands by mid-June before being trucked to the Le Mans circuit for testing, qualifying, and the races.

Ex-Cup Driver Joe Nemechek Leads NEMCO Motorsports’ Effort

Ex-Cup Series driver Joe Nemechek, 62, is spearheading NEMCO Motorsports’ participation in the event. A four-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and father of current Cup driver John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota), Nemechek is a frontrunner in HSR’s stock-car class.

NEMCO Motorsports Shipping Extensive Equipment

Nemechek’s team is shipping 14 stock cars across the Atlantic, along with a comprehensive inventory of parts:

• 13 mechanics
• 14 transmissions
• 15 rear-end gears
• 120 wheels
• Spare engines, shocks, springs, and carburetors

Reliability is Key for Overseas Racing

“Coming from NASCAR, making a living at racing for 20, 25 years, you have to learn how to make your cars, number one, reliable. You have to finish. And you learn the stuff that breaks, and you have to fix it where it doesn’t break. Drivetrain, engines… There’s so many parts of the car that you have to know how to fix so they keep going.”

— Joe Nemechek

Nemechek emphasized the importance of preparation: “It’s too far to go not to have the parts.”

Vintage Racing Roots and Self-Sufficiency

Nemechek’s involvement in vintage racing began four or five years ago after attending an event where many cars broke down. He decided to ensure his shop could handle all repairs in-house: “We fix frames, we fix all of our bodies. We can do anything.”

Technical Challenges: Power Grid Differences

The team is also addressing technical challenges, including the difference in European power grids (50 Hz vs. 60 Hz in the U.S.), which requires careful adjustments to equipment.