NASCAR’s Le Mans Debutant, Now 95-Year-Old, Serves Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress a Sharp Reminder of Their Old Promise

Age is just a number or rather a state of mind, and there can be no presuppositions to that. This can be reiterated thousands of times and by drawing various instances to reinforce the fact. To state one such living example who is ready to defy the odds and still has the fire burning inside him is Hershel McGriff.

NASCAR’s Garage 56 stole the limelight in 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of the most prestigious platforms to showcase their innovative technology and to give steep competition to the other hypercars like Ferrari and Porsche. Hendrick Motorsports Garage 56 may not have been eligible for any victories but surely embodied and embraced the true essence of Le Mans. This surely is a moment of pride for the world of stock car racing, but this is not the first time that NASCAR was able to showcase its potency. 

The first time the world of motor racing witnessed the rise of NASCAR was back in 1976, and this is when Hershel McGriff comes into play, the first NASCAR driver to make it to the grid of Le Mans. Although a considerable amount of time has passed away since then, McGriff however still has the thirst to take his seat behind the wheel. And he reveals it in the interview with Jerry Jordan, the founder of Kickin the Tyres.

Hershel McGriff reveals the promises made by Richard Childress

The inception of cooperation between the two racing communities began when Bill France, the founder of NASCAR was invited to send two cars to the tracks of France after the head of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest visited the 24 Hours of Daytona and was mesmerized by the concept. Thus formed the first NASCAR’s first Le Mans team, which included Hershel McGriff and his son Doug. 

The team may not have fared brilliantly back then but surely left an everlasting impression to be cherished for ages to come. Even at the age of 95, McGriff still has the zeal to give another shot at racing, especially at the newly developed Chevrolet Camaro under Garage 56.

He revealed in the interview, “I would like to get in a 56 car, that’s the one I would say because they are so different and I can’t imagine how everything drives probably, compared to what I have driven before it.”

The interviewer Jerry Jordan further asked, “You are 95, but a 100 Hendrick and Rick Hendrick and Richard Childress both stepped up and said if you could make it up to a 100 and then you make it 200, they are gonna build you a race car, is that a serious deal?”

McGriff divulged the facts, “Well, they both promised me a car. Bill McAnally furnished me a car when I was 90 when I drove a true shot he said if you make a 100 off I will do this again.”

He also added, “Meanwhile, I was at Sonoma a couple of years ago and Richard Childress was doing a thing up on the stage before the driver’s meeting and some fans say to me, you think you’ll ever drive again, and I kiddingly say well I might drive when I am 100.”

“Richard Childress turned around and shook my hand. He says if you do I will furnish the car and all the crew and he shook my hand in front of this camera, so I got 2 cars going. I don’t know if I will ever have, but it’s something I could have a lot of fun with, but who knows?”

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The newly developed Chevrolet Camaro outshines the GTEs

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While Jerry Jordan referred to the newly developed Chevrolet Camaro and its insides as a “spaceship.” However, it is to be noted that the regular Chevrolet Camaros ZL1s that are used in the Cup Series differ in manifolds from the new and exclusively developed Camaro of Le Mans and are built in accordance with endurance racing. It weighs 1342kg and headlights are purely absent from the cars.

And with all the modified technology, the Le Monster gave stiff competition and ran as high as 27th with Jenson Button behind the wheel and also outlasted the entire GTE-Am before developing mechanical issues and was halted to deal with the issues. Nevertheless, the HMS car ended the race in 39th place and 10th in the GTE class.

This surely proved to be a moment of pride for the American motorsport, who could portray their caliber and worth in front of the highly esteemed hypercars. The centenary celebrations of LeMans surely added to the charm and left a profound impact on the diamond jubilee celebration of NASCAR.

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