Johnson, Rockenfeller, Button to drive Hendrick Motorsports’ Garage 56 entry
Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and Jenson Button will drive the Garage 56 entry in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The announcement was made Saturday in Dayton, regarding the partnership between NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, Chevrolet and Goodyear.
Johnson, who tested the Gen 7 for the first time earlier in the week, will make his debut in the world-renowned 24-hour race. In 2021 and 2022, he was a part of the No. 48 Ally Cadillac Racing team that finished 2nd and 5th respectively in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
Mike Rockenfeller will make his 11th 24 Hours of Le Mans entry in 2023. He won the 2010 edition, alongside Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas for Audi, and finished third in 2012.
The 2010 Le Mans winner also won the 2010 24 Hours of Daytona. In the 2021 edition, Rockenfeller shared the No. 48 Ally Cadillac Racing entry with Johnson.
While Rockenfeller and Johnson have never raced together in the NASCAR Cup Series, Rockenfeller raced at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval in preparation for the Garage 56 entry. He completed every lap, finishing 30th and 29th in Spire Motorsports’ No. 77 Chevrolet.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is Jenson Button, who has never done a Cup race and only drove a NASCAR stock car in a 2012 ride swap with Tony Stewart — but has expressed interest in racing Trackhouse’s Project 91 Cup car.
Button raced the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans with SMP Racing but finished 43rd due to a blown engine. Despite the disappointing result, the 2009 F1 World Champion recalled wanting to come back and do the 24 Hours of Le Mans again.
On Tuesday, the Garage 56 car will test in Daytona.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans runs 9 a.m. ET, June 10, to 9 a.m. ET, June 11. Coverage is on Motor Trend TV cable channel.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com