Garage 56

Garage 56 is a program at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for concept cars to test new automotive technologies. They are classified in the race results and drive alongside those competing, but are not expected to be competitive since their sole focus is to demonstrate experimental features.[1]

The name refers to the 56th and newest garage at Circuit de la Sarthe when the program was introduced in 2010, intended for teams "presenting a specific and innovative project".[2] The first entry came two years later.

History

The program debuted in 2012 with the DeltaWing, an unusual rocket-shaped car fielded by All-American Racers and supported by Nissan. The DeltaWing concept showed promise, delivering nearly LMP2-level performance while consuming only 48% as much fuel, but retired after a collision with an LMP1 car six hours into the race.[3]

In 2013, Garage 56 was given to the Swiss-designed hydrogen-fueled GreenGT H2, which was to be the first car without an internal combustion engine to compete at Le Mans. However, the car was pronounced unfit to take part in the race by the team a few days before the race.[4] In 2016, the H2 went on to complete a single demonstration lap at Le Mans.[5]

The Nissan ZEOD RC, a hybrid electric car based on the DeltaWing's design, took the Garage 56 slot in 2014. Despite an early retirement from the race after only 23 minutes due to a gearbox issue, the ZEOD RC achieved its goals of hitting a top speed of 300 km/h (186.41 mph), and completing the first ever lap of Le Mans using exclusively electric power at racing speed.[6][7]

In 2015, the Garage 56 program took a break as all applications that year were deemed unfit by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest.[4]

Frederic Sausset, a quadruple amputee, drove a modified Morgan LMP2 in the 2016 race.[1][8]

Financial problems forced Welter Racing to cancel its 2017 Garage 56 run with the Green4U Panoz Racing GT-EV, a biomethane-fuel prototype featuring a 3-cylinder 1.2-liter engine fueled by biomethane stored in cryogenic tanks.[1] Welter Racing went on to develop the car with hopes of entering the car in 2018 and 2019, but ultimately did not compete due to complex issues with the car in 2018, and due to Don Panoz's death causing the suspension of the program in 2019. The 2019 slot was also eyed by UK-based constructor Perrinn with the Project 424, an LMP1-based electric-powered car with an autonomous driving mode.[9] However, this did not come to pass, and Garage 56 was left empty in both 2018 and 2019 as the ACO deemed none of the applications to be sufficiently mature.[10][11]

2020 saw Frederic Sausset attempting to return to Garage 56 under the SRT41 banner by fielding a specially modified Oreca 07 LMP2 car with a lineup of three disabled drivers; however, the attempt was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10][12] The SRT41 program was delayed to 2021, which saw Garage 56 successfully making a return for the first time in five years. Two of the drivers, paralyzed from the waist down, became the first disabled teammates to compete in the history of the race.[13]

In 2022, Garage 56 was once again empty.[14]

For 2023, a modified NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen[15] Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 stock car fielded by Hendrick Motorsports was the Garage 56 entry, with seven-times Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, 2009 Formula One world champion and NASCAR driver Jenson Button, and 2010 Le Mans overall and LMP1 winner Mike Rockenfeller driving the car. The car marked NASCAR's 75th anniversary, which coincided with the race's centenary.[16][17][18] Chad Knaus, Johnson's crew chief during each of his Cup Series championships, was project manager, while the car bore No. 24 in honour of Hendrick vice chairman and former driver Jeff Gordon.[19]

Entries

Year Car Team Image Placement
2012 DeltaWing Highcroft Racing DNF
2013 GreenGT LMP-H2 GreenGT Withdrew
2014 Nissan ZEOD RC Nissan Motorsports Global DNF
2016 SRT41 OAK Racing 38th
2017 Green4U Panoz Racing GT-EV Welter Racing Not Entered
2020 Association SRT41 Graff Racing Withdrew
2021 32nd
2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Hendrick Motorsports 39th

See also

  • Mission 1000, a program at the Dakar Rally for vehicles on alternative power sources

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garage 56 (24 Hours of Le Mans).
  1. ^ a b c Walker, Kate (16 June 2017). "Le Mans Innovation Rolls Out of Garage 56". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  2. ^ "24 Heures du Mans: A new reserve and a 56th pit". Automobile Club de l'Ouest. 28 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  3. ^ Perkins, Chris (23 April 2021). "DeltaWing: The Story of the 21st Century's Most Daring Race Car". Road & Track. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b "24 Hours of Le Mans - Garage 56 the spirit of Le Mans". 24h-lemans.com. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  5. ^ "GreenGT's experimental hydrogen prototype could race this season". www.autosport.com. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  6. ^ "One-Two Finish For Audi At Le Mans After Porsche, Toyota Suffer Woes". Motor Authority. 16 June 2014. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Nissan ZEOD RC hits 300km/h on Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans". Global Nissan Newsroom. 12 June 2014.
  8. ^ ten Caat, Marcel (11 June 2015). "ACO Confirms Garage 56 Entries for 2016, 2017". Sportscar365. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  9. ^ Dagys, John (23 August 2017). "Perrinn LMP1 Project Falls Through, Shifts Focus to Garage 56 Entry – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b Watkins, Gary (9 February 2018). "No 'Garage 56' entry at Le Mans in 2018". Motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  11. ^ "The 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans : interview with Pierre Fillon". 24h-lemans.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  12. ^ Goodwin, Graham (14 April 2020). "Association SRT41 Garage 56 Effort Withdraws From 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours". DailySportsCar. Archived from the original on 14 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  13. ^ Smith, Luke (19 August 2021). "Two Disabled Drivers Team Up at Le Mans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  14. ^ "PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST 24 HOURS OF LE MANS RACE" (PDF). ACO - Automobile Club de l'Ouest. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Full specs revealed for NASCAR Garage 56 Camaro that will race 24 Hours of Le Mans". NBC Sports. 17 February 2023. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  16. ^ "NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports announce pursuit of Garage 56 entry at Le Mans". NASCAR. 17 March 2022. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Jimmie Johnson headlines three-driver Garage 56 entry for Le Mans". NASCAR. 29 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  18. ^ Cornilleau, Arnaud (6 April 2023). "Why is there a NASCAR on the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans grid?". 24 Hours of Le Mans. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  19. ^ "Garage 56 project's Le Mans invite official; team will compete using No. 24". National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. 27 February 2023. Archived from the original on 7 June 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
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