In Full-Circle Family Moment
- France’s Triumph Delivers Golden Victory 50 Years After His Grandfather Bill France Sr., Brought NASCAR to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1976
- HSR NASCAR Classic Action continues at the Circuit de la Sarthe on Sunday with Race 2 Set for 10:25 a.m. Local time (4:25 a.m. EDT) and Race 3 Scheduled for 3:25 p.m. local time (9:25 a.m. EDT). Sunday's First Race Livestreams on the HSR and IMSA YouTube Channels
JC France delivered and unexpected but fitting victory in Saturday’s opening race of the HSR NASCAR Classic Presented by Goodyear at the Le Mans Classic Legend in his Garage 56 adorned 2014 No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro. France stayed in the lead pack throughout the sprint race and moved to the front with less than two laps to go when the early race leaders and other contenders ran out of fuel or otherwise encountered issues knocking them from contention.
Fittingly, France's victory carried added significance as the debut of HSR NASCAR Classic at Le Mans is in part a tribute to the 50th anniversary of NASCAR's first appearance at Circuit de la Sarthe 50 years ago. Spearheaded by France's grandfather, Bill France Sr., a pair of NASCAR stock cars stole the show as guest entries in the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fifty years later, another member of NASCAR's founding family took the victory, bringing the story full circle in a truly golden moment.
A pair of qualifying sessions Friday preceded Saturday’s weekend opener – the first of three races – and gave drivers and teams their first opportunity to tackle the legendary 8.5-mile Le Mans circuit. Britain's Andrew Jordan ultimately claimed pole position for the inaugural HSR NASCAR Classic race overseas in the 2011 No. 15 Toyota Camry, a former Michael Waltrip Racing machine driven by Clint Bowyer during his NASCAR Cup Series career.
Multiple lead changes and spirited battles unfolded soon after the green flag as Jordan traded positions with NASCAR legend Joe Nemechek in his self-owned NEMCO Motorsports-prepared 2010 No. 47 Old Spice Toyota Camry. The duo was joined at the front by longtime IMSA driver Mike Skeen in the Dave Roberts 2012 No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger, and NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch in the former Chip Ganassi Racing 2020 No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro, creating an early four-way battle for the lead.
Jordan, a former HSR Classic 24 Hour Run Group winner, began to pull away from the field, leading seven of the race’s nine laps and building a comfortable advantage over the chasing pack.
However, in the closing minutes, the podium order was turned upside down as Jordan, Skeen and Busch encountered suspected fuel shortages, abruptly ending what had been dominant performances.
Nemechek was knocked from contention earlier with a cut tire while Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, fell to 18th, Skeen was classified 17th and Jordan still managed a Top-10 to finish ninth.
Joining France in the overall top three was another British driver, Nigel Armstrong, who finished second in the 2007 No. 44 Menards Toyota Camry, a former Frank Kimmel-driven machine that helped carry the ARCA legend to one of his record 10 championships. Ryan Gemmell completed top top trifecta in third overall aboard the No. 55 Perrier Chevrolet Monte Carlo from “Talladega Nights.”
The HSR NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear resumes on-track action Sunday, July 5, with a pair of feature races. Race 2 is set for 10:25 a.m. local time (4:25 a.m. EDT), with the weekend finale, Race 3, scheduled for 3:25 p.m. local time (9:25 a.m. EDT). Sunday's first race livestreams on the HSR and IMSA YouTube channels.
About HSR: Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) is the premier vintage and historic racing series in North America. It was formed in the mid-1970s with an inaugural event at Road Atlanta and became a part of International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in 2022. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate and enjoy the racing cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctionseight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Daytona International Speedway, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Watkins Glen International and more.
