Kurt Busch will race at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, from July 2-5 in the Historic Sportscar Racing NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear, making his debut in the premier vintage racing series. The appearance comes as NASCAR marks the 50th anniversary of its first run at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Busch will drive his No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet, the same former Chip Ganassi Racing car he took to victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2020. Ganassi later gave him the chassis as a permanent trophy for that win, a fitting machine for a weekend that links his past to a stretch of NASCAR history that began long before him.
The 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee brings a résumé that already includes 34 NASCAR Cup Series victories, the 2004 championship and a Daytona 500 win in 2017. He also finished sixth in the Indianapolis 500 in 2014, part of a career that has repeatedly taken him beyond stock-car racing and into some of motorsport’s most recognized venues.
“Having this opportunity to race at Le Mans is a dream come true,” Busch said. “There are few places in the world with the allure, prestige and pageantry of a motorsport venue like Le Mans.” He added that he has been fortunate to win the Daytona 500, compete in the Indianapolis 500, tour Nürburgring, experience Fuji Speedway, and now race at Le Mans.
NASCAR’s link to Le Mans stretches back to 1976, when it sent two stock cars to the 24-hour race: a Dodge Charger driven by Hershel and Doug McGriff and a Ford Torino driven by Dick Hutcherson and Bobby Allison. Neither car finished after mechanical failures ended both efforts.
This trip gives Busch another stage with an old racing story behind it and a new one still being written. For a driver who said the “kid racer” in him gets to live out another dream, Le Mans is not just another entry on the calendar. It is a return to a place where NASCAR once tested itself, and where Busch now gets to add his own chapter.
