Before heading over to France, Hendrick Motorsports put in two days of testing at Sebring in preparation for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Centenary. The crew faced all the conditions that they might well encounter in Le Mans as wet weather gave way to sunshine to create a hot, slick track. “To be able to run in the rain, run in the hot sun and also at night was really good for us to cycle through some rain and dry tyres,” said Greg Ives, crew chief for the Garage 56 project. “We had enough dry running [...] to solidify the tyre we wanted to run. It’s always hard to get four drivers in equally and give them enough time to be able to give them a feel for the car. We still have a lot of work to do when we get back, though.”

Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller and backup driver/coach Jordan Taylor all took part in this final session. They worked on various adjustments, including aero and chassis developments. The crew mostly used the backup to protect the primary car. In total, the programme’s cars have clocked up 6,834 miles (almost 11,000 km) since January. Next month, both machines will be stripped down, loaded up and shipped to Le Mans for the historic event.

The car – a modified version of the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – was officially unveiled at Daytona in February. Its systems and components are mostly unchanged from the car that competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. However, it will be fitted with headlights and taillights for night-time racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, plus carbon brake discs and specially designed Goodyear tyres.