HSR’s First Overseas Race This Weekend at the Le Mans Classic Legend Celebrates the Golden Anniversary of NASCAR’s First Appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1976
LE MANS, France (June 30, 2026) – The first overseas race in the nearly 50-year history of Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) is set for this weekend when the HSR NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear racing series debuts at the Le Mans Classic Legend, July 3 – 5. A full field of historic stock cars from the last seven decades brings the “Thunder of America” back to the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in the heart of France a half a century after NASCAR stock cars first appeared in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The 36-car entry list features a compelling mix of both iconic machinery and celebrated drivers, and among the standouts is 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee and 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.
Busch is a 34-time winner in NASCAR Cup Series competition, including his triumph in the 2017 Daytona 500. At Le Mans, the former Cup Series champion adds another chapter to his accomplished career, returning to the 2020 No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet Camaro that he piloted from 2019 to 2021 with Chip Ganassi Racing.
“It’s been so much fun,” said Busch after testing the Camaro at April’s HSR The Mitty presented by Hagerty just before it was shipped to Le Mans. “Just even just pulling in the gates and the memories from Road Atlanta and testing here a lot with our NASCAR cars. Seeing all of the other divisions there just makes me proud of everyone. All of the cars that people are keeping up and putting quality efforts into racing them in all of the different divisions. It makes you feel like a kid again when you see them all out there.”
Busch has retired from contemporary competition but has been active the last couple of years in the return of the IROC Presented by Chevrolet series, which is led by frequent HSR competitor, 2023 Motorsports Hall of Fame of America inductee and Busch’s NASCAR Hall peer Ray Evernham. Busch took the victory in April’s IROC race at Ten Tenths Motor Club in Charlotte.
The Le Mans NASCAR Classic race is the first time Busch will race since the unexpected and tragic passing of his younger brother and fellow NASCAR Cup Champion Kyle Busch last month.
“I said a couple of weeks ago that Kyle’s ‘spirit will always ride with me,’ and the first time will be on one of the greatest tracks in the world this weekend,” Busch said. “It is still incomprehensible to think he is gone, not suiting up for the next race as he did for nearly his entire life, but Kyle would have loved to have been right there racing alongside me and our friends at Le Mans. It would be great to make it a fitting tribute with a win for him in full Kyle style.”
While it’s hard to match a family bond shared between racing brothers, Busch immediately felt the close-knit and familial camaraderie in the HSR paddock during the Road Atlanta test.
“With the group here, it’s a fun camaraderie,” Busch said. “This is definitely a fraternity house feel because you have guys with a ton of experience and then some that don’t but are wanting to learn. It’s like, I can take my GPS system and let the guy look at it and show him how to get around the track a little better. We’re all headed to Le Mans kind of blindfolded.”
Busch is eager for his first competitive laps around the legendary French circuit after visiting Le Mans a few years ago.
“I went in 2019 with Chip Ganassi,” Busch said. “That was when he was running the Ford GT program, and I was sniffing around trying to find a GT ride with any manufacturer. I went around, shook hands with everyone, and took in the experience and the French people and the culture and how they love their motorsports.
“Then to see the Garage 56 car go there a couple years back. That’s just one NASCAR car. Go back in 1976, two of them went. They’re going to be blown away. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most is when they figure out that there’s a big group of us there running hard down that front straightaway.”
The entry list for the HSR NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear Le Mans Classic Legend is available by clicking here. Additional information, including the provisional event schedule, event ticket purchases and more can be found at the official HSR NASCAR Classic Le Mans Classic Legend Event Page by clicking here.
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 sanctions eight 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. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/, on Twitter X @HSR_race and on Instagram @HistoricSportscarRacing.
