NASCAR’s triumphant 24 Hours of Le Mans success boosts negotiations for multiple international expansions

Showcasing innovation and research in the field of endurance racing, NASCAR's foray into the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year has borne fruit in terms of the eyeballs the sport is managing to capture all over the world. The governing body, alongside Hendrick Motorsports and Goodyear, managed to finish the 100th running of the iconic 24 hour race in France with a modified version of the seventh-generation 'Next Gen' Cup Series car.

Nicknamed 'Le Monster' the big, burly American V8-powered machine was seen roaring up and down the Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe, initially dominating the LMGTE AM class. The dying stages of the race saw mechanical glitches cause the #24 Chverolet Camaro ZL1 to fall back, finishing in an overall P39 position.

Revisiting the iconic 8.4-mile-long track for the first time since 1976, NASCAR managed to grab global attention from race fans of all genres to different car manufacturers.

A star-studded driver lineup with seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, F1 world champion Jenson Button, and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike Rockenfeller also helped the program garner attention.

Further working on improving the international viability of the sport, social media platform TikTok revealed 18.6 million hits on content related to 'NASCAR Garage 56' on their platform.

Google Trends data also showed the most US interest in the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2002. Viewership on MotorTrend for the event was also up by 60% as compared to last year.

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What does this hold for NASCAR's international future?

While the ultimate goal for the series would be to introduce a fourth manufacturer in the Cup Series, Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota are the three giants competing in stock car racing at the moment.

Convincing a global brand to take up stock car racing might be a big task for the Garage 56 program. However, it sure has sparked interest in a race overseas.

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada, has been linked with the return of the NASCAR Cup Series next year. Having visited the facility in 2007 and 2012 with the Xfinity Series, the highest echelon of the sport might be looking to add another interesting venue to the 2024 calendar.

After all, the 2023 season has seen additions like the North Wilkesboro Speedway and the Chicago City Street Race, making it one of the most diverse schedules in the sport's history so far.