Published on May 19, 2026 12:20 pm
Last Updated on May 19, 2026 12:20 pm
MOORESVILLE, North Carolina (May 19, 2026) 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch announced that he will compete in the 2026 Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear at Circuit de la Sarthe, near Le Mans, France. The event runs from July 2-5 and will celebrate 50 years since NASCAR’s first attempt in the 24-hour race.
HSR is North America’s premier vintage and historic racing series, celebrating the cars, sights and sounds that define motorsport’s golden eras. Founded in 1977, HSR has evolved into a vibrant community where legendary race cars return to the track and motorsport history comes alive. Now operating under the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) banner, HSR stages seven major events annually at world-renowned venues including Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta, and Watkins Glen International.
Busch, who collected 34 victories throughout his NASCAR Cup Series career – including the 2017 Daytona 500 and a Series championship in 2004 – will pilot the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet in his HSR debut. The car, a former Chip Ganassi Racing chassis, was used when Busch won at his home track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in 2020. Ganassi later gifted Busch the car as an additional trophy from the victory.
Since then, the car has received a fresh engine from Hendrick Motorsports and undergone a complete overhaul to prepare it for road-course competition rather than its original oval-track setup. The field is expected to include 40 entries.
“Having this opportunity to race at Le Mans is a dream come true,” Busch said. “There are only a few places in the world with the allure, prestige and pageantry of a motorsport venue like Le Mans. I’ve been fortunate to win the Daytona 500, compete in the Indianapolis 500, tour Nürburgring, experience Fuji Speedway, and now race at Le Mans. The kid racer in me gets to live out another dream.”
In preparation for the event, Busch participated in a shakedown session at Road Atlanta last month. Following the session, the car was loaded into a shipping container and transported to the Le Mans paddock ahead of the event.
The HSR NASCAR Classic will run over three days during the 2026 Le Mans Classic weekend. Serving as a support series, the schedule includes two qualifying sessions and three 35-minute sprint races. The races will add to the atmosphere of a weekend expected to draw large crowds for the Le Mans Classic endurance event.
“What makes this event even more special is that this is the 50th anniversary of NASCAR sending a car to compete at Le Mans,” said Busch. “This is a one-and-only opportunity to race on the historic track with my race-winning Monster Energy Chevrolet from Las Vegas in 2020.”
For more information on the HSR NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear including entry lists, streaming schedule and more, visit the HSR website by clicking here.
Want a look behind the scenes? Follow Busch’s journey on Instagram, Facebook and X.