Kurt Busch to Race No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet at Le Mans
Kurt Busch will race at Le Mans in July, driving the No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet he took to victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2020. The start comes in the Historic Sportscar Racing 2026 NASCAR Classic presented by Goodyear at Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, from July 2-5, 2026.
Busch called the opportunity “a dream come true,” and the appearance will be his debut in the premier vintage racing series. It also lands as the event marks the 50th anniversary of NASCAR’s first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, turning his entry into more than a one-off exhibition run.
Busch brings the No. 1 back
The car is not just any stock car. It is the chassis Busch drove to that 2020 Las Vegas win, then kept after Chip Ganassi gave it to him as a permanent trophy. Now it returns to competition under the same No. 1 Monster Energy Chevrolet.
That connection gives the Le Mans entry a clear line back to one of Busch’s recent NASCAR wins, while placing the car on one of motorsport’s most recognizable stages. Busch has 34 NASCAR Cup Series victories, won the 2004 championship and added the 2017 Daytona 500 to his record.
Circuit de la Sarthe and NASCAR’s past
Le Mans carries its own history with NASCAR. In 1976, NASCAR sent two stock cars to the 24 Hours of Le Mans: a Dodge Charger driven by Hershel and Doug McGriff and a Ford Torino piloted by Dick Hutcherson and Bobby Allison. Neither finished, both stopped by mechanical failures.
Busch said, “There are few places in the world with the allure, prestige and pageantry of a motorsport venue like Le Mans.” He added, “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.”
Busch’s next chapter
The Le Mans start folds together old NASCAR history, Busch’s own trophy car and a vintage-series debut in one trip to France. For Busch, it is another rare stop in a career that already includes a sixth-place finish in the 2014 Indianapolis 500, and now a chance to add Circuit de la Sarthe to that list.
