FILE – Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland speaks in the course of a information convention at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 28, 2019. Raikkonen, the 2007 Formulation A person entire world champion, will travel the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Collection race at Watkins Glen Global road program for Trackhouse Racing on Aug. 21, 2022. Raikkonen retired from Formula A single final 12 months. (AP Picture/Hassan Ammar, file)
AP
Trackhouse Racing this 7 days declared its designs to subject a section-time NASCAR Cup Sequence entry this calendar year for international motorists, unveiling the initiative as Venture91.
The initially driver of the entry will be 2007 Components A person entire world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who will race NASCAR’s road class party at Watkins Glen on Aug. 21, Trackhouse Racing introduced Thursday.
Raikkonen is a renowned driver from Finland with 21 wins and 103 podiums in his F1 profession. He retired last 12 months after two many years in the sequence, closing a chapter on a job in which he drove for leading teams these types of as McLaren, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. Raikkonen has competed in NASCAR situations in the past, operating Xfinity and Truck Sequence races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2011, but his debut with Trackhouse will mark his first start at the major amount of stock car racing.
He’ll push the No. 91 Chevrolet, which will be piloted by other international drivers in the potential as Challenge91 expands, in accordance to a team release. Raikkonen’s Watkins Glen entry is the only prepared race this year for the No. 91 car, but additional races for the car are predicted up coming season with supplemental motorists. Trackhouse proprietor Justin Marks said Raikkonen was the 1st driver he had in thoughts for Project91.
“I was not seeking to race once more, but Justin came to my property in Switzerland and certain me how major he was about placing alongside one another a prime-notch system,” Raikkonen said in a assertion. “This will be enjoyment, but it’s a little something I will acquire really critically. I know how competitive the NASCAR Cup Sequence is and it will be a huge challenge.”
Trackhouse fields two whole-time Cup vehicles, the No. 99 Chevrolet driven by Daniel Suárez and the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain. The firm, co-owned by international new music icon Pitbull, is in its 2nd season and previously has two wins with the No. 1 group.
With Undertaking91, Trackhouse is aiming to “become the vacation spot for world superstars from other racing disciplines eager to compete in America’s most common form of motorsports,” the group said.
“PROJECT91’s mission is to activate the intersection place of NASCAR racing and international motorsport society,” Marks mentioned in a statement on Wednesday. “I really believe the (Next Gen) car or truck signifies an option for NASCAR to enter the international professional motorsport dialogue. We now have a race motor vehicle with intercontinental technological relevance exactly where world-class motorists from other disciplines can contend at NASCAR’s maximum degree without having the steep studying curve that the previous era cars necessary.”
Marks has frequently talked about how the Following Gen car, NASCAR’s latest iteration of race vehicle that differs vastly from prior generations from a mechanical and production standpoint, influenced his move to group ownership. Trackhouse ran its initially period with Suárez, a indigenous of Mexico, as the sole driver in 2021 and extra the No. 1 vehicle pushed by Chastain for a comprehensive season this yr. Marks has previously stated that his motivation was to further increase Trackhouse, with the latest transfer reflecting that desire as properly as the aim to enrich NASCAR’s world wide reach.
Trackhouse director of general performance Darian Grubb, a former championship- and race-winning crew chief, will guide Raikkonen’s team, which will be based mostly out of their store in Harmony.
This tale was at first revealed May 24, 2022 12:26 PM.
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