February 14, 2025

Automobilesweb

Advances in the automotive world

Trackhouse Racing adds NASCAR car for Cup Series races

[ad_1]

FILE - Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland speaks during a news conference at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 28, 2019. Raikkonen, the 2007 Formula One world champion, will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International road course for Trackhouse Racing on Aug. 21, 2022. Raikkonen retired from Formula One last year. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, file)

FILE – Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen of Finland speaks during a news convention at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 28, 2019. Raikkonen, the 2007 System One particular entire world winner, will generate the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Collection race at Watkins Glen Intercontinental highway system for Trackhouse Racing on Aug. 21, 2022. Raikkonen retired from Components A single past yr. (AP Image/Hassan Ammar, file)

AP

Trackhouse Racing this week announced its options to area a element-time NASCAR Cup Sequence entry this year for global motorists, unveiling the initiative as Task91.

The initially driver of the entry will be 2007 Method Just one planet winner Kimi Raikkonen, who will race NASCAR’s street training course occasion at Watkins Glen on Aug. 21, Trackhouse Racing announced Thursday.

Raikkonen is a renowned driver from Finland with 21 wins and 103 podiums in his F1 vocation. He retired final calendar year immediately after two a long time in the series, closing a chapter on a occupation in which he drove for leading groups such as McLaren, Ferrari and Alfa Romeo. Raikkonen has competed in NASCAR functions in the previous, operating Xfinity and Truck Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May perhaps 2011, but his debut with Trackhouse will mark his initially start out at the top stage of stock car racing.

He’ll push the No. 91 Chevrolet, which will be piloted by other intercontinental drivers in the long term as Undertaking91 expands, according to a team launch. Raikkonen’s Watkins Glen entry is the only planned race this yr for the No. 91 automobile, but much more races for the motor vehicle are envisioned subsequent year with extra drivers. Trackhouse owner Justin Marks reported Raikkonen was the very first driver he had in mind for Undertaking91.

“I wasn’t on the lookout to race again, but Justin arrived to my residence in Switzerland and persuaded me how critical he was about placing jointly a major-notch program,” Raikkonen explained in a statement. “This will be entertaining, but it’s a little something I will get pretty severely. I know how aggressive the NASCAR Cup Collection is and it will be a major challenge.”

Trackhouse fields two entire-time Cup automobiles, the No. 99 Chevrolet pushed by Daniel Suárez and the No. 1 Chevrolet driven by Ross Chastain. The firm, co-owned by worldwide audio icon Pitbull, is in its second period and presently has two wins with the No. 1 team.

With Challenge91, Trackhouse is aiming to “become the desired destination for global superstars from other racing disciplines eager to compete in America’s most well known type of motorsports,” the crew stated.

“PROJECT91’s mission is to activate the intersection place of NASCAR racing and worldwide motorsport culture,” Marks mentioned in a assertion on Wednesday. “I actually feel the (Up coming Gen) motor vehicle represents an possibility for NASCAR to enter the worldwide professional motorsport discussion. We now have a race vehicle with international technological relevance in which entire world-class drivers from other disciplines can contend at NASCAR’s highest degree devoid of the steep finding out curve that the prior generation cars and trucks essential.”

Marks has commonly talked about how the Up coming Gen auto, NASCAR’s most recent iteration of race motor vehicle that differs vastly from prior generations from a mechanical and creation standpoint, influenced his transfer to staff ownership. Trackhouse ran its initial year with Suárez, a native of Mexico, as the sole driver in 2021 and extra the No. 1 motor vehicle driven by Chastain for a total period this calendar year. Marks has beforehand reported that his motivation was to further more increase Trackhouse, with the hottest shift reflecting that wish as nicely as the intention to enhance NASCAR’s world wide attain.

Trackhouse director of efficiency Darian Grubb, a former championship- and race-winning crew chief, will lead Raikkonen’s group, which will be based out of their store in Concord.

This tale was initially released Might 24, 2022 12:26 PM.

Profile Image of Alexandra Andrejev

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 pursuing an internship at The Washington Write-up. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and Nationwide Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer.
Support my do the job with a digital subscription



[ad_2]

Resource website link

Copyright © All rights reserved. | Newsphere by AF themes.