Plenty of Eyes on Kimi Raikkonen, Other International Stars at NASCAR Cup Race at the Glen
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With drivers representing seven different countries, the field at this weekend's Go Bowling at the Glen is the most diverse field in terms of nationalities represented in NASCAR Cup history.
The biggest of those names is 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen, who will drive for Trackhouse Racing's Project 91 effort.
Raikkonen's race at Watkins Glen is a one-off, and no other Project 91 efforts are planned for 2022.
Sunday's focus on the Go Bowling at the Glen NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen won't necessarily be on the front of the field or the tight battle for the last Playoff spots.
In fact, much of the attention will be on 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen—a driver who has never raced in the Cup Series but who as a racing resume' that would be the envy of just about anyone in the field—and a diverse field that includes racers from seven different countries. That makes in the most diverse field in terms of nationalities represented in NASCAR Cup history.
The big name, of course, is Raikkonen, for Sunday's race (3 p.m., USA Network TV).
Trackhouse Racing Founder and co-owner Justin Marks just hopes his dream—one he calls Project 91—of attracting top international drivers to his team's No. 91 Recogni/iLOQ Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Cup car, lives up to expectations and that other drivers will follow. Raikkonen, 42, is the first driver to participate the team’s Project 91 program.
No further Project 91 efforts are planned for 2022, but Marks hopes to lure other international stars in 2023.
Raikkonen has been in the United States for nearly two weeks getting ready for Sunday's race.
"As a company we have worked hard to get Kimi ready," said Marks, who pitched the idea to Raikkonen at Raikkonen's home in Switzerland in February. "He has adapted very quickly so far. I know he will be quick. Our job is to help Kimi learn the rules specific to NASCAR to make sure that doesn't bite us. But everyone knows how much talent he has and its shown on the simulator and at the test."
Raikkonen, who retired from F1 following the 2021 season, came to the U.S. on August 0 to begin work at the team's race shop in North Carolina. He's spent time on a simulator, and he drove a pre-Next Gen Cup car in a two-hour orientation at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 11.
This won't be Raikkonen's first venture into NASCAR. He drove in both an Xfinity race and Truck Series race for Kyle Busch at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2011.
Raikkonen is also one of a handful of F1 drivers in recent memory to give NASCAR Cup a try. Juan Pablo Montoya was a full-time Cup driver from 2007-12, and 1997 F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has dabbled in Cup, Xfinity and the Truck series. Most recently Villeneuve raced in this year's Daytona 500.
“Without the experience there (in 2011) doing the truck and (now Xfinity) Series, I probably wouldn’t have been that interested in doing this," said Raikkonen. "But, knowing what to expect in NASCAR and this being a road course, I’m looking forward to this. There should be a lot of good close racing. Maybe on the road course we will have a good chance to try to do something."
Raikkonen is one of several international drivers not on NASCAR's usual entry list who will be racing at Watkins Glen.
Joining Raikkonen (Switzerland) on the entry list are sports car drivers Mike Rockenfeller from Germany (No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevy) and Kyle Tilley from England (No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Ford), NASCAR Euro Series champion Loris Hezemans from the Netherlands (No. 27 Team Hezeberg Ford) and former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat from Russia (No. 26 Team Hezeberg Toyota).
In total, counting NASCAR Cup regulars from the U.S. along with Cup veteran Daniel Suarez from Mexico, seven countries will be represented on the grid Sunday. That breaks the previous record of six for a single Cup race.
NASCAR has had six countries represented twice, including Sonoma in 2010 and Watkins Glen in 2013. That 2013 Watkins Glen NASCAR Cup field included Montoya from Columbia, Marcos Ambrose and Owen Kelly from Australia, Max Papis from Italy, Victor Gonzalez Jr. from Puerto Rico, Ron Fellows from Canada and, of course, a host of U.S. drivers.
