A few days ago, TrackHouse Entertainment Group announced a third NASCAR Cup Series TrackHouse Racing car would be allocated to an international driver at a NASCAR track during the 2022 season. On Thursday, May 26 the first driver was announced and it’s 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen. TrackHouse’s PROJECT91 program allows the Finn to compete in the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 on the road course at Watkins Glen International on August 21st.
Raikkonen is the first driver to join the team’s PROJECT91, whose goal is to expand the organization’s international reach by fielding a NASCAR Cup Series entry for renowned international racers. Raikkonen joins TrackHouse Racing’s regular-season racers No. 99 Camaro fielded for Daniel Suarez and the No. 1 of two-time 2022 winner Ross Chastain.
“Kimi Raikkonen is the driver I first had in mind when we created PROJECT91,” said team principal Justin Marks, who has won races as a driver, including the 2009 GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and NASCAR’s Xfinity Series at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with Chip Ganassi Racing. “Kimi is a world-renowned driver with a tremendous amount of talent and fan following. We have had long discussions and, like us, he is already hard at work preparing for Watkins Glen,” where he’s never competed before now.
Darian Grubb, who has won 23 Cup races and was the 2011 Cup Series champion crew chief with Tony Stewart, will lead Raikkonen’s team; PROJECT91 intends to bring their new driver to the team’s race shop in Concord, North Carolina for preparations.
“I wasn’t looking to race again, but Justin came two my home in Switzerland and convinced me how serious he was about putting together a top-notch program,” the driver said. “This will be fun, but it’s something I will take very seriously. I know how competitive the NASCAR Cup Series is and it will be a big challenge,” he understands.
Raikkonen, whose 21-year F1 competition began in…
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