Kimi Raikkonen’s 2011 NASCAR Venture

Here we (bwoah). It’s Kimi time.

It’s the biggest story this week for the NASCAR Cup Series heading into Watkins Glen International and even extended to last weekend at Richmond Raceway, where I can attest that Kimi Raikkonen‘s name was already being thrown around quite a bit. It seemed like just about every driver in the media center bullpen was asked about racing against a Formula 1 great just one week from then.

This Sunday (Aug. 21), it’s a return to stock-car racing for the F1 veteran and suomalaiset, as the Finns call themselves. Raikkonen ranks among Finland’s greatest athletes, a class that includes other recent notables such as two-time F1 champion Mika Hakkinen; Teemu Selanne, a Stanley Cup champion and veteran of more than 20 NHL seasons; and longtime NHL goalie Kari Lehtonen, most famous for his long stint as netminder for the Dallas Stars.

Raikkonen has two NASCAR starts to his name and will drive the No. 91 Project91 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing Team,

Let’s hop in a time machine and take a quick trip back to 2011 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where Raikkonen first appeared in NASCAR. He raced two events eight days apart, the first in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the latter in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

On Friday, May 20, he was interviewed before the Truck Series’ North Carolina Education Lottery 200, wearing a very of-its-time flat brim hat with a Red Bull logo askew from the center. Four years removed from his 2007 F1 championship, he rolled off 31st in a Kyle Busch Motorsports truck — sponsored by Perky Jerky and featuring M&M characters on the rear bumper, two things that really don’t seem very Kimi-esque.

Remember when Kimi Raikkonen drove in a Truck Series race at Charlotte in 2011?#NASCAR #Formula1 #F1 #Raikkonen #Kimi pic.twitter.com/SkpWc4fum5

— Mark’s Random NASCAR Facts (@FactsNascar) April 23, 2019

Raikkonen got loose early and lost a few spots, but slowly and methodically worked his way up through the field and was sitting 15th at the halfway point. He ran as high as fifth and settled into the top 20, falling down to around 17th before finishing 15th. Coincidentally, his owner for this upcoming weekend, Justin Marks, finished ninth while driving for Stacy Compton in that same race.

Just eight days later, the Xfinity Series took the green flag at Charlotte.

Raikkonen started 22nd and was already up to 18th by lap 3, running in that spot for quite some time. He had issues that set him…