This weekend, NASCAR heads to Texas for its first road course event of the season.
As such, there are plenty of road-racing ringers who are joining the contingent of full-time competitors at Circuit of the Americas.
So what is a road course ringer?
Historically, the NASCAR schedule is comprised mostly of ovals with a few road courses sprinkled in. A team will often employ a driver from a different racing series who specializes in road courses (casually known as a ringer) to hopefully give the organization a better showing in the race.
This weekend, there is certainly an impressive roster of ringers, from Formula 1 world champions and IMSA stars to NTT IndyCar Series drivers, and even former Cup champions.
Jenson Button
Button is a semi-retired, 43-year-old driver from Great Britain who competed in F1 between 2000 and 2017, scoring an impressive 15 wins, eight poles, 50 podiums and the 2009 championship.
He has also competed in sports cars, endurance rally racing and Nitro Rallycross, and will drive with Hendrick Motorsports in the Garage 56 entry in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Now Button makes his first foray into stock cars in preparation for his Le Mans entry. The Brit will pilot the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford in a partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing.
Kimi Raikkonen
Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks has tabbed Raikkonen once again for his Project 91 program; a third Trackhouse entry set to run part time with an array of world-renowned drivers.
Raikkonen joins Button as the second F1 champion entered in the field this week, having claimed the title in 2007. The Finn also captured 21 victories and 103 podiums in an F1 career that spanned from 2001 to 2021.
The driver known as the Iceman competed in the Project 91 entry at Watkins Glen International, finishing 37th due to a crash halfway through.
Raikkonen’s second career Cup start this weekend is his only known NASCAR start this season.
Jordan Taylor
Chase Elliott‘s leg injury has paved the way for Taylor to make his first foray into NASCAR. Taylor is a full-time competitor in IMSA, boasting an impressive resume that includes three class championships, a class victory in the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans, two 24 Hour of Daytona victories and 24 total IMSA wins.
The personable 31-year-old will replace fellow substitute driver Josh Berry this weekend in Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet fielded by Hendrick Motorsports. Taylor has been…
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