The Iceman cometh… back.
NASCAR’s Trackhouse Racing announced Thursday that it will be entering a third car driven by Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen in the upcoming Cup Series race in Watkins Glen, New York.
Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez currently drive full-time for the team, which was founded by co-owner Justin Marks.
Chastain has two wins so far in 2022 and is fifth in the season standings.
Pitbull co-owns Trackhouse Racing with Justin Marks.
(David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire | Kamran Jebreili/AFP via Getty Images)
Raikkonen retired from Formula One at the end of last season with a record of 21 wins in 349 starts driving for the likes of McLaren and Ferrari, the latter of which he won the driver’s championship with in 2007.
Raikkonen entered one NASCAR Nationwide Series race in 2011.
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The Finnish driver known as “The Iceman” previously drove two races in the NASCAR Truck Series and Xfinity Series (then called the Nationwide Series) in 2011 for Kyle Busch Motorsports during a break from Formula One.
Raikkonen ended his F1 career with the Alfa Romeo team.
(Stefan Klingberg ATPImages/Getty Image)
“I think without the experience there and a few races, one in the Truck and one in Nationwide, I probably wouldn’t be that interested,” Raikkonen told Autosport.
“That was obviously on an oval, this is now on a road course. I’m looking forward to it, to having good, close racing, and on the road course, maybe have some chance at least to maybe do something.”
Raikkonen will drive the No. 91 car at Watkins Glen.
(Trackhouse Racing )
Trackhouse is looking to leverage its success this year by activating “the intersection of NASCAR racing and global motorsport culture” and using Raikkonen and possibly additional guest drivers to bring new eyes to the team and the series.
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The all-new Next Gen Cup Series car that launched this year features several modern enhancements, including a fully independent suspension and five-speed sequential gearbox, that makes them more like other sports cars and better suited to road course racing, which provides an easier transition for drivers coming from other motorsports disciplines.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
