Kimi Räikkönen has warmed up to his NASCAR Cup Series debut experiences. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – When news came on May 26 that Kimi Räikkönen would cross the pond for his NASCAR Cup Series debut this year, it was captivating and exciting.
The 2007 Formula 1 champion prepared extensively for his formal Cup debut in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen at the 2.45-mile Watkins Glen International.
From simulator time to an orientation test last week at Virginia International Raceway, Räikkönen has put all of his chips on the table to make an impressionable start with PROJECT 91’s maiden voyage.
After posting the 20th fastest time in Saturday’s practice, Räikkönen posted the 27th fastest time in his No. 91 Recogni Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. All in all, the 42-year-old Espoo, Finkand native flashed a grin, a contrast from his typecasted “Iceman” personality.
Perhaps some of Räikkönen’s enthusiasm may be from his supportive teammates at Project91 and Trackhouse Racing teammates, particularly as he logged his first laps in anger.
“Obviously, it’s useful. Any help is good with limited time in the car,” Räikkönen said during his Saturday availability. “They have a lot more experience. When we ran the simulator, they were both there, so it was good to see what they do and how it goes. Yeah, it’s been nice. Daniel (Suárez) has spent his free time to help, so I really appreciate that. I’m happy that they’ve been very open to go to if I have questions and try to help.”
Naturally, the recently retired F1 competitor gave an honest assessment about his first day in a Cup stock car.
“I wish there would have been more laps. I felt like there was a lot of potential,” he said to NASCAR on NBC’s Parker Kligerman. “I’m just not sure which lines to take and there weren’t enough laps to put everything together. But yeah, it was fun. It’s quite a lot like I expected after the simulator.
“There’s always a difference; the fine details aren’t shown in the simulator, but at least I knew the track. I needed to be a bit better in a few places; and in some places I was pretty OK.”
Compared to the aerodynamically sleek, rocket ship fast F1 rides, his No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s more like a sturdy, tough as nails tank. Still, he’s familiar with the nuances of motorsports like close competition and limits with his cars and the track.
Certainly, Räikkönen knows his team and car have potential for a great showing on Sunday afternoon. That said, elements like double file restarts and paint trading may be a bit of a new experience for him.
Räikkönen hopes his respectable Saturday carries over onto Sunday’s race. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
“I have no idea yet. There are too many things, too many options,” he pointed out. “I think we just have to make sure that we know, more or less, the rules and not make any silly mistakes on that side. We’ll see what we can do with the car.
“We have a little bit of an idea from where we started, to where we went and maybe somewhere halfway. We’ll try to improve. We improved from the practice session to qualifying, and we’ll try to do the same in the race.”
Justin Marks possesses the same levels of enthusiasm as Räikkönen, particularly when it comes to his mission vision with PROJECT 91. Suffice to say, Marks points out the promising elements of this particular ride.
“I definitely think it was possible,” Marks observed. “But I think what this car represents is a lower barrier of entry for drivers from other disciplines because this car is much more consistent with other road racing cars globally. So the transition to learn the car for someone like Kimi is just a lot more simple.
“And for expectations; the speed is going to be there, the preparation is going to be there, the fitness is going to be there, all of that. I think where the heavy lift is just understanding procedurally how the race goes; making sure there’s no drama in the pits, on the restarts and things like that.”
Moreover, Marks believes in Räikkönen despite the little experience that he’s had in NASCAR. For one of NASCAR’s promising and thriving young team owners, his belief should be taken seriously as he foresees a solid showing for the popular, internationally renowned racer.
“I think anything is possible,” he remarked. “I really do believe anything is possible. We have to run a good strategy and get a little bit lucky. But what he has shown at the test, what he has shown in the simulator and some of the other things that we’ve done.
“I don’t have any issues with the pace, preparation or anything like that. I think it’s going to be right on par. So if we do a good job for him as a team, I think that we can have a very good day.”
Another staunch supporter on Räikkönen’s side is Daniel Suárez, his Trackhouse Racing teammate. Accompanying him during an orientation test in Virginia, the 2022 Sonoma race winner is enjoying his times with the unique superstar driver.
“Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun,” Suárez said. “I think that I think he has done a tremendous job in the simulator and the little testing that we did. But honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything less. He’s a very, very high caliber driver, with a lot of experience. I believe that he’s one of the best ever. So, it’s been a lot of fun for me.
“I feel like he’s been learning about NASCAR through me, but at the same time, I feel like I’ve been learning a lot of things from him, how he approach things, how open minded he is. And he’s not here just to to hang out. He’s here, but he’s competitive, and he wants to do well so it’s gonna be gonna be fun to race with him today and tomorrow.”
As Räikkönen may not make additional Cup starts, at least after Sunday’s race, he’ll make the most of his experience while calling back to his Charlotte starts 11 years ago.
Certainly, Räikkönen is more than focused on making a great impression for Project 91. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
“Without the experience (in 2011) doing the Truck and (now Xfinity) Series, I probably wouldn’t have been that interested in doing this,” Räikkönen said in a team press release. “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.”
Editor’s Notes
Nathan Solomon contributed to this feature from Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.
