Kimi Räikkönen looks forward to his second NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
AUSTIN, Texas – After a promising NASCAR Cup Series debut last August at Watkins Glen International, Kimi Räikkönen returns for his second start in Sunday’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The 2007 Formula 1 world championship winning driver has been taking in his latest Cup experience with youthful enthusiasm and excitement. For starters, Räikkönen appreciates his latest Cup opportunity, particularly with returning to the PROJECT91 efforts and a road course that has been memorable to him in his F1 heydays.
“I’m happy to be back with the team, PROJECT91, and at the track that I know,” Räikkönen said. “Obviously, a lot different to how it feels. It’s the same track but it feels a lot different in an F1 car to a NASCAR car.
“A lot of the corners are more kind of straights in F1 because of the downforce. It gets a bit trickier in a NASCAR car.”
Unlike those refined, powerful open wheel rockets in F1, Räikkönen understands how stock cars are more burly, gritty and hard to finesse at a track like COTA. In his debut last August at the famed 2.45-mile road course, he drove from his 27th starting position in slick conditions and into the top 10 just before the halfway point.
Räikkönen appeared to be on his way toward a strong showing before an accident in The Bus Stop relegated him to a 37th place finish.
This time, Räikkönen expresses cautious optimism despite his familiarity with the track and, to an extent, his Chevrolet Camaro.
Räikkönen takes to a familiar track in a somewhat familiar vehicle. (Photo: Sean Folsom | The Podium Finish)
“It’s nice to be back and it’s a lovely place to be here in Texas,” he said. “Let’s hope we can do well. We will try to improve from (Friday) and (Saturday) and see what we do in the race.”
Similar to his Watkins Glen experience, Räikkönen keeps on picking up with his times as he tallied the 22nd starting position. All in all, the native of Espoo, Finland looks more situated in a stock car with each session.
Rather than seem out of place or timid about acclimating to the NASCAR scene, Räikkönen has been agile with his outlook.
Moreover, he observed the differences between an F1 team meeting versus those prevalent with a multicar team program in NASCAR.
“It’s different. In F1, it’s a lot of meetings and a lot of other stuff,” he said. “Here, it’s a bit more relaxed. You kind of have the meetings, but it’s a different way.
“I don’t have the experience with the cars and all the details, so we had a meeting (on Friday) as a group, as a whole team, and it’s nice to listen and assess what they thought about the car and what they should do with the car.”
That teamwork and willingness to get the car close to the liking of a driver like Räikkönen proves indelible given the close competition with times and actual on track presence. Make no mistake that “The Iceman” is receptive to feedback despite his impressive racing pedigree.
The team dynamics environment in NASCAR differs quite a bit compared to F1 according to Räikkönen. (Photo: John Arndt | r/NASCAR)
As Räikkönen gains more confidence and experience, it is fair to say that he hopes to apply some useful considerations from Ross Chastain and Daniel Suárez, especially come race day.
“I think it sounds like everybody has similar difficulties with the cars here,” Räikkönen said. “The rear seems to be the tricky part in the highest bit but it’s good to have teammates and to hear what they’re saying and get some advice from them.”
