Raikkonen will be part of up with Trackhouse Racing for the highway course race at Watkins Glen on 21 August, driving a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 alongside teammates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain.
It can mark Raikkonen’s first outing in a motorsport occasion since he known as time on his 20-year F1 profession final December along with his last look for Alfa Romeo on the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
The 2007 F1 world champion has historical past in NASCAR, participating in a single Nationwide Sequence occasion – now generally known as Xfinity Sequence – and one Truck Sequence race in 2011 with Kyle Busch Motorsports throughout his sabbatical from F1.
Kimi Raikkonen raced in NASCAR throughout his F1 hiatus in 2011
Photograph by: Motorsport Images
Raikkonen defined that he was not initially taking a look at any racing “in a really severe approach” after quitting F1, just for talks to speed up with Trackside Racing and result in the entry for Watkins Glen.
“We had extra talks about it, how wouldn’t it work, the place the race could be, and all kinds of different issues,” Raikkonen mentioned. “There’s a variety of issues concerned, and all of it made sense for me.
“It’s one race, so it made sense for all of us as a household. I all the time loved it after I had my few races [in the United States].
“Hopefully we have now a great race and good enjoyable. Clearly it’s a brand new automotive and I’ve by no means been on the observe. However I’m certain we are able to determine it out.”
Raikkonen’s entry with Trackhouse Racing comes as a part of the staff’s Project91 initiative, which is seeking to broaden NASCAR’s attain by dedicating its #91 automotive entry to worldwide racing drivers. Alongside Chastain and Suarez, Trackhouse may have three drivers from three completely different nations for the race at Watkins Glen.
“I’ve been an enormous fan of Kimi’s for a very long time, I’ve adopted his profession since he began in System 1 with Sauber,” mentioned Trackhouse proprietor Justin Marks.
“One of many cool moments of my profession being a System 1 fan was having the ability to race in opposition to Kimi in Charlotte in 2011.
“I knew he had an curiosity in NASCAR, and that he’d carried out it earlier than, and thought that if I defined to him what this undertaking was all about, he’d be excited about being part of it.”
Kimi Raikkonen raced in NASCAR throughout his F1 hiatus in 2011
Photograph by: Getty Pictures
The plan for Raikkonen will probably be to go to america with sufficient time earlier than the race with a purpose to full a take a look at within the Chevrolet automotive, in addition to driving the staff’s simulator.
Marks visited Raikkonen at his house in Switzerland to speak concerning the deal and “bought the entire thing properly”, in line with the Finn.
Raikkonen mentioned though there have been alternatives to make his racing return earlier this yr, he wished to provide sufficient time to arrange for the Watkins Glen Cup race.
“There have been clearly choices to do extra this yr, however I believe all of it got here a bit too shortly, to attempt to do it in addition to we are able to on all the edges,” Raikkonen mentioned. “I believe it was higher to attend till this race, so we are able to put together for every thing and not less than have carried out the work 100% proper and what the result is, no person is aware of. We’ll not less than give ourselves one of the best likelihood that we are able to.
“What comes after that? I don’t know, no person is aware of. We’ll attempt to do a great race there and luxuriate in it, and see what the longer term brings. I’ve no different plans.
“That’s what I’ve proper now, and we’ll go from there.”
Raikkonen has examined a Cup automotive on a highway course earlier than, driving a Dodge for Robby Gordon Motorsports at Virginia Worldwide Raceway in 2011, however the take a look at ended early when he went off and tore up the nostril on moist grass.