Ex-F1 star’s NASCAR debut confirmed after – Sports News
Former Formula One driver Kevin Magnussen is set to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 program.
Magnussen shall be taking the wheel of the No. 91 Qualcomm Technologies Chevrolet in NASCAR’s first-ever race held on an lively U.S. army base at Naval Base Coronado. Qualcomm will function the Official Circuit Partner for the San Diego race weekend.
A local of Denmark, Magnussen competed in F1 for 10 seasons between 2014 and 2024, making 185 begins with McLaren, Renault and Haas. His best F1 outcome got here in his debut race on the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, the place he completed second for McLaren.
Beyond F1 Magnussen has loved success in sports activities car racing. In 2021, he claimed victory within the IMSA WeatherTech SportsAutomotive Championship’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix for Chip Ganassi Racing alongside co-driver Renger van der Zande.
He additionally made a one-off look within the IndyCar Series at Road America earlier than returning to F1 from 2022 by means of 2024. Magnussen joins a host of F1 drivers together with Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button to attempt their hand at stock car racing
“I’m incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to compete in NASCAR,” Magnussen stated in a workforce release. “What Justin Marks and Trackhouse have done with Project 91 is unique, to provide drivers from outside of the NASCAR world with a chance to compete at this level. I’m proud to have this opportunity.
“I’ve already spent time with the team in North Carolina — meeting everyone, doing the seat fit, going through pit-stop procedures and all the details that come with preparing for a NASCAR weekend. They’re an awesome group of people, incredibly dedicated, and just as excited about this debut as I am. I really can’t wait to get to San Diego and experience it all for the first time.”
Project 91 was launched by Trackhouse Racing in 2022 alongside NASCAR’s Next Gen car period, which launched options similar to sequential gearboxes. The initiative was designed to draw internationally famend drivers by giving them entry to top-tier gear and a likelihood to compete in NASCAR with out committing to a full season.
The program has often sparked hypothesis about which world stars might make the swap. Last 12 months, amid rumors surrounding Max Verstappen’s future following Red Bull’s dip in efficiency in comparison with McLaren, some urged the Dutch driver might ultimately seem in a Project 91 entry. Former NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick even floated the chance in 2025.
However, motorsport journalist Jordan Bianchi reported on SiriusXM’s “Door Bumper Clear” podcast final week that the driving force most strongly linked with the race was Magnussen. He additionally stated that whereas a NASCAR look by Verstappen can’t be utterly ruled out, there may be at present little indication it’s imminent. Although Verstappen has expressed little curiosity in oval racing, a road-course or street-course occasion would possible be a more natural match.
Trackhouse proprietor Justin Marks created Project 91 particularly to provide internationally completed racers the chance to expertise NASCAR competitors with out requiring a full-time dedication.
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