Posted on 08/20/2022 10:03:49 AM PDT by MtnClimber
Kimi Raikkonen will take a break from his retirement to return to racing this weekend in the NASCAR race at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kimi Raikkonen retired to Switzerland at the end of last year's Formula One season and has blissfully spent the last eight months with his young family.
Did he miss racing?
“Not really, no," the 2007 F1 champion said.
Yet here he is, not even a full year into retirement, and Raikkonen will race again.
Raikkonen will race Sunday at Watkins Glen International in upstate New York in — and this isn't a typo — a NASCAR event. The driver known as “The Iceman” for his unintentionally droll demeanor was persuaded to get back behind the wheel by TrackHouse Racing and its ambitious, purpose-driven Project91 program.
Project91 was created to raise NASCAR's worldwide profile with top drivers from other formulas by Justin Marks, the 41-year-old former driver and now co-owner of NASCAR's hot, new winning team. He was prepared to personally fund the debut race at Watkins Glen, a road course where TrackHouse should compete for the win.
Tops on Marks' list of prospects was Raikkonen, who had previously competed in both an Xfinity Series and Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway during one weekend in 2011, the season Raikkonen took a one-year sabbatical in his 19-year F1 career. There was some bemusement over Raikkonen's mere presence in NASCAR's hotbed, but the most memorable part of his brief NASCAR career was that he was sponsored by Perky Jerky.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Raikkonen won the F1 World Championship in 2007 driving for Ferrari.
Ping. This is in your neck of the woods.
He’s Finnish; but not finished.
NASCAR and F1 / IndyCar are two different beasts.
Danica Patrick was pretty good and rising in IndyCar, but did poorly after transitioning to NASCAR.
That is so true. Look also to JPM, he was ok but never a threat to win at most tracks.
I hope he doesn’t try to turn right...
and Andretti’s kid dint fare well in F1...
I’m waiting for geriatric NASCAR, where the minimum age is 75 and they’re all driving Coupe DeVilles, Oldsmobiles, or Chrysler Newports.
Now, that would be entertaining.
I’m waiting for geriatric NASCAR, where the minimum age is 75 and they’re all driving Coupe DeVilles, Oldsmobiles, or Chrysler Newports.
Now, that would be entertaining.
Danica Patrick spent more time on her back in NASCAR than she did racing.
And the cars would be equipped with curb feelers.
In racing-If you want to win hire a Finn
I’m trying to remember who was the last driver from another form of racing to come to NASCAR and find success right away. I think it was Tony Stewart.
Anyone have a more recent example?
Sounds more like Kimi is just going to run this one road race. Just being paid for some PR work.
Starting a complete circuit when over 40 does’t seem likely.
He might forget how by then.
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