(Charlotte) Kimi Raikkonen moved to Switzerland at the end of the last Formula 1 season and spent the first eight months of his retirement with his young family.
Posted at 9:21 a.m.
Is he bored of car racing?
“No, not really,” replied the F1 world champion in 2007.
Still, it’s back in the garages and ready to race, less than a year into its retirement.
Raikkonen will compete in the NASCAR event at Watkins Glen. The driver nicknamed “Iceman” because of his cold demeanor is back behind the wheel thanks to TrackHouse Racing and its Project91 program.
The Project91 program was created by former driver Justin Marks to increase NASCAR’s visibility around the world by recruiting drivers from other series. It will be his first race this weekend, during the road circuit event.
Raikkonen’s name was at the top of Marks’ list, as the Finn previously competed in the Xfinity and Pickup Series during a weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2011. Raikonnen was then on a sabbatical in the heart of his 19 season F1 career.
Marks traveled to Switzerland in February to convince Raikkonen to give it a shot.
“I was looking for someone who would lend legitimacy to the project and Kimi’s name came to mind quickly,” Marks said. The genesis of Project91 was my desire as a fan to see special things happen in our universe. An F1 driver who comes from the NASCAR side and can be competitive at the major championship level, that’s special! And if we wanted to launch this project, we needed someone globally relevant. »
Marks did not disclose the amount promised to Raikkonen for a race. Regardless, sponsors quickly appeared on the horizon to support the project.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Raikkonen admitted to following NASCAR distantly and having been intrigued by the series for more than a decade. He would have liked to race in the big championship in 2011, but that never happened and he returned to F1.
Raikkonen also said he was intrigued by the new cars used this season which have leveled the playing field between the top teams, including TrackHouse Racing, which has three wins to its name this season.
“I think (Marks) was very honest and direct and nobody promised me big things,” Raikkonen said. We will give everything and hope for the best possible result. You never know what can happen. So I decided to trust him and the team is successful. NASCAR is often unpredictable. »
Raikkonen said he has received several offers to race over the past eight months, but he has only said yes to Marks so far.
He said he was excited to do something completely different and to be able to share this experience with his wife and their two young children.
He and his family spent three days at the TrackHouse factory, then at the Chevrolet simulator and at a NASCAR proving ground at Virginia International Raceway. They then headed to New York, before heading up to Watkins Glen in anticipation of the race, which will take place on Sunday.
Project91 hopes to give international drivers the chance to participate in designated NASCAR major series events and seven countries will be represented on track on Sunday, a series record. Raikkonen believes the program will allow international drivers to satisfy their curiosity about motorsport in the United States.
“I think it’s a great opportunity because it’s not easy for European riders to come and race in the United States,” said the 42-year-old Finn. Maybe they’ll hit a wall, but maybe it’ll open doors to a long career for them. I believe what Justin is doing is very good. »