Raikkonen to make racing return in NASCAR at Watkins Glen

Raikkonen will join up with Trackhouse Racing for the road undertow race at Watkins Glen on 21 August, driving a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 slantingly team-mates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain.

It will mark Raikkonen’s first outing in a motorsport event since he tabbed time on his 20-year F1 career last December with his final visitation for Alfa Romeo at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

PLUS: Why Raikkonen won\'t miss F1

The 2007 F1 world champion has history in NASCAR, taking part in one Nationwide Series - now known as Xfinity Series - race and one Truck Series race in 2011 with Kyle Busch Motorsports during his sabbatical from F1.

Raikkonen explained that he was not initially looking at any racing “in a very serious way” without quitting F1, only for talks to slide with Trackside Racing and lead to the entry for Watkins Glen.

“We had increasingly talks well-nigh it, how would it work, where the race would be, and all sorts of other things,” Raikkonen said.

“There’s a lot of things involved, and it all made sense for me. It’s one race, so it made sense for all of us as a family. I unchangingly enjoyed it when I had my few races [in the United States].

“Hopefully we have a good race and good fun. Obviously it’s a new car and I’ve never been at the track. But I’m sure we can icon it out.”

Raikkonen’s entry with Trackhouse Racing comes as part of the team’s Project91 initiative, which is looking to expand NASCAR’s reach by dedicating its #91 car entry to international racing drivers.

Alongside Chastain and Suarez, Trackhouse will have three drivers from three variegated countries for the race at Watkins Glen.

“I’ve been a big fan of Kimi’s for a long time, I’ve followed his career since he started in Formula 1 with Sauber,” said Trackhouse owner Justin Marks.

Raikkonen previously raced a NASCAR Nationwide car at the Charlotte oval in 2011

Photo by: Motorsport Images

“One of the tomfool moments of my career stuff a Formula 1 fan was stuff worldly-wise to race versus Kimi in a Cup series race in Charlotte in 2011.

“I knew he had an interest in NASCAR, and that he’d washed-up it before, and thought that if I explained to him what this project was all about, he’d be interested in stuff a part of it.”

The plan for Raikkonen will be to go to the United States with unbearable time surpassing the race in order to well-constructed a test in the Chevrolet car, as well as driving the team’s simulator.

Marks visited Raikkonen at his home in Switzerland to talk well-nigh the deal and “sold the whole thing well”, equal to the Finn.

Raikkonen said although there were opportunities to make his racing return older this year, he wanted to requite unbearable time to prepare for the Watkins Glen Cup race.

\"There were obviously options to do increasingly this year, but I think it all came a bit too quickly, to try to do it as well as we can on all the sides,” Raikkonen said.

“I think it was largest to wait until this race, so we can prepare for everything and at least have washed-up the work 100% right and what the outcome is, nobody knows. We’ll at least requite ourselves the weightier endangerment that we can.

“What comes without that? I don’t know, nobody knows. We’ll try to do a good race there and enjoy it, and see what the future brings. I have no other plans.

“That’s what I have right now, and we’ll go from there.”