This weekend,
He’ll drive the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, a part-time fourth entry that the group brings to the observe for uncommon events, and solely to characteristic world-class racing drivers.
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2007 System 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, 4x Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, and naturally, three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen all drove the automobile in some unspecified time in the future over the previous 4 years. SVG used it as a springboard right into a full-time profession as a NASCAR driver, and remains to be toppling information on street and avenue programs to at the present time.
However how will Magnussen carry out on Sunday, and the place will it rank amongst previous performances? His father Jan made one Cup begin through the 2010 season at Sonoma Raceway, beginning thirty second and ending tenth. So, that is one thing to shoot for, however a greater benchmark are his fellow Venture 91 alumni.
He’s the fourth completely different driver to pilot this particular entry, and it will likely be the sixth Cup race that includes the Venture 91 automobile. Beneath is the compiled historical past on how Magnussen’s predecessors dealt with NASCAR within the Trackhouse No. 91 machine. Similar to Magnussen, none of those drivers had ever run a Cup race earlier than becoming a member of Trackhouse, however Raikkonen did have some restricted NASCAR expertise within the decrease divisions.
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Learn Additionally:
Kimi Raikkonen — Venture 91’s first driver
Watkins Glen 2022: Completed Thirty seventh /Â COTA 2023: Completed twenty ninth
Kimi Raikkonen, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Kimi Raikkonen, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
The 2007 F1 World Champion entered the 2022 NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen, qualifying twenty seventh and stating that his important objective was to have enjoyable. He introduced his household out for the occasion, which began in moist situations. Because the observe dried, Raikkonen ended up on the popular technique and jumped up inside the highest ten, reaching as excessive as eighth earlier than a green-flag pit cease. Nevertheless, all of it went improper on Lap 44, proper earlier than the midway level of the race. Going via the bus cease chicane whereas battling in the course of the pack, he tried to keep away from a spinning automobile, however ended up colliding with one other that was taking evasive motion as nicely, sending Raikkonen into the barrier and ending his day with a Thirty seventh-place end.
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Raikkonen got here again for extra the subsequent spring at COTA — the location of his last win as a System 1 driver. He certified 5 positions higher than his earlier begin, and fortunately acquired to run each lap this time. He ran within the midfield for many of the day, however a late-race yellow introduced him with a possibility to roll the cube. He had pitted simply earlier than the warning, and so the staff stored him out on observe, pushing Raikkonen as much as fourth place for the restart. What adopted was primarily pure chaos, with a number of restarts and plenty of contact all through the pack. Raikkonen pale because the NASCAR regulars pounced on him and everybody else who stayed out, and he finally acquired spun out, however carried on to complete twenty ninth.
Watch: Kimi Räikkönen’s race ends early after crash at Watkins Glen
Shane van Gisbergen — The Kiwi ace who rattled the NASCAR world
Chicago 2023: Completed 1st / Indianapolis RC 2023: Completed tenth
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Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
The undisputed face of Venture 91. Those that had been conscious of SVG from his profession in Supercars knew what was more likely to unfold when he entered the rain-marred Chicago Road Course race in 2023 — a brand-new observe for NASCAR on the time. He certified third, and stayed close to the entrance. Nevertheless, SVG really ended up on the improper technique, and was shuffled again to 18th place with about 30 laps to go within the shortened race (attributable to darkness). Undeterred, he methodically sliced his manner via the pack, snatching the lead away from Justin Haley with just some laps to go. Haley instantly took it again, just for SVG to fireplace it again up the within of Haley on entry into Flip 4 in a daring go at one of many trickier sections of the course. He led simply 9 laps, however grew to become the primary driver in over 60 years to win a NASCAR Cup race on debut.
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That unbelievable victory had SVG hungry for extra, and Trackhouse fortunately introduced him again later that very same summer season on the Indianapolis Street Course. This was a way more simple race, however he was nonetheless tremendous stable regardless of his restricted expertise. SVG certified eighth, and completed tenth. He then gave up his profession in Supercars to pursue NASCAR full-time with Trackhouse, and has since gained a complete of seven Cup races — together with six of the final seven on street/avenue programs. He additionally lately earned his first prime 5 on an oval.
Watch: Kiwi class of the sector: Shane van Gisbergen wins at Chicago | Race Rewind
Helio Castroneves — A tough Daytona 500 debut
2025 Daytona 500: Completed thirty ninth
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Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Simply earlier than turning 50, the four-time Indianapolis 500 winner determined to tackle the opposite crown jewel of US oval racing, driving a NASCAR inventory automobile for the primary time. To be blunt, it was a nightmarish week on observe for Helio, principally attributable to to simply how chaotic trendy superspeedway racing may be in NASCAR. He’s additionally the one Venture 91 driver to take the automobile to an oval race, making his debut in NASCAR’s crown jewel occasion. He was already locked into the five hundred attributable to a brand new provisional, so he did not need to sweat via qualifying. Due to this fact, he hoped to make use of the Duel qualifying race as a race-practice of types, however solely made it 14 laps earlier than being collected in a crash not of his personal making.
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He began forty first — final — for the 66th working of the Daytona 500. Sadly, he solely made it 70 laps into the 200-lap occasion. Helio had labored his manner as much as twenty first when the sector began to stack-up on a restart attributable to a automobile close to the entrance that struggled to get going. The No. 91 was one among a number of vehicles that acquired collected, and Helio really crashed after his Trackhouse teammate Ross Chastain acquired turned up into his door, ending each of their races. I believe it is secure to say that Helio had the roughest expertise of the Venture 91 drivers, however he was additionally the one one who determined to tackle NASCAR’s largest oval race as an alternative of a street/avenue course occasion.
Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Cherolet
Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Cherolet
Expectations for Kevin Magnussen#15 BMW M Group WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Kevin Magnussen
#15 BMW M Group WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Kevin Magnussen
Recent off an look within the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the BMW Hypercar staff, the Dane is heading to California for his NASCAR Cup debut. Whereas a win on debut appears unlikely, particularly with Van Gisbergen himself within the area, Magnussen is totally able to out-performing Castroneves and even Raikkonen, due to some variables. A very huge benefit for Magnussen is the truth that this can be a new observe, very similar to Chicago was in 2023. That can assist degree the enjoying the sector immensely as Magnussen and the remainder of the sector see this observe for the very first time. His sports activities automobile racing expertise could possibly be much more worthwhile right here than his decade of racing in F1 in adjusting to NASCAR. Moreover, as Van Gisbergen’s teammate, he could have full entry to his instruments and setup, in addition to the person himself for recommendation.
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Truthfully, his father’s 2010 end result at Sonoma seemingly is not too far off the mark, and a prime ten end appears doable for the 33-year-old Magnussen. However after all, that is NASCAR, so count on full-contact racing the place he’ll need to be vigilant if he desires to remain out of hassle.
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