This weekend, Kevin Magnussen will get his first style of competitors within the NASCAR Cup Collection, making his debut on the newly constructed 3.4-mile avenue course on Naval Base Coronado.
He’ll drive the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, a part-time fourth entry that the group brings to the monitor for uncommon events, and solely to function world-class racing drivers.
2007 Formulation 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen, 4x Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, and naturally, three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen all drove the automotive sooner or later over the previous 4 years. SVG used it as a springboard right into a full-time profession as a NASCAR driver, and continues to be toppling information on highway and avenue programs to today.
However how will Magnussen carry out on Sunday, and the place will it rank amongst previous performances? His father Jan made one Cup begin throughout 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 Challenge 91 alumni.
He’s the fourth totally different driver to pilot this particular entry, and it will likely be the sixth Cup race that includes the Challenge 91 automotive. Under is the compiled historical past on how Magnussen’s predecessors dealt with NASCAR within the Trackhouse No. 91 machine. Identical 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.
Learn Additionally:
Kimi Raikkonen — Challenge 91’s first driver
Watkins Glen 2022: Completed Thirty seventh / COTA 2023: Completed twenty ninth
Kimi Raikkonen, No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Chris Graythen – Getty Pictures
The 2007 F1 World Champion entered the 2022 NASCAR Cup race at Watkins Glen, qualifying twenty seventh and stating that his major aim was to have enjoyable. He introduced his household out for the occasion, which began in moist situations. Because the monitor 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 flawed on Lap 44, proper earlier than the midway level of the race. Going via the bus cease chicane whereas battling in the midst of the pack, he tried to keep away from a spinning automotive, 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.
Raikkonen got here again for extra the following spring at COTA — the location of his remaining win as a Formulation 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 a lot of the day, however a late-race yellow offered him with a chance to roll the cube. He had pitted simply earlier than the warning, and so the crew stored him out on monitor, pushing Raikkonen as much as fourth place for the restart. What adopted was basically pure chaos, with a number of restarts and many 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
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
The undisputed face of Challenge 91. Those that have 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 monitor for NASCAR on the time. He certified third, and stayed close to the entrance. Nevertheless, SVG really ended up on the flawed technique, and was shuffled again to 18th place with about 30 laps to go within the shortened race (because of darkness). Undeterred, he methodically sliced his method via the pack, snatching the lead away from Justin Haley with only a few laps to go. Haley instantly took it again, just for SVG to fireside it again up the within of Haley on entry into Flip 4 in a daring cross 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.
That unbelievable victory had SVG hungry for extra, and Trackhouse fortunately introduced him again later that very same summer time on the Indianapolis Street Course. This was a way more simple race, however he was nonetheless tremendous strong 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 received a complete of seven Cup races — together with six of the final seven on highway/avenue programs. He additionally just lately earned his first high 5 on an oval.
Watch: Kiwi class of the sphere: Shane van Gisbergen wins at Chicago | Race Rewind
Helio Castroneves — A tough Daytona 500 debut
2025 Daytona 500: Completed thirty ninth
Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
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 automotive for the primary time. To be blunt, it was a nightmarish week on monitor for Helio, principally because of to only how chaotic trendy superspeedway racing will be in NASCAR. He’s additionally the one Challenge 91 driver to take the automotive to an oval race, making his debut in NASCAR’s crown jewel occasion. He was already locked into the five hundred because of a brand new provisional, so he did not should sweat via qualifying. Due to this fact, he hoped to make use of the Duel qualifying race as a race-practice of kinds, however solely made it 14 laps earlier than being collected in a crash not of his personal making. He then wrecked once more whereas making an attempt to get the wounded automotive again to the pits.
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 method as much as twenty first when the sphere began to stack-up on a restart because of a automotive close to the entrance that struggled to get going. The No. 91 was considered one of a number of automobiles 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 feel it is protected to say that Helio had the roughest expertise of the Challenge 91 drivers, however he was additionally the one one who determined to tackle NASCAR’s greatest oval race as a substitute of a highway/avenue course occasion.
Helio Castroneves, Trackhouse Racing Cherolet
Picture by: Sean Gardner / Getty Pictures
Expectations for Kevin Magnussen
#15 BMW M Workforce WRT BMW M Hybrid V8: Kevin Magnussen
Picture by: Marc Fleury
Contemporary off an look within the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the BMW Hypercar crew, 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 discipline, Magnussen is totally able to out-performing Castroneves and even Raikkonen, due to a couple variables. A very huge benefit for Magnussen is the truth that it is a new monitor, very similar to Chicago was in 2023. That may assist stage the taking part in the sphere immensely as Magnussen and the remainder of the sphere see this monitor for the very first time. His sports activities automotive racing expertise could possibly be much more priceless 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.
Actually, his father’s 2010 outcome at Sonoma probably is not too far off the mark, and a high ten end appears doable for the 33-year-old Magnussen. However after all, that is NASCAR, so anticipate full-contact racing the place he’ll should be vigilant if he needs to remain out of hassle.
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