For the first time since his retirement from Formula One, Kimi Raikkonen is getting back behind the wheel of a race car. The Finn will compete in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen in August. He will drive a Chevrolet Camaro, alongside teammates Daniel Suarez and Ross Chastain.
Not new
This is not the first time Raikkonen has competed in a NASCAR series. He competed in 2011 in the Nationwide Series, now known as Xfinity Series. That same year, he also drove one Truck Series race. Both races he competed for the Kyle Busch Motorsports team.
To Autosport.com Raikkonen says he hadn't thought about resuming his racing career since leaving Formula One. But then the talks with Trackside Racing came up, and the idea of getting in the car at Watkins Glen was quickly floated. This is a road course, not an oval, in other words.
One-time return
In the end, Raikkonen says he made the decision and opted for a one-time comeback. Of course there is a lot involved. But the fact that it is one race made it clear to him and his family that he just had to do it. Besides, the Finn says, he had enjoyed the two races in other NASCAR series in the past.