The Iceman returns to NASCAR

Kimi “The Iceman” Raikkonen will make his return to NASCAR at COTA on March 26 with Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 Camaro ZL1.

Raikkonen will enter the Texan EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas for Round 6 of the 2023 NASCAR season.

The Iceman had expressed his desire to return to NASCAR after his experience at Watkins Glen in August of 2022, and the 2007 Formula 1 world champion now returns for his second outing.

Kimi Raikkonen leads the field en route to victory in the 2013 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. Image: Motorsport Images

Last time out at Watkins Glen, Raikkonen was sitting strong, and had moved into the top-ten before a crash took him out of contention mid-race.

“I had a fantastic time in NASCAR. There was a lot to learn in a very short amount of time, but everyone was very helpful, the competition was a big challenge,” Raikkonen said.

“This time I get to race on a track I am familiar with so there won’t be as steep of a learning curve. I want to have fun, but also do as well as we can.”

Trackhouse Owner and Founder, Justin Marks, says the global appeal of Raikkonen is what drew them to recruiting him for the internationally dedicated PROJECT91 car.

Raikkonen “The Iceman” during his Ferrari F1 days in 2017

“When we announced Kimi last year I said he was the global superstar I had in mind when we created PROJECT91,” Marks explained.

“I think you saw the fan reception across the world and Kimi’s performance in the car was proof of the concept. Kimi’s following is massive and it’s great for NASCAR and Trackhouse, plus I think Kimi really enjoys our racing.”

Three rounds in and the NASCAR season has seen three different victors, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr causing an upset at the Daytona 500, followed by Kyle Busch taking out Pala Casino 400 in Fontana, California, and William Byron winning in Vegas last weekend.

Before his return, NASCAR heads to Phoenix with its new Aero package, which features 30% less downforce; a return to a pre-2000 style of stock car racing in a bid to free up on-track real estate and limit the extreme mechanical downforce of the newer Gen-7 NASCARs.

A visit to the Atlanta Motor Speedway then precedes the return to COTA in Austin Texas, for 68 laps around the 3.426 mile track.

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