Jenson Button Reveals His Absurd Guinness World Record Which “Everyone Laughs” at Convinced Him to Join NASCAR

If fans of bot F1 and NASCAR were thrilled that Kimi Raikkonen was coming back to NASCAR, they got more good news last week. A familiar face joins him at the Circuit of the Americas, as a certain Jenson Button is making his Cup Series debut. While Raikkonen will be piloting the #91 Trackhouse Racing Team car, Button will drive the #15 Rick Ware Racing car. Button’s inclusion is part of a three-race deal, as he prepares for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. Gaining some experience with the Next Gen car will help the Briton gain a better understanding of the Garage 56 entry. Recently, Button was asked about his latest accolade, which is a pretty unusual one.

Talking on the NASCAR Race Hub, he said “Everyone laughs, because I can’t even explain what it is. I’ve got the Guinness World Record for the amount of lights extinguished on a Batak board in 30 seconds. Well, there was a world record. I was asked if I thought I could beat the world record.

“In my 20s, I used this Batak wall as a 20-year-old for my reactions. It’s all about peripheral vision, so it’s loads of lights on a wall. You stare straight ahead and you use your peripheral vision to hit the lights. And, I did 56, and then somebody got the world record, which was 56, and it was the official world record. So it was like, ‘Can you do more,’ and I was like, ‘I don’t think so.’ But I did, I did 58! I’m 43.”

“So that was the moment I was like, ‘Right, I’m going to race in the Cup Series,'” he joked.

READ MORE: “I Used to Love…”—F1 Legend Jenson Button Names the 4 Icons That Influenced His NASCAR Debut

What can people expect from Jenson Button on his Cup Series debut?

Honestly speaking, Button’s performance could go anywhere. First and foremost, the Rick Ware Racing team is not exactly a front-runner, so no one is expecting miracles. Additionally, he has been out of elite racing arenas for some time, so the adjustment period could be difficult. On the other end of the spectrum, Button has raced at the Circuit of the Americas in his F1 days.

As it happens, Button’s schedule consists solely of road courses. In other words, he will be back in action at the Chicago Street track and the Indianapolis Road Course. Indianapolis is another track that the 43-year-old is familiar with, so it is possible that he might have an advantage.

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