Kimi Raikkonen’s Return to NASCAR Might Be Under Huge Threat With Justin Marks’ Ambitious Plans for Shane Van Gisbergen

Published 12/24/2023, 1:47 PM EST

When Kimi Raikkonen returned to NASCAR to race at the Circuit of The Americas for Trackhouse Racing’s Project91, the community was ecstatic at the prospect of the Iceman becoming a regular in the Cup Series. However, his first race at Watkins Glen ended in misery after another driver bumped into Raikkonen. In COTA, Raikkonen would have a similarly mediocre race, finishing 29th while fellow F1 legend Jenson Button finished 18th.

On being asked about the prospects of other international sensations following in his footsteps, he shared, “I’m sure there are a lot of drivers that would like to have a chance to try NASCAR,”. But he also believed “It’s not very easy.” Fast-forward to Shane van Gisbergen’s dominant debut at the Chicago Street race, and fans eager to see the Iceman return might just have to hold their horses for longer!

Kimi Raikkonen’s NASCAR performance falters in front of Shane van Gisbergen’s debut with Trackhouse Racing

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While Kimi Raikkonen had two promising outings with Trackhouse Racing this year, neither ended in the kind of glory van Gisbergen achieved in his first-ever NASCAR race. For Justin Marks, whose goal with getting Raikkonen to participate in Project91 was to showcase to other international talent that a door was open to America’s greatest motorsport, van Gisbergen’s entry was the cherry on top.

It’s no secret that SVG’s dominant performance at the Chicago Street Race for NASCAR’s 75th Anniversary was a sight to behold. But for the V8 Supercars maestro, things were not far from home. His performance allowed him to take a much-needed break from the Australian racing scene and pack his bags for the United States. He will be racing full-time in the Xfinity Series with a few appearances in the Cup Series as well.

Revealing his grand plan for van Gisbergen’s NASCAR future, Justin Marks was quoted by Forbes, “We know Shane will be incredibly competitive at the road course events in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity series, but we wanted to get him as much experience on NASCAR ovals as possible, so I am really excited about his 2024 schedule,” With grand preparations underway for van Gisbergen’s first season, it’s only fair to assume Kimi Raikkonen will not be returning for Project91 anytime soon, despite expressing his love for the sport.

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To be fair to Raikkonen, the advantage always lay with Shane van Gisbergen, who is not only younger and more interested in racing full-time but proved his ability to win races right out of the box. The 2024 season is already lined up with Xfinity and Cup Series opportunities for van Gisbergen. But when it all started, SVG had no idea his V8 Supercars heroics would transition to NASCAR.

Van Gisbergen is ecstatic about 2024 opportunity

Speaking to Chris Weaver in a one-on-one interview, van Gisbergen was asked if he felt confident from the get-go about his chances of winning his first race. He shared that it could have been an advantage for him due to his road course experience but he had never expected a finish so picture-perfect. However, not only was his Trackhouse Racing debut perfect but the 2024 season is shaping up to be even greater than one could have imagined!

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Reflecting on his opportunity with Kaulig Racing thanks to Justin Marks’ guidance, SVG is delighted to begin his new American journey. He shared with Weaver, “It’s amazing, you know, they’ve placed me at Kaulig and when I met the team there, everyone is really friendly and obviously, I could see that they operate at such a high level. So they’re a really good Xfinity team and I’m sure we’re going to have some fun together. And I got some good teammates too with AJ Allmendinger in particular and I think I’m going to learn a lot from him.”

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While Kimi Raikkonen may have hoped for a better outing with Project91 and Trackhouse Racing, it has certainly paid dividends for Shane van Gisbergen. As the established Supercars maestro heads into a season filled with NASCAR adventures, will Justin Marks’ grand plan for the Kiwi succeed?

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Written by:

My journey into the world of motorsports began when I watched the Top Gear Ayrton Senna tribute as a child. I later materialized my passion for motorsport through karting on the side. By the time I completed my undergrad in Journalism, I had extensive karting experience, with a few podium finishes to my name.

Edited by:

Abhishek Ramesh

Kimi Raikkonen’s Return to NASCAR Might Be Under Huge Threat With Justin Marks’ Ambitious Plans for Shane Van Gisbergen

Kimi Raikkonen’s NASCAR performance falters in front of Shane van Gisbergen’s debut with Trackhouse Racing

Van Gisbergen is ecstatic about 2024 opportunity

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