Kimi Raikkonen wrecks out of NASCAR Cup Series debut

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — After a fun weekend and promising start to the Go Bowling at The Glen for Kimi Raikkonen, it all came crashing down on Lap 46 for the 2007 Formula One World Champion.

Raikkonen wrecked exiting the inner loop after making contact with Loris Hezemans. The two drivers were checking up after Ross Chastain bodyslammed Austin Dillon and caused him to spin in the inner loop.

“I just had no time to react,” Raikkonen told NBC. “It was good fun. I felt more confident all the time. The car felt like it had a lot of speed.

When asked if he will come back, Raikkonen replied “We’ll see.”

RECAP

In the first 12 laps, Raikkonen moved from 23rd to 14th before pitting for slick tires. After the field cycled around, he ran inside the top 10 during stage two until he pitted just before the stage end. The stop and pit stop cycle at the end of stage two put him back to 21st for the start of the final stage when, on the restart, he was collected in the wreck with Hezemans, Dillon and Chastain.

Kimi Raikkonen will be credited with a 36th-place finish with 44 laps complete. This was also the first race for Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 car. Trackhouse confirmed this will be the Project 91 car’s only appearance in 2022. The car is slated to return for “six to eight” races in 2023.