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.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com
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