Kevin Magnussen is preparing for his debut in NASCAR.

      Kevin Magnussen, a former Formula 1 driver now racing for the BMW factory team in WEC, is preparing for his debut in the American NASCAR series. On June 21, the Dane will participate in a race on the city circuit in San Diego, California, and he will be driving a Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. We previously reported on their Project91 program, which collaborates with renowned drivers who have excelled in other championships – the first being Kimi Räikkönen. In the following years, New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, a three-time champion of the Australian Super Cars series, IndyCar veteran Helio Castroneves, and now it’s Magnussen's turn to take the wheel of car No. 91.

      For Kevin, this will be his first such experience, and the project is sponsored by the world-famous American corporation Qualcomm – by the way, the street circuit in San Diego, with a lap length of 5.472 km, is also named after it.

      “I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to race in NASCAR,” commented Magnussen. “It is a great honor for me! Project91, implemented by Justin Marks (co-owner of Trackhouse) and his team, is a unique program. They offer drivers who have no connection to the world of NASCAR a chance to test their skills at this level, and I am proud to have such an opportunity.”

      The 33-year-old driver has 185 Grands Prix in Formula 1 under his belt, and now he races for BMW M Team WRT in endurance racing on both sides of the Atlantic.

      “I have already spent some time with this team at their base in North Carolina, met everyone, went through the seat fitting, practiced pit stop procedures, and tried to understand all the details of preparing for the weekend in San Diego,” continued Kevin. “Trackhouse is a wonderful group of professionals dedicated to their craft, and they are preparing for my debut with as much enthusiasm as I am. I can’t wait to get to the start line and gain my first experience in NASCAR.”

      Just a week before this debut, Magnussen will again compete in the “24 Hours of Le Mans”: on June 13, together with his teammates in the BMW M Hybrid V8 hypercar with the number 15, he will start the marathon at the Sarthe circuit for the third time in his career.