Button warned Magnussen to be careful.

Button warned Magnussen to be careful.

      Kevin Magnussen is preparing for his debut in NASCAR and showed a quite respectable 21st result in Saturday's qualifying at the California track in San Diego. A total of 39 drivers participated in the qualifying, and the Dane managed to outpace many recognized masters of this American series.

      Kevin decided to try his hand at NASCAR at the invitation of the Trackhouse Racing team, which has a special Project91 program, where drivers who have made a name for themselves in other motorsport categories get behind the wheel of a Chevrolet with this race number. Three years ago, it was Kimi Räikkönen, the 2007 world champion and Formula 1 veteran, and New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in the Australian touring car series Super Cars.

      He made a sensation when he won his debut race on the city circuit in Chicago in July 2023. Now, as part of the same Project 91, Magnussen, a former Formula 1 driver who has worked with teams like McLaren, Renault, and Haas, is preparing to start on the road course in San Diego. By the way, it was van Gisbergen who secured the pole yesterday, as he now has a full contract with Trackhouse Racing, and the 37-year-old driver already has seven wins in NASCAR.

      "I have always liked this series, and my father (Jan Magnussen) had a bit of experience in NASCAR when he raced once – probably about 15 years ago," Kevin said. "I talked to him, and he really enjoyed that experience.

      It's just wonderful that now I also have the opportunity to compete in NASCAR and gain such experience, for which I am very grateful, as few European drivers have had this chance. As far as I know, racing in NASCAR is quite tough, and the sporting rules here are much more liberal than in European races. Overall, I still have to get used to this.

      Jenson Button, who has raced in this series, sent me a message warning me to be careful and advised me to always stay alert... I think I'll just do everything I can and try to enjoy it!

      I don't know what to expect yet, but I will do my best to perform as well as possible and be as fast as I can."

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Button warned Magnussen to be careful.

Kevin Magnussen is preparing for his NASCAR debut and showed a quite respectable 21st result in Saturday's qualifying at the California track in San Diego...