after years of rumors, there is a report that 2007 Formula One champ, Kimi Raikkonen, will drive some NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races this summer. Raikkonen has been out of F1 for a while and driving in the World Rally Championship. According to a newspaper in his native Finland, Raikkonen will drive some time this summer in NASCAR’s Truck Series and eventually move to Nationwide and Sprint Cup. Raikkonen supposedly will drive for a new team called ICE1 that will have Foster Gillett as a partner. Gillett, of course, is the son of sports magnate George Gillett and until last year was running Richard Petty Motorsports.
From Turun Sanomat: The world champion of Formula One and current rally star Kimi Raikkonen expands his field of experiences: The 31-year-old Finn is going to race in the most popular North American race series NASCAR. The NASCAR debut for Raikkonen will be before the becoming summer. Kimi is going to carry on with WRC Rally, too. He has agreed to do eight more rallies this year. There will bea brand new team to race in NASCAR level: ICE1 Racing. Raikkonen joins forces with Foster Gillett. He will be the major partner of the Finnish team. Among others Foster’s family was the former majority owners of the Montreal Canadiens NHL franchise and the former co-owners of Liverpool football club. Last year Foster Gillett was operating with Richard Petty Motorsport in NASCAR. Now he is about to break new ground with Raikkonen and ICE1 Racing.
“I’m really looking forward to get there to familiarize to the world of NASCAR. I have been following it for a long time. I know, it’s a very tough and open top racing series. I just love the American spirit of racing. It feels just great to get involved with that. Obviously, it will be very challenging and great fun for me”, Raikkonen told the Turun Sanomat. The negotations for the car for ICE1 Racing team are just about to be finished. Raikkonen will race both in ovals and normal track circuits.(Turun Sanomat)(3-29-2011)
UPDATE – Evernham: Ray Evernham, a former partner of Foster Gillett at Richard Petty Motorsports was a little bit astounded when he learned of the rumor of Kimi Raikkonen coming to NASCAR with a new team owned by Foster Gillett. “I really don’t know why Kimi would partner with people who continually fail with sports franchises,” Evernham told Auto123.com. “I don’t know how they could leave with so many unpaid bills and return to the sport,” Evernham added. Evernham says he was not paid over $19USD million and brought a lawsuit against his former partner earlier this year in a state court in North Carolina.(Auto123.com)(3-29-2011)
UPDATE 2: Former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen has received approval from NASCAR to compete in the Camping World truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20th. Raikkonen is slated to make his debut in the truck series later this summer with a team that includes former Richard Petty Motorsports principal Foster Gillette as a partner. Gillett’s father George was the owner of RPM before financial issues forced them to sell the remaining assets of the team to an investor group led by Richard Petty (CBS Sports)(3-31-2011)
UPDATE 3: Raikkonen is set to have his maiden stock car test next week, driving for Kyle Busch’s Truck Series team. Raikkonen is set to drive a Toyota Tundra for Busch, who has fielded the #18 Truck entry since 2010. Team officials confirmed contact with Raikkonen and also a test being set for Monday at Gresham Motorsports Park, a half-mile track in Jefferson, GA, where the former Ferrari and McLaren racer will get his first taste of an oval.(Autosport)(4-1-2011)
