Kimi Räikkönen making Nationwide debut but uncertain about NASCAR future

Kimi Räikkönen does not know when or if he will return to NASCAR following Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Kimi Räikkönen will make his Nationwide Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, but as far as his future plans, the former Formula One champion said he was unsure whether he will return to NASCAR and when that return might come.

Räikkönen, who drove a truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports last week at Charlotte and then tested a Sprint Cup car for Robby Gordon Motorsports on Tuesday, will drive for Nemco Motorsports in a KBM-prepared Nationwide car this weekend in the Top Gear 300.

Whether the 31-year-old Finnish driver goes Cup racing remains to be seen.

“You always have in mind to try to do [Cup],” Räikkönen said Thursday prior to Nationwide practice. “Another thing is it going to happen or not. I don’t know.

“Of course I am probably more keen to the road courses than anything else. I leave Saturday as soon as the race is over back to Europe. I have other things to do. After that, I don’t know when I will be back.”

Räikkönen, whose primary racing job is competing for his own team in the World Rally Championship in Europe, crashed during his Cup test Tuesday at Virginia International Raceway. It didn’t give him much of a feel for whether to return to NASCAR to compete in the Cup event at Infineon Raceway next month.

“I just ran a bit wide and decided to go with the grass, but unfortunately there was a big hole or something in the grass so it destroyed the front end a bit,” Räikkönen said. “It was fun to drive it. … I probably ended up doing only 20 laps.

“We just put tires on the car. We didn’t do any changes. We didn’t have time. Like I said, it would be nice to go and do [that Cup race at Sonoma] but I don’t know if it is going to happen or not. I do this week and then I have to go back to do my Rally stuff and we’ll see if I come back.”

The original plan for Räikkönen, who has sponsorship from Perky Jerky and is being represented by the HMS Worldwide sports agency in his NASCAR effort, was to do three to five races for KBM in a truck. But team owner Kyle Busch said Friday that Raikkonen and his sponsors have only paid for the truck race last week and the Nationwide race.

“It's either up to Kimi or up to the financial people that run Kimi's business side of things and decide that they need to find the sponsorship funds in order to carry the experience for him further [with us],” Busch said.

Busch said he was pleased with Räikkönen’s debut last week – a 15th-place finish in the truck race.

“Certainly, he gave the truck a good ride,” Busch said. “It was really loose and he did a nice job with car control and everything else.”

Räikkönen said racing in traffic last week was fun and he enjoyed the NASCAR-style racing. He hopes that this weekend is a little easier for him.

“Once you do it once, you know much more how things go,” Räikkönen said. “I had no idea what we should do during [the race]. I know how to do restarts, but I didn’t know exactly how it goes because I haven’t really seen it or done it before.

“All those things I know now. It’s much easier to go for the second time.”

Source: SceneDaily.com

Kimi Räikkönen To Make NASCAR Nationwide Series Debut At Charlotte

Kimi Räikkönen is moving up the NASCAR ladder rather quickly, it appears.

After Räikkönen made a solid NASCAR debut in Friday's Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the former Formula One champion is already headed for the Nationwide Series, according to the Top Gear 300's entry list.

Räikkönen is entered in Joe Nemechek's No. 87 car, and the car is already locked into the field (there are 46 entries). Nemechek, who is running for Nationwide Series points this season, will attempt the race in the No. 97 car instead.

The car is apparently being prepared by Kyle Busch Motorsports – it's been housed at the KBM shop, according to Busch. But Busch insisted to reporters this weekend that he didn't own the car, so it makes sense that Nemechek is actually the owner.

How is Räikkönen moving up so quickly, you ask? Follow the dollar signs. The Finland native brought money to the KBM truck and apparently had plans all along to drive in the Nationwide race during his trip to America.

So far, it's gone well. Räikkönen seemed comfortable in the Truck race and finished 15th – though, as NASCAR fans know, the competition gets much tougher in the upper levels.

It's unclear whether Räikkönen will stick around and drive more races this season, but he already has an eye on making a Sprint Cup start or two if his NASCAR plans stay on track.

Source: SBNATION
Courtesy: Kriss

Busch to patner with Nemechek for Kimi Räikkönen's Nationwide ride

The mystery car sitting in the shop at Kyle Busch Motorsports is a mystery no more.

KBM is partnering with Joe Nemechek’s NEMCO Motorsports to put 2007 Formula One champion Kimi Räikkönen in the No. 87 Toyota for next Saturday’s Top Gear 300 Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, according to a Foxsports.com report.

KBM owner Kyle Busch dropped hints about the deal after winning Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series event at Charlotte. Busch alluded to the car in his shop, acknowledged that it was a Toyota but declined to reveal its provenance.

KBM will assemble the car Räikkönen will drive in his Nationwide debut. NEMCO will provide transporter, crew (supplemented by KBM), a backup car, and—most important—the owner points that will guarantee Räikkönen a starting spot in the race. The No. 87 currently is 19th in the owner standings, well inside the top 30 (the cutoff for a guaranteed starting spot).

Räikkönen finished 15th, on the lead lap, in his truck series debut Friday night.

Coincidentally, Busch made his Nationwide debut at Charlotte in 2003, driving a No. 87 Chevrolet owned by Joe Nemechek. Busch finished second to Matt Kenseth in the May 24, 2003 Carquest Auto Parts 300.

Source: AolSportingNews