Nascar, i primi dettagli dell’operazione–31/03/2011
Raikkonen set for May debut in Trucks
Former Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck series debut at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20.
Following the surprise announcement that Raikkonen will enter selected rounds of the Truck series this year, NASCAR has confirmed via Twitter that the Finn’s request to enter the N.C. Education lottery 200 at Charlotte has been successful.
The 2007 F1 Champion will race with ICE1 Racing, with which he will also compete in at least eight rounds of the World Rally Championship driving a Citroen DS3.
"I’m really looking forward to get there to familiarise to the world of NASCAR," the Finn recently told the Turun Sanomat newspaper. "I know, it’s a very tough and open, top racing series. Obviously, it will be very challenging and great fun for me."
Although the full details of his NASCAR deal have yet to be confirmed, it is believed Raikkonen’s debut in the Truck series will lead to future participation in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series.
Da TS.fi, traduzione di Nicole@KimiRaikkonen.com forum
Saku Koivu combined Gillett’s and Räikkönen’s NASCAR-path
Foster Gillett, who lured Kimi Räikkönen into NASCAR-challenges was following his future star driver’s grips in the rally in Portugal, which he also attended.
At the same time I got offered a chance to explain some backgrounds to Räikkönen’s surprising switch when Gillett gave Turun Sanomat an exclusive interview.
NHL-star Saku Koivu had his share in Gillett and Räikkönen making contact.
– We owned Montreal Canadiens for nine years. I attended every game and lived with the players in both down- and uphills. The most challenging and critical situation I have ever experienced was Saku’s battle against cancer.
– At that time we were the team-owners for the first year. I was 23-years old. We didn’t know well, Saku and I, but that period connected us very closely. My family did all they could to help Saku win his battle. It was a worthy victory. Saku is alive, he is doing well, he has a wonderful family and still plays magnificently.
– That victory also spiced our eternal friendship and mutual respect. Saku is a skillful leader on ice and a great man as a human being. He gave a face to Canadiens organisation for many years. We went through some rough times but he never lost his will to try. To me Saku is one of the most inspirational sport figures of all times, Gillett praised.
Although both left Montreal they still kept in touch.
– When I came to the NASCAR-circles Saku knew it and called on a regular basis to hear how it goes for us and if he could do something for us.
– Then one day I was thinking what I and our sponsors should do to get forward. The idea of offering Kimi Räikkönen co-operation was born. I didn’t know how it would work out in practice so I called Saku. Saku assured me he would be happy to help and he gave me the contact information I needed in order to get in touch with Kimi.
– I called to Finland immediately, we met in Miami and now a few months later we have chosen our joint path and are at the moment looking at the right moves at this point, Gillett said.
– We have made many plans over how to combine Kimi’s rally- and NASCAR-schedules. We have really got our feet wet so to say. Lets see how it starts going and how Kimi feels.
Driver-centered racing
Räikkönen’s switch to NASCAR offered a news bomb all around the world.
– The sport is its own small world, Gillett thinks.
– Kimi is known all around the world and he is a popular sport star. I hope that Kimi’s decision to come over the Atlant to struggle as a pioneer in new challenges also wakes up other top drivers, sponsors and top engineers to follow him.
What does Gillett expect from Räikköen as a NASCAR-driver?
– It will become clear in time. Of course I have my own theory about how it could go.
– When they in Europe talk about over- and understeering, we again use words tight and loose. With a tight the front pushes when you turn into a corner and with a loose the rear again is loose. The more tight, the more physically the driver has to turn the wheel to the corner.
– I know that Kimi has drove on so many different tracks and rallies and slided sideways so often that the looseness will feel very familiar to him. I would assume that he feels quite comfortable in a car like that.
– From what I have understood about Kimi’s history he doesn’t like a tight car. The situation will become clear in time but I think he will have an advantage of it in the beginning.
– NASCAR is very driver-centered because the cars are almost identical and the difference between the faster and the slower is very small and laptimes are tightly bundled. Therefore the driver makes the difference as long as he gets the right equipment. There is no computer, no telemetry. In NASCAR the driver himself is the computer.Marketing by driving
Räikkönen’s image is a silent Iceman. How will Kimi fit in the American marketing mentality?
– The way you drive talks for itself. You don’t have to blabber there. The way you drive and the way others drive against you brings out your character and that fascinates the audience. Kimi is an incredible personality and all our organisations are thrilled over him being part of this program.
– I know Saku’s steel character and know its part of his Finnish nature. I believe that Kimi is made of the same wood, Gillett emphasises.
Turun Sanomat, Faro
HEIKKI KULTA
Raikkonen to test truck next week
Kimi Raikkonen is set to have his maiden stock car test next week, driving for NASCAR star Kyle Busch, who fields a leading outfit in the Truck Series.
AUTOSPORT has learned that the former Formula 1 world champion is set to drive a Toyota Tundra for the multiple NASCAR race winner and former Nationwide Series champion, 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, Georgia, where the former Ferrari and McLaren racer will get his first taste of an oval. Kyle Busch currently holds the NASCAR track record at the venue, set in testing last October.
Kyle Busch Motorsports has won two out of the three Truck races run this year, with Busch taking victory at Phoenix, while Kasey Kahne drove to victory lane in the #18 truck at Darlington. The outfit currently leads the owners’ standings, which counts points scored by each truck, regardless of the driver.
"I think that some of these guys from the Formula 1, or from the open wheel background I should say, trying to take a step in NASCAR and see how it is, is pretty neat," said Busch when asked by AUTOSPORT about the prospect of having Raikkonen race in the Truck Series.
"It kind of gives a world presence to NASCAR. Everybody thinks that Formula 1 is the world series… I think that NASCAR, as big as it is, a lot of drivers want to see how they can do over here and how they can have a feel for the racecar over here.
"I think it’s neat and I hope that he gets the things worked out that he wants worked out and that he can come over here and run some Trucks or run whatever he is going to run."
Raikkonen is expected to enter a truck race next month at Charlotte, taking a different path to other former open-wheel drivers who made their transition into the heavier stock cars. Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Speed and Nelson Piquet first competed on a superspeedway, where handling has a smaller role on performance than at Charlotte.
Busch believes however that the race at the 1.5-mile oval on May 20 probably fits Raikkonen’s World Rally Championship schedule better.
"I reckon most teams are from around Charlotte so it’s probably easier for him to get there," said Busch. "Probably a cheaper route for them to start out in having him as a first race.
"I think most of it has probably got to do with his schedule and what he can do around his rally stuff. I don’t know how busy those guys are, I don’t pay attention to the rally schedule all that much but maybe that’s his only opportunity. I don’t know."
The Charlotte event falls in a gap between the WRC’s Sardinia and Argentina rounds, taking place a week before the latter.
Raikkonen is expected be the first Finnish driver to compete in NASCAR. His countryman and former F1 racer Mika Salo tested a Sprint Cup car in 2009 but has not been able to get a race drive.
«Wait and See...» 
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