F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. Drivers from all over the world attempt to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, but it isn’t meant for everyone. There’s intense competition and requires immense financial backing to get close to the sport.
The drivers are said to be the best in the world, even when compared to drivers from other racing series. However, that does not stop them from getting their hands behind the wheel of other motorsports. Throughout F1’s history, there have been many drivers who have competed in the World Endurance Championship (24 Hours of Le Mans, primarily), the IndyCar Series, etc. Moreover, some turned towards stock racing and raced in the American National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Better known as NASCAR.
NASCAR was founded two years before Formula 1, and is strictly stock racing. It is one of the most famous forms of racing in the United States of America. Although most of the drivers on the field are national heroes, they’ve had their fair share of foreigners, including some of the best F1 drivers.
F1 drivers who also raced in NASCAR
As mentioned, there have been a few Formula 1 drivers who had the curiosity to also race in NASCAR. Let us take a look at three such drivers.
#1 Jacques Villeneuve
The 1997 World Champion had a very competitive record in Formula 1. He won 11 races between 1996 and 2006, clinching the championship, too. Moreover, he had also won the Indianapolis 500 in 1995. Villeneuve eventually found his way in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2007. He raced part-time with multiple teams but did not reciprocate his F1 performance in the series. However, his performance in the Xfinity Series was much better with multiple top-10 finishes.
#2 Juan Pablo Montoya
Montoya clinched seven victories in 94 Formula 1 starts between 2001 and 2006. However, his motorsports portfolio stretched beyond the horizon as he also ran the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. He had a much more fulfilling career in the latter, racing full-time for Chip Ganassi Racing between 2007 and 2013. He won two races in the series, along with a victory in the Xfinity Series.
#3 Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen is the most recent F1 driver to have participated in a NASCAR race. The 2007 Formula 1 World Champion had very strong records in the sport, amassing 21 wins and 103 podium finishes, gaining a massive fan following. He retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 2021 season. However, he had NASCAR ties from almost a decade ago. He ran a race in the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series in 2011. He then raced the Cup Series in 2022 at Watkins Glen, and then once again in 2023 at the Circuit of the Americas. Although he never had very strong results, Raikkonen’s presence in the series gained quite some popularity.
