NASCAR CUP SERIES SAN DIEGO STREET COURSE TEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTES JUNE 19, 2026 |
Kevin Magnussen, driver of the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of his NASCAR Cup Series debut in San Diego at Naval Base Coronado. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
NASCAR CUP SERIESSAN DIEGO STREET COURSETEAM CHEVY DRIVER QUOTESJUNE 19, 2026 |
Kevin Magnussen, driver of the No. 91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, met with the media in advance of his NASCAR Cup Series debut in San Diego at Naval Base Coronado. | MEDIA RESOURCES: Photo Gallery | Race AdvancesChevrolet Newsroom |
Media Availability Quotes: I know you haven’t been on track yet, but can you talk to us a little bit about the preparation as you head into your first NASCAR Cup Series race at San Diego? “Preparation, not a whole lot. I’ve actually never driven the car on a track, so this will be my first lap in a Cup car. I did some donuts at COTA at the Formula 1 race a couple of years ago, but doing donuts doesn’t give you a great feeling for what the car is like, so this will be my first lap in a real NASCAR Cup car, and I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t be more excited to drive it.” How long was this on your bingo card to get into a NASCAR Cup car? What haven’t you driven now? I mean, you’ve really been in all of the major series in the world…“Yeah, I mean, NASCAR is one of the biggest forms of motorsport, so I don’t think I ever thought it would be a possibility because I’ve been on that European Formula 1 track that is very different and isolated from the NASCAR world, so it’s not often you get a chance to actually cross over. It’s almost like being a soccer player and then taking part in a field game, and I think that’s what it feels like to me. It’s still kind of similar. It’s the same kind of sport, but a very different type of it. So I think that’s very, very exciting, and I’m just super privileged to get this opportunity to take part in the NASCAR race. It’s going to be a memory for life.” What gave you the itch to come drive a NASCAR stock car?“I’ve always been fascinated, and I always loved NASCAR. My dad had a little bit of experience with NASCAR, probably 15 years ago or so now, and did a race. He was testing for Hendrick and doing some work there. I was speaking to him, and he loved it so much and had such a great experience. And just for me as a racing driver, to be able to take part in NASCAR and have an experience there is just going to be great. I think, as I said, it’s a big privilege to have that chance. Not many European drivers get that opportunity, so I’m very thankful and privileged to be here.” Your predecessor in this car, of course, has kind of been on a similar track. Did you talk to Kimi (Räikkönen) at all getting ready for this?“I didn’t have a chance to talk to Kimi (Räikkönen), but I know he had a great experience here. He also did some other stuff. He was actually trying to make a stint in the U.S. in the NASCAR. I think he had a great experience. Like me, it was very new for him. Completely different discipline in the same sport, but in a very different car. It’s not only the car that is different, it’s also the rules, the way people race each other, the way all the strategy works out. It’s just a very different game.” What intrigues you the most and what do you want to experience?“I think just the NASCAR spirit, if you will; driving the car, taking part in the race, seeing my name up on the list with all these other NASCAR legends. For me, it’s a great challenge. It’s a real excitement being thrown in at the deep end. It would be a very big challenge to just hit the ground running, having done no laps in a NASCAR Cup car so far. It’s an awesome track. I walked the track this morning. It looks like the most extreme track that I’ve ever driven. That would be an experience in itself. Just looking forward to it.” Will braking will be the biggest challenge of where to brake and how much, considering the weight of these cars?“Braking, obviously, I think is going to be the biggest difference to what I’m used to. A Formula 1 car can brake very, very hard and it has a lot of stability. It has all this downforce and it’s just sucking it to the ground. You can drive it in a completely different way. I’d say a Formula 1 car is more like a fighter jet with wheels than it is a car. These are real cars. They look like cars. They sound great. They’re just awesome and iconic. It will just be exciting to get going.” You said you haven’t had much preparation, but have you had any time in the sim in this track? Have you and your team set forth a specific set of goals for this weekend?“I had a few laps on iRacing, but I know that already from walking the track that there are some quite big differences from iRacing to the real track. But at least I have an idea whether to go left or right, so I’ll have that covered. For expectations, I don’t know what to expect. I expect to do my best and push the limits; try and get a feeling for the car as soon as I can. We don’t have a lot of practice. It’s a 50-minute practice, and then it’s qualifying, so it will not be a lot of experience. I’ll just have to try and get going as smooth and as quick as possible.” You’ve made sportscar racing your home post-Formula 1. I’m curious, do you expect that long-term to be your permanent racing place, or are you open-minded to things? Is there a part of you very similar to Shane (van Gisbergen) when he came and gave NASCAR a try a couple of years ago that if this goes well and I really enjoy this, that you could be open-minded to maybe doing more of this?“I think I am pretty open-minded. At this point in my career, as I said, I’ve been on that Formula 1 feeder system ever since I was a child from karting. Formula 1 was my main goal and that was where I was aiming, and then I spent 10 or 11 years in Formula 1. Now at this point, I think the whole world of motorsport is kind of open and I’m just taking any opportunity I get and trying to have fun with it. Not that Formula 1 was not fun, but it was kind of like, I do have a sense that I’m just kind of playing around, having fun, experiencing cool things and that’s a great privilege. Obviously, my time in Formula 1 gave me that privilege and opportunity and now I’m living that. I think I’m just keeping an open mind and really enjoying myself. And then, as I said, whatever opportunity I get, I’ll look at it and try and grab it.” How did this opportunity come to fruition for you? Obviously, Justin (Marks) has been pretty bullish on bringing big names from the motorsports world to this PROJECT91 car. How did you get presented with this opportunity?“Yeah, the PROJECT 91 car, that’s kind of what it’s made for. Justin (Marks) reached out to me and said there was an opportunity. Qualcomm was sponsoring the car and that there would be an opportunity to come and race in NASCAR for this race here in San Diego. And, you know, I didn’t have to think about it at all. I accepted that offer immediately. BMW were nice enough to let me do it. They completely understood. Also, I think the way I asked them, I almost couldn’t call it a question. You know, I said I wanted to race and they let me do it, so a big thank you to them, as well. And a big thank you to Qualcomm to give me the opportunity.” The last time we had an international driver get in a PROJECT91 car for a street race, he did pretty well and set the bar pretty high. Does that add a little pressure to you or does it maybe excite you knowing that that is kind of the limit?“Honestly, I try not to take that as a benchmark. Shane (van Gisbergen) is a driver that comes from V8 supercars that are not too different to NASCAR Cup cars.. And, you know, they race on tracks like this all the time in those cars, so this is like his home soil. Plus, he’s a super special driver by the looks of it, so I think a big respect to what he’s come in and done in NASCAR from V8’s. I don’t think I take him as a benchmark. I think I’ll just kind of ease into it. As I said, I have no experience with these types of cars. I’ll be given a 50-minute session to try and catch up on decades of practice of the other drivers, so that will be a steep learning curve, but hopefully I can keep up and get in the mix. That’s kind of my hopes.” I wanted to ask you if you’re ready to have your elbows out?“They’re always out (laughs). I think from what I know about NASCAR, it’s tough racing. And, you know, the way the sporting rules are around racing each other is much more lenient than in European racing. So, yeah, that’s part of what I have to get used to. I got a message from Jason Patton, who also did some races here and he said, be careful and be aware… they’ll turn you around if they have any part of the track on your side. So, yeah, I think I’ll just take it all in and try and enjoy all of it.” You talked about having an open mind earlier. Are there any other races or discipline of motorsports that you’ve been thinking about maybe trying in the future?“I couldn’t mention a form of motorsport I wouldn’t try. You know, at this point in my career, as I said earlier, I’m just privileged to be able to do cool things. I just did the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but we didn’t do all of the 24 Hours, unfortunately. I’m competing in some really, really cool race cars in Europe, all over the world, and now I’m here in NASCAR. So, I think, yeah, to answer your question, there’s not really any sort of motorsport I wouldn’t try. If you had a Dakar team and you asked me if I wanted to try it, I’d say yes. I think that’s the cool thing about where I am in my career at the moment.” Before you were announced as the driver for this No. 91 car, there was a lot of fans that were theorizing and guessing who it might be. Are there any other drivers that, maybe from the Formula 1 scene, that you would like to see hop in a NASCAR stock car at some point?“I mean, all of the Formula 1 drivers would be able to do it and do a great job. I don’t know who of them would do it or would be interested. You know, I’m certainly one of those guys that have great respect and a great passion for all sorts of motorsport. I think the Formula 1 world can be kind of isolated and just focused on itself. And, you know, I don’t know how many of them actually follow this type of racing. I’ve always done that. My dad has been racing in the U.S. all my life, basically, in sports cars. And, as I said, done some stuff in NASCAR, too. So, I’ve always been passionate about it. Since I was a kid, I’ve been coming to the U.S. tracks, to the U.S. races, so I think it’s very natural for me to want to do this.” |