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Press Release - NASCAR / Team Trackhouse / Project91 Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/THProject91 Kimi Raikkonen to Make NASCAR Cup Debut with PROJECT91 Former Formula One Champion Enters Aug. 21 Watkins Glen Race Concord, North Carolina – Trackhouse Entertainment Group’s PROJECT91 today announced that 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the NASCAR Cup Series race on the road course at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International on Aug. 21. Raikkonen becomes the first driver to join the team’s PROJECT91 program announced Tuesday by Trackhouse Founder and Owner Justin Marks. PROJECT91’s goal is to expand the organization’s international reach by fielding a NASCAR Cup Series entry for renowned international racing drivers. Trackhouse Racing – a division of Trackhouse Entertainment Group – now fields the No. 99 and the No. 1 Chevrolets with drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain. Raikkonen and Marks made the announcement on the team’s social media channels this morning. “Kimi Raikkonen is the driver I first had in mind when we created PROJECT91,” said Marks who won the Rolex 24 as well as a NASCAR Xfinity Series race as a driver. “Kimi is a world-renowned driver with a tremendous amount of talent and fan following. We have had long discussions, and like us, he is already hard at work preparing for Watkins Glen.” PROJECT91 plans to bring Raikkonen to the team’s race shop in Concord, North Carolina for preparations. Darian Grubb, winner of 23 Cup races and the 2011 champion crew chief, will lead Raikkonen’s team. “I wasn’t looking to race again, but Justin came to my home in Switzerland and convinced me how serious he was about putting together a top-notch program,” said Raikkonen. “This will be fun, but it’s something I will take very seriously. I know how competitive the NASCAR Cup Series is and it will be a big challenge.” Raikkonen retired from Formula One in 2021 after competing with the Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus and Alfa Romeo teams since he started in 2001. The native of Espoo, Finland won 21 races and stood on 103 podiums in his F1 career. His Formula One highlight came in 2007 when he won the F1 World Driving title for Scuderia Ferrari. This will not be his first venture in the NASCAR world. He competed in the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2011. Marks said Raikkonen’s entry at Watkins Glen is the only PROJECT91 race planned for 2022 but expects more races in 2023 with additional drivers.

Photo: NASCAR / Ryan Blaney Family Foundation

As the NASCAR All-Star race has evolved in names and formats, one thing that has mostly remained the same is the final chance event known as The Open. While the changes have made this race more and less enjoyable at times, the significance of simply being eligible for the famed 'All-Star' is prestigious amongst the teams and drivers. Below is a list of every NASCAR Open Event Winner and Fan Vote Award Recipient, along with other #StatChat considerations. NASCAR Open Race Winners 1986 - Benny Parsons 1987 - Buddy Baker 1988 - Sterling Marlin 1989 - Sterling Marlin (2) 1990 - Dick Trickle 1991 - Michael Waltrip 1992 - Michael Waltrip (2) 1993 - Sterling Marling (3) 1994 - Jeff Gordon 1995 - Todd Bodine 1996 - Jimmy Spencer 1997 - Ricky Craven 1998 - Jeremy Mayfield 1999 - Tony Stewart 2000 - Steve Park 2001 - Johnny Benson 2002 - Jeremy Mayfield (2) 2003 - Jeff Burton 2004 - Sterling Marlin (4) 2005 - Brian Vickers 2006 - Scott Riggs 2007 - Martin Truex Jr. 2008 - A.J. Allmendinger 2009 - Sam Hornish Jr. 2010 - Martin Truex Jr. 2011 - David Ragan 2012 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2013 - Jamie McMurray 2014 - Clint Bowyer 2015 - Clint Bowyer (2) 2016 - Kyle Larson 2017 - Daniel Suarez 2018 - A.J. Allmendinger (2) 2019 - Kyle Larson (2) 2020 - Matt Dibenedetto 2021 - Aric Almirola Multiple Open Race Wins 4 - Sterling Marlin 2 - AJ Allmendinger 2 - Clint Bowyer 2 - Jeremy Mayfield 2 - Kyle Larson 2 - Martin Truex Jr. 2 - Michael Waltrip 2 - Todd Bodine NASCAR Fan Vote Award Winners 2004 - Ken Schrader 2005 - Martin Truex Jr. 2006 - Kyle Petty 2007 - Kenny Wallace 2008 - Kasey Kahne (All-Star Winner) 2009 - Joey Logano 2010 - Carl Edwards 2011 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2012 - Bobby Labonte 2013 - Danica Patrick 2014 - Josh Wise 2015 - Danica Patrick (2) 2016 - Chase Elliott 2017 - Chase Elliott (2) 2018 - Chase Elliott (3) 2019 - Alex Bowman 2020 - Clint Bowyer 2021 - Matt Dibenedetto All-Time Team Victories 4 - Hendrick Motorsports (1994,1997,2005,2012) 3 - Chip Ganassi Racing* (2004,2016,2019) 3 - Michael Waltrip Racing (2010,2014,2015) 2 - Bahari Racing (1991,1992) 2 - Dale Earnhardt Inc.* (2000,2007) 2 - Evernham Motorsports (2002,2006) 2 - Hagan Racing (1988,1989) 2 - Joe Gibbs Racing (1999,2017) 2 - Team Penske (1998,2009) 2 - Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (2003,2011) 1 - 12 Different Teams *One win not credited above was in 2013, when Earnhardt Ganassi Racing won the Open event. All-Time Manufacturer Victories 10 - Chevrolet 8 - Ford 5 - Toyota 4 - Dodge 4 - Oldsmobile All-Time Track Appearances 36 - Charlotte 1 - Atlanta, Bristol, Texas Since the inception of segment racing in 2015, the NASCAR Open has awarded advancement incentives to drivers who can finish first at the end of a predetermined race segment. The following drivers have won segments (known as stages since 2017) Clint Bowyer - 2 (2015 and 2017) Greg Biffle - 2 (2015 and 2016) William Byron - 2 (2019 and 2020) Tyler Reddick - 1 (2021) Ross Chastain - 1 (2021) Aric Almirola - 1 (2020) Bubba Wallace - 1 (2019) Daniel Suarez - 1 (2018) Alex Bowman - 1 (2018) Ryan Blaney - 1 (2017) Kyle Larson - 1 (2016) Trevor Bayne -1 (2016) As we mentioned before, the format has changed over the years. The 2022 format has been announced and the Open will run as follows. The NASCAR All-Star Open will run immediately prior to the NASCAR All-Star Race and will include three stages (20 laps / 20 laps / 10 laps). The winner of each stage will earn a spot in the NASCAR All-Star Race. The winner of the Fan Vote will also earn a spot in the NASCAR All-Star Race. Fans may vote for their favorite driver by visiting NASCAR.com.

(photo credit: @HondaRacing on Twitter) After the wet and wild Indianapolis Grand Prix, thirty-three drivers have taken on the legendary banked turns in preparation for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500. On Monday, there were three different practice sessions but the most important was FP2 as it was later in the day with the weather being mostly in the range for what we would see later in the month on race day. Two-Time Indianapolis 500 winner, Takuma Sato led in FP2 with a lap that came just shy of breaking the 229 MPH barrier. There are seven rookies in the field for the 500 with Seven-Time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson leading the way as he placed himself third on the time chart. Follow Racing Refresh for more news leading up to the Indianapolis 500. Follow me on Twitter @TheCollinBest

From the era of Jack Roush's Gong Show to the era of Covid and Next-Gen race cars, Kurt Busch has evolved and proven to be one of the most skilled stock car racers of all-time. He's won races competing against Rusty Wallace and Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin, a couple of Kyle's, and a slew of past Jr. champions named Dale, Sam , Ricky, and Martin. His on-track success includes race victories ranging from 2002 to 2022. He currently holds the record for most playoff appearances of any driver in history for NASCAR's Cup Series. He's won Cup races in Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge, and Toyota for iconic team owners such as Roger Penske and Tony Stewart. To follow is a year by year review of how a once wild character with fans and media became one of the most-loved in the garage. 2000 Statchat: Made cup debut at Dover in September. Raced for Jack Roush Racing (RFK Racing) in a total of 7 events with a best race Headlines: Cup debut. 2001 Statchat: Competed in full season for Jack Roush Racing in the #97 Ford Taurus. Earned his first career pole at Darlington. Headlines: He has noted his memories of competing against the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the 2001 Daytona 500 on more than one occasion. 2002 Statchat: Earned a 3rd place overall in final championship standings as well as his first career win at Bristol Motor Speedway (his first in a Ford). Season total included 4 wins and 3 of final 5 races in the season. Headlines: Feud started with NASCAR veteran Jimmy Spencer after contact at Bristol in the closing laps of the spring event. Their rivalry lasted many months and included reports of an assault from Jimmy to Kurt. They resolved their issues and appeared in TV segments together later in their careers. Kurt's winning 'Million Dollar' Sharpie Ford that he drove to his first career Cup Series victory at Bristol in 2002. (Photo Credit: Autoweek) 2003 Statchat: Four wins including a sweep at Bristol. Nine top fives, Fourteen top 10s and eight DNFs. Headlines: His loss at Darlington over Ricky Craven came was closest margin of victory 0.002 seconds recorded in modern era. He also won the 2003 IROC Championship with a best finish of 1st at Talladega. 2004 Statchat: NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champion, first ever champion to win title in a playoff format. Total of 3 wins. Headlines: Cup Series Champion, Kurt led the final seven weeks in the standings and survived a wheel falling off of his car in his final pit stop of the championship race at Homestead-Miami. Headlined in NASCAR Drivers: 360 television show. Competed in the 2004 IROC Championship with a best finish of 2nd at Daytona. Kurt Busch poses with his trophy at the 2004 Awards Banquet (Photo Credit: NASCAR) 2005 Statchat: Three victories and runner up at the Daytona 500. Headlines: Suspended by Jack Roush Racing after charges brought on driver by local law enforcement. Driver Kenny Wallace finishes season at Homestead-Miami driving the #97 Ford. Kurt and Penske Racing South (Now Team Penske) announce a multi-year deal for the Las Vegas native to take over driving duties of the famed #2 Miller Lite 'Blue Deuce' after legend Rusty Wallace retires. Competed in the 2005 IROC Championship with a best finish of 2nd at Richmond. 2006 Statchat: One victory in his first season with Penske (his first in a Dodge), a return to victory lane at Bristol. Won his Xfinity Series debut at Texas driving for Penske, also won Xfinity Watkins Glen event. 2007 Statchat: Two race victories, Pocono and Michigan. Headlines: Feuded with his brother Kyle after the two crashed battling at the exhibition All-Star event. It has been reported that they did not speak for many months after the on track altercation. 2008 Statchat: One win, rain-out win at New Hampshire. Runner-Up at Daytona 500 again. Headlines: In finishing second to his teammate Ryan Newman, Penske earned a 1-2 finish in the seasoning opening Daytona 500. It was Penske's first win in the event. 2009 Statchat: Two race wins at Atlanta and Texas. Finished the season in fourth place in standings. 2010 Statchat: Two race victories at Atlanta and Charlotte. Finished 11th in standings. Won two poles, ending a lengthy drought of over two years without a first-place start. Won the All-Star race and Charlotte Coke 600 in consecutive weeks. 2011 Statchat: Won Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duel, and started first in the Daytona 500. Headlines: Switched teams with teammate Brad Keselowski and took-over a newly sponsored Shell/Pennzoil #22 Ford for Team Penske. Several layers of frustration led to incidents on and off track that earned him the nickname 'The Outlaw'. These included excessive swearing with reporters and his team, offering obscene gestures to NASCAR officials on pit road, and a well documented verbal abuse of ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch that led to the driver's probation and mutual leaving of Team Penske. Another incident between Kurt and Jenna Fryer at Richmond in the media center resulted in Kurt approaching Jenna and ripping her notes. Kurt competed in NHRA Pro Stock driving a Shell/Pennzoil sponsored Dodge entry. He joined only Richard Petty and John Andretti in having accomplished the crossover between the two sports. 2012 Statchat: Ran a split season with Phoenix Racing and Furniture Row Racing. Unable to close the deal on a win at Sonoma, lost after a classic battle with eventual race winner Clint Bowyer. First season in career Kurt did not win a Cup race. Headlines: One run-in with Bob Pockrass, where he implied he was prohibited from attacking Pockrass due to his probation from previous season. Kurt ran a schedule on a handshake deal with Phoenix Racing owner James Finch. After part-time success in independent Furniture Row Racing, Kurt was offered a full time contract for the 2013 season in the #78. Introduced sponsor Monster Energy to success on and off track through intense marketing initiatives. 2013 Statchat: Tenth place championship standings overall, with one pole at Darlington. No wins, but became first single car driver/team to earn a playoff berth since it's inception in 2004. Headlines: Praised car owner Barney Visser regularly, and appeared to be enjoying the single-car team. 2014 Statchat: Earned first victory with new team Stewart-Haas Racing, a coveted checkered flag at Martinsville Virginia (his first in a Chevrolet). Finished 12th in series standings overall. Competed in both the Indianapolis 500 (finished 6th and was Rookie of The Race) and Coke 600 in same day. Competed in the 2014 Race of Champions alongside teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay. 2015 Statchat: Two race victories at Richmond and Michigan, with three poles in the #41 Chevrolet. Finished 8th in championship standings. Headlines: Despite facts now being known that Kurt was not found guilty, he was suspended due to allegations of domestic violence from ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. Patricia was later ordered to a sentence of 12 months in prison on tax fraud. 2016 Statchat: Earned tenth career playoff appearance and had a victory at Pocono. Finished 7th in overall championship point standings. 2017 Statchat: 2017 Daytona 500 Champion. Earned his 11th career playoff berth, finishing 14th in final championship standings. Headlines: Married wife Ashley on January 7th, 2017. Team switched to Ford beginning with the Daytona 500, an unexpected move for Stewart-Haas Racing. Was regularly featured in online marketing and Youtube videos for Monster Energy's '#Doonies' Kurt Busch crosses finish line in 2017 Daytona 500. (Photo Credit: NASCAR) 2018 Statchat: Won race at Bristol in August, statistically speaking his best track for wins, his sixth overall. He made the playoffs for the 12th time and earned 5 poles, more than any other driver. 2018 was his final year at Stewart-Haas Racing. Headlines: Driver and team announced he would not return in 2019, but would be replaced by recent Xfinity Series champion Daniel Suarez. Kurt took longtime partner Monster Energy with him to new team Chip Ganassi Racing. 2019 Statchat: Won Kentucky event driving for new team Chip Ganassi Racing's #1 Chevrolet. This was the team's first win for the #1 program in six seasons. Earned a 13th playoff berth. Headlines: Started new contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, replacing long-time loyalist Jamie McMurray behind the wheel of the solo-digit car. McMurray would move to a part time driving role and cover the sport as an analyst with Fox Sports. Defeated his younger brother in a celebrated duel to earn his first victory at Kentucky. Re-signed with Chip Ganassi Racing for multiple seasons after the success of the 2019 campaign. 2020 Statchat: Earned one win, this time at Las Vegas. Earned his 14th career playoff spot, and finished 10th overall in the championship standings. Headlines: Extended his consecutive winning seasons streak to 7 years in a row with at least one cup victory. Earned his playoff spot on points, as his victory would come later in the playoffs. Continued off-track marketing with longtime sponsor Monster despite them leaving the sport as title sponsor at the start of the year. 2021 Statchat: Earned an unexpected victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, extending his streak to eight consecutive years with at least one win. This placed him into the sports playoffs for the fifteenth time, a record that he shared with NASCAR elite Jimmie Johnson. Headlines: Earned fifteenth playoff appearance, a tied all-time record for NASCAR post-season. He effectively was the last remaining driver to have earned a spot in the 'first and last' playoffs dating from 2004 to 2021. Announced he would switch to 23XI Racing in 2022 and bring sponsor Monster Energy with him. 2022 Statchat: Earned first win in a Toyota, becoming the first driver to have won in a Chevrolet, a Dodge, a Ford, and a Toyota in NASCAR history. His win came at Kansas Speedway and was only the second all-time for team co-owners Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan Kurt Busch Career Stats Kurt Busch's legacy has been one of talent and longevity for many years. It is without a doubt that his recent win in the #45 Toyota Next-Gen will solidify him as one of the greatest stock car drivers of all-time.

NASCAR returns to all-out, knuckle-bleeding competition from Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. The annual All-Star event will pay a stunning million in cash to the winner. In addition to a revised and returned pit crew competition, a last-minute wildcard open event will take place earlier in the night to allow one extra team into the event. The famed fan vote contest will also help guide a popular driver and their team to the finale. It is a weekend of fun, exciting racing. NASCAR Open Entry List Austin Dillon Corey LaJoie Tyler Reddick Garrett Smithley Chris Buescher Harrison Burton Justin Haley Todd Gilliland Cole Custer Ty Dillon Erik Jones Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Cody Ware Landon Cassill BJ McLeod Daniel Suarez (2017 Open Winner) NASCAR All-Star Entry List (With Earliest Eligibility) Ross Chastain (Victory, Talladega 2022) Austin Cindric (Victory, Daytona 500 2022) Kevin Harvick (2007 All-Star Winner) Kyle Larson (Victory, Las Vegas 2021) Brad Keselowski (Victory, Talladega 2021) Chase Elliott (2020 All-Star Winner) Aric Almirola (Victory, New Hampshire 2021) Denny Hamlin (2015 All-Star Winner) Ryan Blaney (Victory, Atlanta 2021) Chase Briscoe (Victory, Phoenix 2022) AJ Allmendinger (Victory, Indianapolis 2021) Kyle Busch (2015 NASCAR Cup Champion) Martin Truex Jr. (2017 NASCAR Cup Champion) Christopher Bell (Victory, Daytona Road 2021) Joey Logano (2016 All-Star Winner) Bubba Wallace (Victory, Talladega 2021) William Byron (Victory, Homestead 2021) Michael McDowell (Victory Daytona 500 2021) Kurt Busch (2004 NASCAR Cup Champion) Alex Bowman (Victory, Richmond 2021) There are a total of 7 past All-Star winners in the field, including reigning cup champion and 2x All-Star champ Kyle Larson. The other past winners are Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick (2x), Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Kurt Busch.

By Matt Marr When the green flag waved to start the Advent Health 400 at Kansas Speedway, Christopher Bell led Tyler Reddick and the rest of the field to start the race. Caution struck early as Chase Briscoe went for a spin through the infield, mowing the lawn on lap 6. With 20 laps to go in stage 1, Daniel Suarez brought out the third caution of the day, as he spun off of turn four and hit the outside wall. On the final lap of the stage, Alex Bowman passed Denny Hamlin for the 10th position and final stage point as Kyle Busch won stage 1. 35 laps into stage 2, race leader William Byron suffered a flat tire, but the race stayed green. Kurt Busch became the new leader and would go on to win the stage. From the creators of the Kyle and Kyle show, the final stage brought the Kurt and Kyle (Larson) show, as the two drivers battled throughout the final 100 laps. With 9 laps left, Kurt Busch was able to pass Larson and hold off his endless attacks to win the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Advent Health 400 top 5: 1. Kurt Busch 2. Kyle Larson 3. Kyle Busch 4. Denny Hamlin 5. Christopher Bell

(Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/zanesmith77/)

(Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/ToyotaRacing)

(Photo Credit - twitter.com/NASCARPintys) By Adam Carabine

By Adam Carabine

By Adam Carabine Welcome to the 2nd annual Playoff Forecast project. Projections are calculated by simulating the 2022 Cup Series schedule 125,000 times, using a top-secret predictive formula that is based on 3 important factors: Driver History @ Each Track, Driver Recent Overall History, and Team Performance. How to read it: The numbers in brackets show that driver’s position last week. The percentages in each column refer to the probability of that driver making it to that round. We have also simulated the week's Cup Series race. Check back each week to see who's favoured to win. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @StatChatRefresh Or you can email directly: acarabine@racingrefresh.com Get all your StatChat Merch from the Racing Refresh online store!

(Photo Source : Twitter.com/kansasspeedway)

(Photo Source : Twitter.com/Team_Penske)

(Photo Source : Twitter.com/JRMotosports)