NASCAR's Trackhouse Racing Will Put Formula 1 and IndyCar Drivers in a Cup Series Stock Car
The Trackhouse Racing No. 1 of Ross Chastain at Daytona in 2022Photo: James Gilbert (Getty Images)
It might be a new team, but Trackhouse Racing is already thinking about the ways it can continue to grow — and how it’ll bring NASCAR with it. Today, the team announced the formation of something called PROJECT91, which is the team’s project to field a third car in certain NASCAR races, saving that seat for international drivers. Yes, that means some of your favorite drivers from Formula 1, IndyCar, rallycross, and more might compete in a NASCAR event this year.
Trackhouse is co-owned by Justin Marks and Armando Christian Pérez — better known as singer Pitbull. In an interview with Jalopnik earlier this year, Marks noted his intentions to use Trackhouse as something more than just a racing team; he wants it to be a vehicle for widespread change and growth. Project 91 falls right into those goals.
To put it simply, PROJECT91 is “a program designed to expand its international reach by fielding a NASCAR Cup Series entry for renowned international racing drivers,” NASCAR says. For select races this year, those international drivers will hit the track in the No. 91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which will act as a third sister car to the Nos. 1 and 99 run by Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez.
“PROJECT91’s mission is to activate the intersection point of NASCAR racing and global motorsport culture,” Marks told NASCAR.com. He went on to note that the introduction of the Next-Gen car marks a perfect opportunity to expand the global reach of NASCAR racing thanks to its “technological relevance” to both the automotive industry and to other forms of racing.
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Basically, the new NASCAR machines are a little more accessible to racers who don’t have extensive stock-car experience, and Marks wants to be the one to get those racers behind the wheel.
While we don’t have a full schedule of races or a list of prospective drivers yet, PROJECT91 intends to make its first announcement before this coming weekend, according to journalist Adam Stern. But the mere announcement has social media alight with all the racers that fans want to see trying out a Next-Gen machine — which means the whole concept is already well on its way to success.
