Kimi Raikkonen received approval to compete in NASCAR Racing

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2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen has received approval from NASCAR to compete in the May Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Officials said approval was given after the rally-car driver and 2007 F1 champion sent in his resume and application, the first step that has to be made to compete. Because of his status in F1, Raikkonen does not have to compete inany other stock-car event before Charlotte.

The application did not clarify which team Raikkonen would drive for, but there are reports that former Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner Foster Gillett is involved.

Raikkonen is a former F1 teammate of NASCAR star Juan Pablo Montoya during his days with McLaren.

"I think it would be cool if he comes here," Montoya said Friday at Martinsville Speedway. "He's a cool guy and he would fit right in."
[Kyle Busch]

Kyle Busch said 'he thought it was “cool” that Raikkonen was considering NASCAR'.

“I think that some of these guys from the Formula One, or from the open wheel background I should say, trying to take a step in NASCAR and see how it is pretty neat,” Busch said. “It kind of gives a world presence to NASCAR. Everybody thinks that Formula 1 is the World Series — I don’t mean that in baseball terms I just mean that in the racing world globe.

“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 race car over here. I think it’s neat and I hope that (Raikkonen) 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.”

From Juan Pablo Montoya’s perspective, NASCAR does not always receive the respect it deserves internationally. But the former Formula One racer acknowledges “people are watching.”

“Over the last few years when I came over people started paying attention to how I ran, and I think a lot of people got hooked on it,” Montoya said. “I still receive emails from people from Formula One, good luck in the race, great qualifying. It’s like ‘Oh, you’re paying attention. That is surprising.’

“People in Formula One are very selfish. They think there is nothing better out there. You look from technology wise, there’s not. But the actual racing, this is exciting. It’s exciting to watch, it’s exciting to be here. When you hear about ovals and sometimes you watch them, the first time you watch it by yourself, oh yeah it’s a circle. But if you come and actually see how fast we’re going in real life, they go oh yeah that’s a lot faster than people think it is.”

Although Raikkonen has already been approved by NASCAR to race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Montoya, who is now in his fifth Sprint Cup season, says the 1.5-miler would not by his “first choice” for a debut venue.

Busch believes the site was chosen due to the close proximity to most of NASCAR’s race teams.