The NASCAR Cup Series car that has yet to appear in 2024

As a seasoned gamer who’s had a front-row seat to NASCAR’s thrilling races for decades, I can’t help but be intrigued by Trackhouse Racing Team’s PROJECT91 initiative. The prospect of seeing world champions from Formula 1 and Australian Supercars competing in the NASCAR Cup Series is like a dream come true!

In the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season, Trackhouse Racing Team unveiled a program titled PROJECT91, offering well-known racers from around the world a chance to participate in chosen events at the pinnacle of stock car racing competition.

In a given year, Kimi Raikkonen, who is recognized as the Formula 1 world champion, was the initial driver to navigate the No. 91 Chevrolet. This feat occurred at Watkins Glen International. Interestingly, he also participated in last year’s race at Circuit of the Americas.

In the initial race held on Chicago’s streets, the team co-owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull recruited three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen to drive their car. Incredibly, van Gisbergen clinched victory in this debut race, making him the first driver in six decades to achieve such a feat on his initial Cup appearance.

Van Gisbergen made his comeback to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the race, but it’s been over a year since then, with the No. 91 Chevrolet not making an appearance since. This period encompasses the entire 2023 playoffs and the full 2024 regular season.

What’s in store for PROJECT91?

It appears that Trackhouse Racing Team has not yet permanently closed down PROJECT91, considering their plans to increase to three full-time entries next year. This suggests that they might potentially reactivate PROJECT91 at some point during the playoffs if they decide to do so, given their available resources.

Despite not having ever competed in a playoff race before, it’s important to note that this season’s playoff schedule includes a record-breaking two road course races among the four rounds and ten races overall.

Instead of having races at Watkins Glen and Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in both the first and second rounds, the team is considering prioritizing their efforts solely on Daniel Suarez, who managed to qualify for the playoffs following his win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in late February. Adding a third entry might not be necessary in this case.

If the No. 91 Chevrolet doesn’t show up at all in 2024, is there any reason to think it will appear in 2025? Given that the team intends to run three cars full-time by then, adding a fourth car for select events (PROJECT91) seems unlikely.

It’s important to mention that van Gisbergen, who has been confirmed as the team’s third full-time driver for the 2025 season, will be driving car number 88 instead of 91 next year. He’ll be joining Ross Chastain in the No. 1 Chevrolet and Suarez in the No. 99 Chevrolet.

So despite his Trackhouse origins, van Gisbergen’s addition to the full-time roster is not related to PROJECT91 itself.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the team has parted ways with Zane Smith, who was previously under a development contract with them, prior to the 2024 season.

Rather than using the No. 91 Chevrolet for Connor Zilisch, who is under contract with them through a development agreement, it wouldn’t align with the original intent and objective of PROJECT91.

As an ardent fan, I’m thrilled about the young prodigy who’s secured a full-time racing spot next season with JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. It seems that this exceptional driver could one day catch the eye of Trackhouse Racing Team, potentially competing at the Cup level in the future.

Beginning this Sunday, September 8, the thrilling 2024 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs kick off with the Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart, airing live on USA Network from Atlanta Motor Speedway at 3:00 p.m. ET. Don’t miss out – sign up for a free trial of FuboTV and catch all the action!

2024-09-06 17:32