F1 Star Joins NASCAR
Formula 1 Veteran Kevin Magnussen Debuts in NASCAR Cup Series at San Diego Street Race
Kevin Magnussen will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the San Diego street race on June 21, driving Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry at Naval Base Coronado. The team has revived PROJECT91 with the intent of giving international drivers a chance to compete, and Magnussen brings a background spanning 10 years of Formula 1 plus sports-car success in IMSA and endurance racing. Trackhouse and Qualcomm Technologies are pairing the No. 91 Chevrolet with Qualcomm as an official circuit partner, emphasizing AI-driven support for real-time performance and race strategy decisions. Magnussen has been preparing with Trackhouse on pit-stop procedures and NASCAR race-weekend details, while Justin Marks said the project returned once the right driver, partner, and opportunity aligned for the San Diego event. Phil Surgen will serve as crew chief for Magnussen at the race.
Key Points
Trackhouse created PROJECT91 to expand NASCAR’s global reach, and since its 2022 debut it has featured high-profile international names such as Kimi Räikkönen, Shane van Gisbergen, and Hélio Castroneves—before becoming inactive through the early part of 2026. (Magnussen’s return in 2026 is framed as the program being reactivated with the right driver/partner.)
Qualcomm will support the No. 91 with its “Qualcomm Dragonwing™ AI on-prem appliance,” designed to provide real-time insights by analyzing and distributing “complex data and radio communications” to race engineers both at the track and at the race shop—aiming to streamline faster in-race decisions.
Magnussen’s standout early F1 milestone: he made his F1 debut in 2014 with McLaren at the Australian Grand Prix, finished second, and became “the first Danish driver ever to score an F1 podium finish.”
Crew chief Phil Surgen’s Trackhouse/Cup record: he joined Trackhouse in 2022 and has “six Cup Series victories,” “two playoff appearances,” and finished “second in the points standings in 2022 as Ross Chastain’s crew chief.”
The San Diego venue details: the race takes place on NASCAR’s “newest street circuit,” a 3.4-mile road course set “within a military base,” built to deliver a high-spectacle, global-audience event—matching PROJECT91’s international-introduction concept.
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