Kevin Magnussen has spent the better part of his career in open-wheel cars, where everything is fast, and there is little room for error. Later this year, he’ll be trying something very different. Trackhouse Racing has picked him to drive the No. 91 Chevrolet in the San Diego street race, putting him into NASCAR for the first time. It’s another unexpected turn in a career that has already taken him through several major racing series.
His chance comes through Trackhouse’s Project 91 program, which brings well‑known drivers from other forms of racing into select Cup Series events. The car has already been driven by a Formula 1 champion, a four‑time Indy 500 winner, and a Supercars driver who won in his first NASCAR start. Magnussen now joins that list, and his debut has drawn plenty of attention.
Magnussen’s background covers a lot of ground. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2014 and finished on the podium in his first race. Over the next decade, he drove for McLaren, Renault, and Haas, earning a reputation for being aggressive and willing to fight for every position. When his time in Formula 1 ended in 2024, he moved into sports car racing, competing in IMSA and the World Endurance Championship. Those series require long stints, changing conditions, and a different kind of patience, all of which helped make him a strong candidate for Trackhouse’s international entry.
The San Diego street race will give Magnussen a very different introduction to NASCAR. Instead of a traditional oval, he’ll be racing on a temporary course at Naval Base Coronado. It’s a layout that rewards drivers who understand braking points, tight corners, and how to find grip on a surface that changes throughout the weekend. Magnussen has spent years dealing with those challenges, but doing it in a stock car, a heavier, more physical machine, will be something new.
Trackhouse has already shown that drivers with strong road‑course backgrounds can succeed in the No. 91. Kimi Räikkönen ran well in both of his starts. Shane van Gisbergen shocked the sport by winning the Chicago street race in his first Cup appearance. Even Hélio Castroneves, who had limited stock‑car experience, adapted quickly enough to be competitive in the Daytona 500. The team has developed a system for newcomers to help them get comfortable behind the wheel, and Magnussen will benefit from it.
He has already started working with the group. Magnussen has spent time at Trackhouse’s shop in North Carolina, going through seat fittings, pit‑stop practice, and simulator work to get a feel for the Camaro ZL1. The team has focused on helping him understand how the car behaves under braking, how it moves through corners, and how the tires change over the course of a run. Magnussen has taken the process seriously, trying to learn as much as he can before race weekend arrives.
One of the most interesting parts of Magnussen’s debut is the group he’ll be working with. Trackhouse has put together one of the strongest road‑course lineups in the Cup Series. Van Gisbergen is a threat to win any time the schedule includes right‑hand turns. Ross Chastain has had several strong runs on technical tracks. Rookie Connor Zilisch has shown impressive speed in limited starts. Magnussen will be racing against them, but he’ll also be learning from them, studying how they approach strategy, tire management, and the unique demands of NASCAR’s street‑course racing.
The San Diego race itself adds another layer of difficulty. Street courses are notoriously tight, unpredictable, and ever-changing. The walls are close, the braking zones shift as rubber builds up, and cautions can change the entire race in a moment. For a driver making his debut, the challenge is striking the right balance between pushing hard enough to stay competitive and avoiding mistakes that can end a race early. Magnussen has dealt with that balance throughout his career, and San Diego will give him a chance to see how those instincts translate to a stock car.
Magnussen’s move into NASCAR is part of a larger trend in motorsports. More drivers are willing to cross into different series and test themselves in new environments. Trackhouse has embraced that idea, using Project 91 to bring international talent into the Cup Series and introduce fans to different styles of racing. Magnussen’s debut continues that effort, offering a look at what can happen when drivers step outside their usual lanes.
Whether he runs up front or simply gains experience, Magnussen’s presence will add something new to the event. His career has been shaped by taking on new challenges, and the San Diego street race is another chance to do that: a new car, a new series, and a new test. For Magnussen, it’s another step in a career built on trying new things. For NASCAR, it’s another sign of how much the sport is changing.
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