The 2022 NASCAR Cup season is currently ongoing and Trackhouse Racing has been a big surprise. Now, the organization is planning something which sounds incredibly ambitious.
Starting from the 2022 season, the outfit is launching a program called Project91. For the uninitiated, they will be fielding a part-time third car with the #91 number for a limited few races. Additionally, Trackhouse Racing hopes to rope in global motorsport stars to compete in NASCAR.
So cool and so smart. @JustinMarksTH continues to innovate https://t.co/86yWFUWPQW
— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) May 24, 2022
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Awesome.
SEE YOU AT THE TRACK, SWEET PRINCE. https://t.co/EW4BXYmblS pic.twitter.com/ajxOSHlyam
— nascarcasm (@nascarcasm) May 24, 2022
This has Ricciardo written all over it. Give me Lewis Hamilton in a race too https://t.co/Q7I2WFbOGw
— Aidan Joly (@ByAidanJoly) May 24, 2022
This is going to be a game changer. #PROJECT91@TeamTrackhouse | @TeamChevy https://t.co/lMGUdM0PKl
— Ross Chastain (@RossChastain) May 24, 2022
Naturally, this got many fans excited to see the project hit the ground running. What really sold the idea to the fans was the fact that motorsport royalty will be involved.
READ MORE: Former NASCAR Driver Jeff Burton Defends Ross Chastain After his Massive Airborne Wreck at Texas
Furthermore, Trackhouse Racing did not specify which series they were looking at, so everything is on the table.
Ricciardoooooooo https://t.co/IT0xucyAHm
— Shan Cole (@oshanada) May 24, 2022
👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀 https://t.co/jTeAvhqMn1 pic.twitter.com/BUxHhhD6Po
— Jordan (21-21) (@jbawelkiewicz44) May 24, 2022
DANNY RICC SZN https://t.co/oSMzX4zAw7
— Jay Arnold (@JArnoldTAMU85) May 24, 2022
— Daniel Suárez (@Daniel_SuarezG) May 24, 2022
This has led to many fans throwing out random racing drivers’ names. Chief among them are Formula One drivers, like Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton.
Some NASCAR fans were not happy with the Trackhouse Racing plan
Of course, even if one seemingly great idea has a lot of fans, there will be some who are skeptical. A few insisted that international drivers were not needed, as there was plenty of talent in the American pool.
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Others were worried about the process of them obtaining licenses to compete in NASCAR, even if it is just for a couple of races. Granted, F1 has its superlicense system, but NASCAR seems to operate on a different license. It explains why Kyle Larson may have a difficult time getting into an F1 car, despite his interest.
@Max33Verstappen MAX MAX SUPER MAX PLEASE https://t.co/4RHIJC0lBA
— Nikolai P. Culp (@NikolaiPCulp) May 24, 2022
Am I global?
— Michael Waltrip (@MW55) May 24, 2022
Do Canadians qualify? Asking for a friend. That’s a lie. Asking for me.
— James Hinchcliffe (@Hinchtown) May 24, 2022
I’m gonna give my wants for international drivers to @TeamTrackhouse @JustinMarksTH
AUS @Official_CS27
FRA @Prost_official
FIN Kimi
JPN @kamui_kobayashi
GB @nigelmansell
CAN @27villeneuve
GER @Andre_Lotterer
BRA @LucasdiGrassi https://t.co/ixI0WHcfUx— Blake Lirette (@Blake_Lirette) May 24, 2022
Some fans were also worried that the international race stars will come, only to set themselves up to fail. This is because they will be rookies going up against seasoned NASCAR drivers, so they may not be as competitive.
Additionally, some fans pointed out that it could be dangerous for many on the race track. We are talking about drivers from one series competing in a completely different series with little to no practice or experience.
dont need international drivers they are plenty of great American drivers out there
— Ross Lane (@RossLane17) May 24, 2022
Yea this is cool but it will fail. These “global stars” won’t be competitive, not even on road courses.
— Randizzle (@Doc61199) May 24, 2022
Cool concept but somewhat dangerous? Take a driver from said series and place them in a one off race in Nascars highest series in a car they’re not familiar with?
— 🇺🇸Adam Jacob🇩🇪 (@AdamJacob87) May 24, 2022
How would NASCAR go about issuing them a license especially if they have no previous oval racing experience?
— KLG NobleWarrior88#MediaKitsPartner (@NGaming88) May 24, 2022
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Wasn’t there a actual process to getting a nascar license to be honest .., I get guys drives f-1 or super car v-8 …, but just jumping in a seies cause u got a name and not atleast run a truck or xfinity is total nonsense… not saying it would happen but to get taken someone out
— Tony Emerick (@Nat6brat) May 24, 2022
Use this for drivers in the lower 2 divisions with lesser rides to show the talent. Not drivers that have big money behind them. We like our guys
— Joey Durrett (@scracin31) May 24, 2022
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To combat this, fans suggested that drivers from the Xfinity or Truck Series could be roped in. It gives them a chance to try and showcase their talent in the Cup arena. One thing is for sure, the Trackhouse Racing announcement has certainly shaken things up.