“He Would’ve Loved This” – Formula 1 Icon Jenson Button Reveals His Most Important Person as He Prepares for NASCAR Debut

NASCAR has gained massive popularity in the motorsports world over the last 75 years. The community has witnessed growth in the number of not just fans but also professionals from other disciplines who want to be a part of it. NASCAR has, over time, attracted many renowned race car drivers to participate in stock car racing. Currently, the name that is creating a buzz is that of the former Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button.

It was recently announced that Button will race in three Cup Series races this year. The 2009 F1 world champion will make his debut in the stock car series in Austin, Texas on 26 March at the Circuit of The Americas. He will be racing in two more Cup Series races in 2023 later in Chicago and Indianapolis. Mobil 1 will serve as the primary sponsor on the car and Button will be driving the Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing with support from Stewart-Haas Racing. 

Jenson Button misses his source of inspiration

Button initially made the announcement on NASCAR Race Hub. He is very excited about the opportunity to race in the highest tier of stock car racing. However, he misses someone very important in his life who he thinks would be proud and very happy to see him here. During the interview with NASCAR Race Hub, he talked about the person who has always been beside him—his father, John Button. 

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His father was always present at the races, rooting for him, and was the life of the paddock. Button mentioned that he continued to race in F1 for a few more years after his dad’s demise in 2014, but it never felt the same coming out of the car because he no longer saw his dad waiting there for him.

He said, “Because those were tough years as well, and I got out of the car and would look for him. I was like, it’s tough. And that’s another reason why I felt stepping away.”

Button continued, “He would have loved this [coming to NASCAR], absolutely gone to town on this, absolutely loved it. Now I have two kids of my own, three-and-a-half-year-old Hendricks and two-year-old Lenny, our daughter, and they’re going to be at the race. So it’s gonna be pretty emotional for me.”

Jenson Button is high on emotions

Jenson Button confessed he has mixed feelings about his new racing challenge. Expressing his feelings on his new racing adventure, the F1 veteran said that he is both excited and very nervous at the same time. He added some humor to his nervousness and said it feels like he is having a child. 

Button will be racing three Cup Series races in 2023 and said that NASCAR was very different from his previous racing experiences. Button shared, “Getting into a Cup car and a stock car and it’s really difficult. It’s so different, you don’t get much practice either. But, you know, I’m up for a challenge.”

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Despite being a former F1 world champion, it will be challenging for him to race in the Cup Series. Let’s wait for a couple of weeks to see how he fares among the Cup Series regulars.