If there’s one thing you can say about Kamui Kobayashi, it’s that he knows how to make an entrance. The global motorsport legend has spent years turning heads with his exploits in Formula 1, Le Mans, and even with Kamui-o (haha geddit) appearances with Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing NASCAR team. Now, the Japanese icon is at it again—this time at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Over the past week, Kobayashi hasn’t just impressed with his driving but also left the media, fans, and even his teammates scratching their heads in amusement.

A driver of his caliber always brings intrigue, but Kobayashi has taken things up a notch. Between his on-track brilliance and his peculiar off-track antics, there’s a sense that the man is enjoying his time at Daytona in his own wonderfully eccentric way. But what exactly did he do to leave such an impression?

Kamui Kobayashi’s Daytona antics: Sauna nights and ice baths

On the track, Kobayashi’s stint with the Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R GTP car was pure class. He led his team to the front just five hours into the Rolex 24, showing the kind of form you’d expect from a man who’s conquered Le Mans. Off the track, however, is where Kobayashi truly became the talk of the paddock.

It turns out, Kamui Kobayashi’s idea of settling into Daytona involves more than just racing. This week, he picked up a $450 portable sauna from a sporting goods store, parked it outside his motorhome, and made it part of his nightly ritual. He alternated between cold plunges—complete with bags of ice from the local 7-Eleven—and warming up in his sauna. As he put it, “Tap water not that cold. So I bought the ice from 7-Eleven. I put the ice cubes in water. I dive for like two minutes. I chill on the bench outside for five minutes. You get cold. You go to motorhome. You take shower. This is my cycle. The wind blowing like hell.”

It gets better. By race weekend, Kobayashi realized his portable sauna was too big to take home, so he made an audacious offer. He handed it over to a few members of the media, leaving them delighted and perhaps a little baffled.

Teammate Jordan Taylor, no stranger to quirky behavior himself, couldn’t help but be impressed. “Super unique,” Taylor said. “He came to Daytona last week. He stayed in the motorhome every night. He didn’t do anything between the Roar and the race. Everyone went to Orlando Magic NBA games. Everyone rides their bikes to train. He just does his own thing.”

Taylor continued, “Last night, he went to a 24-hour laundromat across the street to do his own laundry. He went to D-ck’s Sporting Goods, bought a portable sauna. It’s outside his motorhome. He’s been in the sauna every single night and does cold plunges. He’s a character, and it’s fun to have him in the car.” 

Kobayashi’s reasoning boils down to staying fresh and focused for the race. “The best thing is sleep well, fresh in the morning, do your job,” he said. “When you are in a motorhome for like 10 days—because we have been here since before the Roar—obviously you get bored. I have nothing to do.” It’s an approach that’s as unconventional as it is effective, and if nothing else, it’s made Kobayashi the undisputed star of Daytona’s media center.

From F1 to NASCAR – A legendary career of many colors

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For those unfamiliar, Kamui Kobayashi’s antics this week are just the latest chapter in a storied career. He rose to fame in Formula 1, dazzling fans with fearless overtakes during his time with Toyota and Sauber. His 2012 podium at the Japanese Grand Prix remains a highlight, cementing his status as a national hero.

Post-F1, Kobayashi transitioned to endurance racing, where he truly came into his own. Driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing, he clinched victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2019 and has been a mainstay in the FIA World Endurance Championship ever since. He’s a man who thrives on versatility, always looking for the next challenge.

That hunger led him to NASCAR in 2023, when he debuted for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. While his 33rd-place finish didn’t set the world on fire, it marked the beginning of his fascination with stock car racing. Kobayashi returned in 2024 for another outing at Circuit of the Americas, finishing 29th but continuing to build respect among NASCAR fans and drivers alike.

Now, Kobayashi has his sights set on something even bigger: oval racing. Speaking during the Rolex 24 weekend, he shared his ambition to master this uniquely American discipline. “I want to race, really. I want to race an oval race at one point,” he said. “I think that’s a big race.”

However, the Japanese driver acknowledged the logistical challenges of squeezing a NASCAR campaign into his already packed schedule. “Not yet so far. I think we have been getting more projects all year round,” he said. “If you have an opportunity, I wanted to do it, of course. But this year’s projects so far I think [are] gonna keep quite busy myself more than last year.”

That said, Kobayashi remains optimistic about the future. “In the future, I think we are very open. If I have [an] opportunity, I wanna do it, and I want to get more experience in that,” he added.

For now, Kamui Kobayashi’s focus remains on endurance racing, where he continues to excel with Toyota Gazoo Racing as driver and team principal. But his fascination with NASCAR, particularly its ovals, suggests we haven’t seen the last of him in American stock car racing. His one-of-a-kind blend of skill, charisma, and sheer unpredictability makes him a perfect fit for the NASCAR spotlight.