The crowned king of track-racing, Kimi Räikkönen, drove for the first time in his life two days on an American oval track and he will continue his adventure by testing Kyle Busch Motosports -team's Toyota Tundra on Thursday.
Räikkönen circled on Monday and Tuesday 400 times the half mile oval in Gresham. He has now about 320 km experience of the Camping World Truck -car. The laptimes have been solid and the driver's professionality has now come to its own.
What is driving on ovals like?
– New and different, Räikkönen tells Turun Sanomat shortly not wanting to explain it more.
Räikkönen's ICE1 Racing -team has leased a truck from the leading KBM-team only for Charlotte's race on 20th May. According to Kyle Busch they have been negotiating about 3-5 truck-class races with Räikkönen's representatives.
In practice everything is wide open and Räikkönen's own feeling will decide how he will start developing his NASCAR-career.
Different setup-work
The first testing session is purely an experiment to understand driving on ovals. To find setups for corners that continuously turn in the same direction on a track with inclination is also very unusual when comparing to European track-classes.
– This offers Kimi an interesting new world and a completely new challenge. The most important thing is now to proceed with patience, Räikkönen's spokesman Riku Kuvaja said.
– NASCAR is a really huge and very professionally run show, Kuvaja emphasises.
Kyle Busch announced last Saturday in Martinsville Speedway NASCAR-race that he has done a deal with Räikkönen's ICE1 Racing over a selected race schedule in Camping World Truck Series.
Rally notes already on Monday
After the tests are over Räikkönen will return to Europe and go to the Middle-East because Jordan's WRC-rally is next week. He starts making pace notes on Monday, the rally takes off on Wednesday and ends on Saturday.
After Jordan Räikkönen skips Sardinia's and Argentina's rallies. This way he has time to concentrate on his NASCAR-debut.
Turun Sanomat
HEIKKI KULTA
Courtesy: Nicole
