Kevin Magnussen will make his first Cup Series appearance on Saturday at Coronado Naval Base, and he is already open to more NASCAR races if the debut goes well. The 33-year-old arrives after 185 races in Formula 1 and a recent switch to IMSA and WEC for BMW M Motorsport. Now he is stepping into a Cup Series car with a short first session and a steep climb.
Coronado Naval Base debut
Trackhouse Racing is bringing back Project 91 for Magnussen’s NASCAR debut at Coronado Naval Base. He will get a 50-minute session to try to catch up on decades of practice by the other drivers, a small window for a driver making his first start in this type of car.
Magnussen said he is “pretty open-minded” about what comes after that first run. He said, “I think I am pretty open-minded,” and added, “I think I'm just keeping an open mind and really enjoying myself.”
Formula 1 to NASCAR
The move comes after he left Formula 1 at the end of 2024, following 10 or 11 years in the series. Since then, he has raced in IMSA and WEC for BMW M Motorsport, keeping himself in competition while shifting away from open-wheel racing.
He framed the change as a chance to keep taking opportunities in motorsport. “Formula 1 was my main goal and that was where I was aiming, and then I spent 10 or 11 years in Formula 1,” he said. “Now at this point, I think the whole world of motorsport is kind of open and I'm just taking any opportunity I get and trying to have fun with it.”
Shane van Gisbergen comparison
Magnussen said he does not treat Shane van Gisbergen as a benchmark for his own NASCAR start. “Honestly, I try not to take that as a benchmark,” he said. “Shane is a driver that comes from V8 supercars that are not too different to NASCAR Cup cars.”
He also pointed to the track background behind van Gisbergen’s success, saying, “And, you know, they race on tracks like this all the time in those cars, so this is like his home soil.” Magnussen added, “Plus, he's a super special driver by the looks of it, so I think a big respect to what he's come in and done in NASCAR from V8s.”
For Magnussen, the first step is simply getting through that opening 50-minute run and learning enough to stay in the mix. “As I said, I have no experience with these types of cars,” he said. “I'll be given a 50-minute session to try and catch up on decades of practice of the other drivers, so that will be a steep learning curve, but hopefully I can keep up and get in the mix.”
Whether more NASCAR races follow will depend on how that first Cup Series outing feels. For now, Magnussen is open to the possibility, and Saturday at Coronado Naval Base gives him the first real answer.
