NASCAR enthusiasts, get ready to welcome K-Mag.
Kevin Magnussen is set to make his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series in just a few weeks, thanks to Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 initiative at Naval Base Coronado.
But who exactly is Kevin Magnussen?
Magnussen is a charismatic 33-year-old driver from Denmark, renowned for his decade-long career in Formula 1, where he competed with teams such as McLaren, Renault, and Haas. He made an impressive start by finishing second in his very first Formula 1 race at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne with McLaren. In 2021, during a break from Formula 1, he ventured into IndyCar with a race at Road America, before rejoining Formula 1 from 2022 to 2024. Along the journey, he also clinched a victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, triumphing at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix at Belle Isle for Chip Ganassi Racing alongside co-driver Renger van der Zande.
In essence, Magnussen has driven just about every type of race car.
One aspect that sets Magnussen apart is his reserved public persona, which contrasts with the flamboyant image often associated with top-tier racers. His demeanor is as understated as the ubiquitous blue tins of Danish butter cookies that seemingly appear in every household during the holiday season. While those tins often get repurposed as sewing kits, Magnussen remains focused on his craft, quietly excelling as a skilled racing driver.
What Magnussen has not done is cultivate the sort of larger-than-life personality that often follows elite racing drivers. His public persona has traditionally been about as flashy as one of those blue tins of Danish butter cookies that mysteriously appears in every household around the holidays. The empty tin often generates more excitement because eventually it becomes a sewing kit. Magnussen, meanwhile, has quietly gone about the business of being a very good racing driver.
All of it delivered with what seems to be a permanent smile.
He’ll now add stock-car racing to an already diverse résumé.
DETROIT, MI – JUNE 12: Renger van der Zande , L, and Kevin Magnussen celebrate after winning the Chevrolet Sportscar Classic IMSA race on June 12, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Brian Cleary/Getty Images)
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“I’m incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to compete in NASCAR,” Magnussen said in a team release. “What Justin Marks and Trackhouse have done with Project 91 is unique, to provide drivers from outside of the NASCAR world with a chance to compete at this level. I’m proud to have this opportunity.”
Marks created Project 91 in 2022 as a platform to increase Trackhouse Racing’s global footprint. Magnussen will join Trackhouse’s full-time Cup Series drivers Shane van Gisbergen, Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch for the 75-lap race. Qualcomm Technologies Inc. will serve as the primary sponsor.
“I’m thrilled to be able to bring back Project 91 again this year, especially at San Diego,” Marks said. “We were waiting for the right opportunity with the right partner and driver to bring this Project 91 entry to fruition. Qualcomm is a worldwide brand, and Kevin Magnussen is a global driver, and both are elements we look for when it comes to running Project 91.”
This will be the sixth Project 91 race and the first since four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves competed in the 2025 Daytona 500. Previous Project 91 drivers include 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Räikkönen at Watkins Glen in 2022 and Circuit of The Americas in 2023, as well as Shane van Gisbergen, whose stunning victory in the inaugural Chicago Street Race immediately became one of NASCAR’s most memorable crossover success stories.
Phil Surgen will serve as crew chief for Magnussen in San Diego. Since joining Trackhouse in 2022, Surgen has collected six Cup Series victories, three playoff appearances and a runner-up finish in the championship standings.
While San Diego will mark Magnussen’s NASCAR Cup Series debut, it won’t be his first experience behind the wheel of a stock car. During his time with Haas F1 in 2022, Magnussen and teammate Mick Schumacher participated in a crossover event with Chase Briscoe at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL.
But on June 21, Magnussen will finally get the full NASCAR experience.
No demonstrations. No exhibition laps. No marketing exercises.
Just 37 other drivers trying to occupy the same piece of asphalt at the same time.
But no matter the outcome, there’s a pretty good chance Magnussen will still be smiling when it’s over.
“I’ve already spent time with the team in North Carolina — meeting everyone, doing the seat fit, going through pit-stop procedures and all the details that come with preparing for a NASCAR weekend,” he said. “They’re an awesome group of people, incredibly dedicated, and just as excited about this debut as I am. I really can’t wait to get to San Diego and experience it all for the first time.”
