Trackhouse Racing is set to bring back its Project91 program after a one-year hiatus, based on comments from team owner Justin Marks.
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The racer-turned-team owner said that the program bringing international drivers to NASCAR should come back "sooner rather than later" as Trackhouse Racing expands to three full-time entries. He still sees so much opportunity after watching Shane van Gisbergen and Kimi Raikkonen compete in the Cup Series.
"I get phone calls all the time from some of the greatest drivers around the world about coming and doing it," Marks said during the second day of Race Industry Week.
"That's really exciting for us. The only reason that it wasn't on the race track this year is that we just had so much going on with the third car that we prepared for a few races for SVG. Then helping him over at Kaulig. Kind of all this stuff going on.
"We just didn't really have the bandwidth or time for it, but now as we're kind of just focused again on our three cars next year full time, then Project91 can come back. I would expect to see it sooner rather than later."
Psst Daniel, can you ask him a question for us? https://t.co/KhTV3BEHNZ
— PROJECT91 (@THProject91) November 18, 2023
Trackhouse Racing first fielded its third entry in 2022, the first year of the Gen 7 era. The team turned to Raikkonen, a former Formula One champion, for the race at Watkins Glen International. He finished 37th after a multi-car crash also involving teammate Ross Chastain. Raikkonen then returned in 2023 for a race at Circuit of the Americas.
Another driver took over the No. 91 Chevrolet as 2023 continued. Van Gisbergen, a three-time Supercars champion, took over the Project91 entry for the inaugural Cup race on the streets of Chicago. He won in his first-ever NASCAR start. He then returned at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and finished 10th.
SVG moved to the United States and competed full-time in NASCAR last season. He ran the full Xfinity Series campaign and reached the playoffs after winning three races. He also made 12 Cup starts for Kaulig Racing with support from Trackhouse Racing.
Now that SVG is moving to the Cup Series full-time, there is an opportunity for Trackhouse Racing to bring back Project91 as a fourth entry in select races. But who will be the driver?
The Cup Series team has provided teases about one possible option on social media. When Daniel Suarez posted a photo of himself with now-four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, the Project91 account responded by asking, "Can you pass along a message for us?"
This was not the first time that the account had asked Suarez to pass along a message.
