Kamui Kobayashi is on mission this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway when he makes his NASCAR Cup debut.
Actually, the former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and two-time World Endurance champion, has two missions this weekend.
“I’m here to experience NASCAR, but at the same time I want to expand NASCAR (interest) in Japan,” he told NBC Sports. “I think there’s a big potential.”
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The 36-year-old Kobayashi, who has 75 Formula One starts, will become the second Japanese-born driver to start a Cup race. The first was Hideo Fukuyama, who ran four races between 2002-03.
Kobayashi will be one of six drivers from foreign countries in Sunday’s Cup race on the Indy road course (2:30 p.m. ET on NBC). Those drivers are: Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand), Brodie Kostecki (Australia), Mike Rockenfeller (Germany), Jenson Button (England) and Daniel Suarez (Mexico).
Van Gisbergen’s win on the streets of Chicago in his Cup debut last month already has made an impact in the sport internationally.
“We’re talking about sharing seats globally,” said David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development about Toyota drivers in other series trying NASCAR. “We’ve never had those types of conversations before.
“It’s a reflection of the respect that the sport is getting. It’s a reflection of the respect TRD is getting relative to our investment and commitment to driver development and things like what’s happened with Shane and what’s going to be happening with Kamui.”
Kobayashi, Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Team Principal and a driver in the World Endurance Championship, will make his Cup debut at Indianapolis with 23XI Racing. Wilson said that Toyota executives from Japan are expected to be in Indianapolis for their first NASCAR race.
Kobayashi was at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June with Toyota Gazoo Racing and saw NASCAR’s car in the Garage 56 category. The car drew attention for its size and sound.
For various sports car racing series, high speeds and aerodynamics are key, so contact is not looked upon favorably. That’s where NASCAR can reach fans around the world, Kobayashi said.
“NASCAR is something different because they have a big bumper and bump into each other,” he said, noting how there rarely is a penalty in NASCAR for contact while penalties for contact are common in other forms of racing.
He said such action “really makes excitement. Why are we doing racing? Yes, I think we are developing technology, but at the same time we are doing it as a show race.”
What about Kobayashi? Is he ready for all the contact that has been seen at Indy the past two years on the road course?
“This is what I’m looking for,” he said.
Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, is looking forward to how Kobayashi will do in a third entry for the team this weekend.
“I think that he could go and run well,” Hamlin said. “I think he’s going to have speed. … It’s going to be fun to watch him because I think he’s such a professional. What we’ve learned at 23XI is how in tuned he is with his craft and how good he is at what he does. He’s on another level for sure. I’m excited to see him and (van Gisbergen) square off.”
Kobayashi will be teammates to Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace this weekend. Reddick said Kobayashi already has made an impact with the team.
“Getting his perspective on things that he would like maybe to try or do differently with the car and seeing those things through,” Reddick said. “Getting an outside perspective from someone who has a lot more experience on road courses, I think, is a huge benefit.”
2. Silly season update
Fewer Cup seats are available for next season with some recent announcements.
Martin Truex Jr. will return to the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing next year. He’s going year-to-year on his plans.
Front Row Motorsports announced this week that Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland will return to the organization.
Previously, Stewart-Haas Racing selected Josh Berry to drive the No. 4 car with Kevin Harvick retiring after this season.
Also, Corey LaJoie signed a multi-year extension to remain in the No. 7 car for Spire Motorsports.
And, Justin Haley will move from Kaulig Racing to Rick Ware Racing next year.
Denny Hamlin’s contract expires at the end of the season but David Wilson, president of Toyota Racing Development, said last month: “He will be back. There’s no question in our mind. There’s no question in Joe (Gibbs’) mind.
“We’re working through some details. It’s a complicated consideration because now he’s not just a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, he’s also a team owner and given that there has to be alignment for Toyota and Denny across both those considerations.
“Just have some stuff that we’re working on, but we’ll get them sorted out. I know Denny has always wanted to and intends to retire as a driver from Joe Gibbs Racing and continue as a team owner at Toyota. That’s certainly our intent.”
There remain some openings.
Aric Almirola has yet to say if he’ll be back in the No. 10 car at Stewart-Haas Racing after this season. His contract goes beyond this season, but Almirola is weighing racing again or spending more time with his family.
Kaulig Racing has not announced a driver to replace Haley.
With Noah Gragson parting ways with Legacy Motor Club, that leaves an opening in the No. 42 car. Mike Rockenfeller will drive the car this weekend at Indianapolis and next weekend at Watkins Glen. The team has not announced any other drivers for the rest of the season.
Legacy MC moves from Chevrolet to Toyota after this season. One potential option for the No. 42 for next season could be John Hunter Nemechek, who has won a series-high five Xfinity races this year and is atop the points standings with Austin Hill.
Also, there’s Shane van Gisbergen, the three-time Supercars champion who won the Chicago Street Race and will compete in NASCAR next year. The indication is that van Gisbergen will run multiple series next year to gain experience.
3. No Xfinity plans
Even with NASCAR’s recent announcement that the Xfinity Series will air on the CW Network beginning 2025, Cup owners Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski are not ready to commit to an Xfinity Series program for their organizations.
The TV deal goes through the 2031 season. Sports Business Journal reported the deal is worth about $115 million a year.
Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, said on a recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, that the true value will be closer to $75 million. The additional money will be what the CW Network pays NASCAR for production costs, Hamlin said.
“It’s just not enough,” Hamlin said of what he believes is the true value of the deal. “It just doesn’t make any sense especially without scale. I think Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. can do it because he’s got sponsors. … There’s not that many Dale Jr. teams out there. You just look at the Xfinity garage. It’s rough. It’s really rough because it’s just hard to make sense.’’
Keselowski, co-owner of RFK Racing — which has won the past two Cup races with Chris Buescher — applauds the new deal for the Xfinity Series but reserves judgment on if his team would enter that series.
“It is certainly very intriguing,” Keselowski said of the new media rights deal for the Xfinity Series. “I thought the announcement for the Xfinity Series was a big win for our industry to be on broadcast for all the races for that series. I think that gives us a high level of exposure for that series that hopefully transcends into whatever the media rights deal is for the Cup Series or at least compliments it in some way.
“I think that is an exciting moment for our sport, which is probably not fully understood at this moment, but if we fast forward the clock five or 10 years I think we will say that was a really nice win for the sport.
“It is yet to be seen what is going to happen with the Cup Series and Truck Series and I would be remiss to have an answer for you on what our level of involvement will be in the Xfinity Series, but I would like to think that the series being broadcast (on an over-the-air channel) would be able to attract the partners we would need to justify the level of investment it would take to run that series and ultimately that will be the deciding factor.”
4. Indy oval test
Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman and Ty Gibbs are scheduled to take part in a Goodyear/NASCAR test Monday and Tuesday on the oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Next season marks the 30th anniversary of the inaugural Cup race at Indianapolis, and NASCAR is expected to return to the oval in 2024.
Much of the two-day session will be for Goodyear to test tires that could work with the Next Gen car on the oval. NASCAR will use part of the Tuesday session to run some of the aero packages tried at the recent Richmond test.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this week that the test data would help officials “come up with a package that we all feel comfortable going into 2024.”
Briscoe, an Indiana native, said he’s looking forward to more laps at the track.
“It’s going to be cool,” he said. “I think for me, just knowing that I’ll be one of the first three guys to run on the oval with this new Next Gen car will be something that I’m proud of. … I do think that there’s a chance that this car could race really good there if we ever do go back to the oval.”
5. Truck playoffs begin
The Craftsman Truck Series opens its playoffs tonight at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, but a champion won’t be crowned for about three months.
The Truck Series will run its seven playoff races over the next 12 weeks.
Racing for a title will be Corey Heim, former champion Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Christian Eckes, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, former champion Ben Rhodes, rookie Nick Sanchez, Matt DiBenedetto and three-time champion Matt Crafton.
“I feel like an old man in the Truck series compared to some of these young guys, but I’m thankful for that experience,” said the 32-year-old DiBenedetto, who is about to begin his first Truck playoffs.