The ex-Pink Bull and Toro Rosso F1 racer will make his Cup Series debut this weekend on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Street Course, driving a second entry for the part-time organisation Staff Hezeberg.
The present plan is for Kvyat to run all three remaining highway programs on the 2022 Cup schedule – Indy on Sunday, then at Watkins Glen on 21 August and the Charlotte Roval on 9 October.
“I wish to give quite a lot of vitality to NASCAR now, to offer myself the perfect shot at changing into very aggressive,” he informed Autosport on Tuesday. “I needed to begin with one thing actually cool after my System 1 profession.
“After System 1, I couldn’t see something cooler than NASCAR, that’s for positive.”
In February, Kvyat signed for G-Drive Racing within the World Endurance Championship to make his debut within the sportscar enviornment together with the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Nonetheless, the crew then pulled out following the FIA laying down standards for Russian rivals following the invasion of Ukraine, leaving him on the sidelines thus far in 2022.
Daniil Kvyat, Staff Hezeberg
Within the few weeks that Kvyat, 28, has been in the USA, he has totally immersed himself within the NASCAR tradition.
He has turned laps in a Late Mannequin automobile at Hickory Motor Speedway with the assistance of driver/proprietor Josh Reaume, visited the NASCAR R&D Heart in Harmony to obtain his approval to compete, and frolicked selecting up and delivering components within the Mooresville space as his crew assembled the #27 Toyota wherein he’ll compete.
“NASCAR Cup Sequence has a really wealthy historical past and is extraordinarily standard in the USA and likewise worldwide,” he mentioned. “I believe it has managed to keep up this excellent steadiness between fashionable and old-school racing.
“It made me very curious to attempt it. It’s very robust racing. There are robust guys racing at a really excessive stage. For just a few years I’ve been attempting to attempt it and eventually I acquired a chance right here.”
Kvyat, a local of Ufa, Russia, debuted in System 1 for Toro Rosso at first of the 2014 season, on the age of 19 years previous. Following a profitable 2014 season, Kvyat was promoted to Pink Bull Racing for the 2015 season.
His first podium got here on the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix, changing into the second-youngest driver to assert a podium end at age 21. He continued within the Pink Bull driver program till 2020, ending his F1 profession at Alpine as a reserve driver in 2021.
Kvyat mentioned he isn’t just “testing the waters” on the subject of a NASCAR profession – he plans to do no matter it takes to compete within the Cup Sequence full-time.
Daniil Kvyat, AlphaTauri AT01
Photograph by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
“No matter I do, I attempt to do with the utmost aggressive strategy,” he mentioned. “I’m a aggressive particular person and I wish to obtain sturdy outcomes right here.
“I’m open-minded to racing on the oval tracks and attempting to make this transition. I actually wish to race for the very best outcomes and someday battle for the championship right here.”
Kvyat mentioned he has watched sufficient NASCAR occasions, whether or not in particular person or on TV or YouTube movies, to know the Cup sequence will be tough, significantly on newcomers.
“I all the time was an enormous fan of contact racing,” he mentioned. “I’ve by no means had points placing my elbows out and I don’t suppose I might have any issues with that in NASCAR, both. I’m used to that – I type of get pleasure from that.”
Whereas Kvyat mentioned he would “by no means say by no means” to a return to System 1, he believes at this stage of his profession he’s “fairly centered” on NASCAR.
“I believe there are quite a lot of good issues I could make of it right here if I put my focus right here,” he mentioned. “After all, what different alternatives may be in System 1, it may be open for dialogue. However proper now I’m making my NASCAR Cup debut and I’m giving all my vitality to that in the mean time.”
Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing C38, leads Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso STR14
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Kvyat may have the chance to race towards one other former System 1 star at Watkins Glen, when 2007 F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen will make his Cup Sequence debut.
Raikkonen can be driving for Trackhouse Racing as a part of its Venture 91 initiative, which is designed to draw prime worldwide stars to NASCAR competitors.
“My previous, previous pal,” Kvyat mentioned with amusing. “I do know Kimi from System 1, clearly. He’s an fascinating character. I’m fairly excited that each of us can be sharing the grid in NASCAR.
“I believe it’s nice for NASCAR to get entangled an increasing number of internationally. With former System 1 names, it simply exhibits how aggressive this sequence is getting. He’s a good driver; a really sturdy driver.
“It’s going to be nice to see him once more there.”
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