Sports car racing ace and ex-Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi believes his second try in the NASCAR Cup Series has the potential for a much better performance.
Kobayashi, 37, became the first Japanese driver to run a Cup race in 20 years when he made his debut at the Indianapolis Road Course last year. He started 28th and finished 33rd after being involved in a few incidents during the event. The 2021 Le Mans 24 overall winner is getting a second start with 23XI Racing’s No. 50 Toyota team in next weekend’s race at Circuit of the Americas and this time, Kobayashi says he won’t be coming in with such an empty slate.
However, he has enjoyed far more success in the sports car racing world, winning two FIA World Endurance Championships along with his LM24 triumph. He’s also the current team principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC team. A completely new experience Kobayashi calls his NASCAR experience “totally different” from racing overseas. “The whole event is a huge difference. My dream was to race NASCAR a long time ago. My first race was NASCAR, when I was like four years old.