Kevin Magnussen is heading to NASCAR. The former Formula 1 driver will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut in Trackhouse Racing’s PROJECT91 entry at the inaugural San Diego race, climbing into the No. 91 Qualcomm Technologies Chevrolet for the Anduril 250 on the streets of Naval Base Coronado. It will be the first time NASCAR’s top division has competed on an active United States military base, and it gives one of the most experienced road racers of his generation a fresh challenge in unfamiliar machinery.
The Danish driver, a 185-race Formula 1 veteran who now races sports cars in the FIA World Endurance Championship, will become the latest international name to carry Trackhouse’s standalone PROJECT91 banner. The June 21 event is one of the most anticipated additions to the 2026 calendar, and the team has chosen a high-profile driver to suit the occasion.
“I’m incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to compete in NASCAR,” Magnussen said. “What Justin Marks and Trackhouse have done with PROJECT91 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.”
A Street Course on a Naval Base
The San Diego weekend is one of the boldest experiments NASCAR has attempted in years. Racing on a temporary circuit laid out on Naval Base Coronado, the Anduril 250 marks the first Cup Series event held on an active military installation, with the weekend scheduled for June 19 to 21 and the points race on Sunday. Qualcomm, headquartered in San Diego, serves as the Official Circuit Partner of the event, tying a global technology brand to a race built around spectacle and novelty.
Street circuits have become a useful proving ground for road-racing specialists in NASCAR. The tight confines, heavy braking zones and unforgiving walls reward drivers who have spent careers threading cars through such environments, and they tend to compress the field by neutralizing some of the oval experience that separates Cup regulars from newcomers. For a driver of Magnussen’s pedigree, a street layout is the friendliest possible introduction to a 3,400-pound stock car.
From Formula 1 to Stock Cars
Magnussen, a native of Roskilde, Denmark, made 185 Grand Prix starts across two stints in Formula 1 between 2014 and 2024, racing for McLaren, Renault and Haas. He announced himself immediately, finishing second on his debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix for McLaren, a career-best result that hinted at the raw speed he carried throughout his time in the sport. He spent the bulk of his F1 career at Haas, where he became known as one of the grid’s hardest racers.
Since leaving the Formula 1 grid, Magnussen has rebuilt his career in sports cars. He currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship and select IMSA SportsCar Championship rounds with BMW M Team WRT, work that has kept him sharp in multi-class, high-pressure racing on circuits around the world. He has also sampled the NTT IndyCar Series, adding to a resume that now spans nearly every major category an open-wheel graduate could try.
That breadth is exactly what Trackhouse looks for. The team has built PROJECT91 around drivers whose names resonate far beyond the United States, and Magnussen’s standing in Europe and his current endurance program make him a natural fit for a race designed to draw a worldwide audience.
Inside the Project 91 Program
Trackhouse founder Justin Marks launched PROJECT91 in 2022 with the stated aim of expanding the team’s global reach by fielding an open entry for renowned international drivers. The program has hit the track five times since its debut, and the San Diego outing will be its sixth start. Magnussen becomes the fourth different competitor to drive the car, following Kimi Raikkonen, Shane van Gisbergen and Helio Castroneves.
The entry already owns a piece of NASCAR history. Van Gisbergen stunned the establishment in 2023 by winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race on his NASCAR debut, the first driver to win in his first Cup start since 1963. That result transformed how the sport viewed road-racing imports and helped van Gisbergen earn a full-time ride. Most recently the car appeared in the Daytona 500 with Castroneves behind the wheel.
“I’m thrilled to be able to bring back PROJECT91 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 PROJECT91 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 PROJECT91.”
A Crowded Trackhouse Garage
Magnussen will pilot a fourth Trackhouse car at San Diego, joining the team’s regular trio of Ross Chastain, Shane van Gisbergen and rookie Connor Zilisch. Running four entries on a tight street circuit is a significant logistical undertaking, and the team has assigned an experienced hand to guide the newcomer. Phil Surgen will serve as crew chief on the No. 91, having come off the road this season after five years leading Chastain’s program.
Magnussen has already begun the groundwork. “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.”
The pairing of van Gisbergen, the sport’s premier road-course specialist, with Magnussen gives Trackhouse two genuine threats for the win on a circuit that should favor their skill sets. Zilisch, one of the brightest young talents in American racing, adds a third strong road-racing option, leaving Chastain as the team’s oval-bred anchor in a lineup tilted heavily toward technical circuits.
What to Watch in San Diego
The biggest unknown is how quickly Magnussen adapts to the weight, the seating position and the manual-shift demands of a Cup car after years in carbon-fiber prototypes and single-seaters. Stock cars reward a smoother, more patient touch than the cars he is used to, and the limited practice time at a brand-new venue offers little margin for a learning curve. Tire management on an abrasive temporary surface will be another variable that even seasoned Cup drivers will be guessing at.
If van Gisbergen’s blueprint is any guide, a road-racing outsider with the right equipment can be competitive from the first green flag. Magnussen arrives with decades of experience on street and road circuits, a hungry team behind him and a car with a winning history. The San Diego debut is a one-off for now, but a strong showing could open the door to more NASCAR opportunities down the line, much as it did for the driver who put PROJECT91 on the map. For the rest of the Cup field’s schedule heading into the summer, see our latest NASCAR coverage here.
Sources:
- https://racer.com/2026/06/03/magnussen-to-make-nascar-debut-in-trackhouse-s-project91-entry-in-san-diego
- https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2026/06/03/cup-series-kevin-magnussen-naval-base-coronado-debut-project-91-san-diego-2026/
- https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/kevin-magnussen-to-make-nascar-cup-debut-with-trackhouse-in-san-diego/10826480/
