Jenson Button was appointed to the chivalrous Order of the British Empire, but he will reach redneck immortality when he drives a NASCAR stock car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans as part of the Garage 56 this June. Now, the 2009 Formula 1 World Champion, has announced he’ll be competing in three NASCAR races this year, starting with the road course at Circuit of the Americas (Sunday, March 26, 2023), then NASCAR’s first ever street circuit race in Chicago (Sunday, July 2, 2023), and finally the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sunday, August 13, 2023).
He’ll pilot the No. 15 Ford Mustang for Rick Ware Racing (with help from Stewart-Haas Racing). The car will feature Mobil 1 livery, a company both Jenson Button and Tony Stewart (of Stewart-Haas Racing) have a long association with. Race fans hoping to see Button race with the old Brawn GP livery were slightly disappointed.
Button’s eventful 16-year Formula 1 career included highs like 15 victories and a world championship, plus lows like his stint in the Honda Earth Car. His 306 race starts included multiple visits to COTA and IMS, so he’s what you might call a road-racing specialist. Even a ringer.
The NASCAR race at COTA later this month will now include two F1 world champions; former Scuderia Ferrari driver and 2007 Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen had already announced a return to NASCAR this year, as part of the PROJECT91 program at Trackhouse Racing.
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