Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Let’s say farewell to an amazing adventure for the NASCAR Garage 56 program which successfully completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Hendrick Motorsports and drivers Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller in their Camaro ZL1 Cup car. …
Let’s say farewell to an amazing adventure for the NASCAR Garage 56 program which successfully completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Hendrick Motorsports and drivers Jenson Button, Jimmie Johnson, and Mike Rockenfeller in their Camaro ZL1 Cup car.
Or CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube.
CLICK HERE to watch the full Garage 56 video series
The Garage 56 program has assembled three drivers who’ve stood atop the world’s greatest podiums. Mike Rockenfeller, Jimmie Johnson, and Jenson Button share their stories from the FIA WEC’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and Daytona …
The Garage 56 program has assembled three drivers who’ve stood atop the world’s greatest podiums. Mike Rockenfeller, Jimmie Johnson, and Jenson Button share their stories from the FIA WEC’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, NASCAR’s Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500, and F1’s Monaco GP.
Or CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube.
Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button and teammate Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller finally got to turn official laps in the Garage 56 NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1 Cup car during the test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which comes after one year …
Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button and teammate Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller finally got to turn official laps in the Garage 56 NASCAR Chevy Camaro ZL1 Cup car during the test day for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which comes after one year of incredible effort by Hendrick Motorsports and the rest of the project’s partners to bring the program to life.
Or CLICK HERE to watch on YouTube.
Andreas Bakkerud will replace Heikki Kovalainen at Jenson Button’s JBXE team for the remainder of the Extreme E season, starting with this weekend’s Hydro X Prix in Scotland. Kovalainen made his debut in the all-electric off-road series last time …
Andreas Bakkerud will replace Heikki Kovalainen at Jenson Button’s JBXE team for the remainder of the Extreme E season, starting with this weekend’s Hydro X Prix in Scotland.
Kovalainen made his debut in the all-electric off-road series last time out at the Desert X Prix in Saudi Arabia, driving alongside Hedda Hosas for the 2009 Formula 1 world champion’s team, and helped the outfit to a best result of eighth place across that event’s two championship rounds.
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The 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix winner was most recently in action in the Japanese rally championship. He contested the Kumakogen Rally last weekend in a Skoda Fabia R5, winning every stage en route to his third-straight Japanese rally victory.
Bakkerud, meanwhile, served as one of the series’ reserve drivers in Saudi Arabia. The 2021 European Rallycross champion and 2022-23 Nitro Rallycross runner-up was one of the first drivers to test Extreme E’s Odyssey 21 race car, sampling the car at Chateau de Lastours in France in 2020. However, he has yet to feature in the series.
“I’m super excited to be announced as a competing driver for JBXE,” said Bakkerud. “From testing the car in France in the beginning to stepping in as the Championship Driver in Saudi Arabia learning all about the car and the championship, it’s fantastic to continue being a part of this journey.
“I love what Extreme E is all about, especially their environmental initiatives, how it champions their actions against climate change, and in general, the whole race for the planet ethos, which is also something we in Norway are huge advocates of.”
With Hosas remaining at JBXE, Bakkerud will form one half of an all-Norwegian driver lineup, and first not just for the series, but him too.
“It is my first time racing with a Norwegian so I am looking forward to teaming up with Hedda,” said Bakkerud. “I’m hoping we can cultivate a great working relationship and help each other both improve and succeed. For sure, it will take some time to get used to things, but I hope I can steer JBXE in the right direction.”
Bakkerud will be the third champion rallycross driver to take the team’s male driver spot after Kevin Hansen — who replaced Button from the second round of the 2021 season — and Fraser McConnell, who subsequently replaced Hansen for last year’s finale before moving onto Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing team for this year.
“I am thrilled and honored to welcome Andreas Bakkerud to JBXE for the next round of the season in Scotland,” said Button. “Andreas’ off-road racing pedigree speaks for itself, and his experience will be invaluable in our new all-Norwegian partnership alongside Hedda in the team as we look to kickstart our 2023 campaign.”
Jenson Button was completely worn out after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race but went the distance to earn a top-20 finish in his debut. “It was an emotional rollercoaster,” Button said. “First, it was terrible. I mean, I must’ve been last by the end …
Jenson Button was completely worn out after Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race but went the distance to earn a top-20 finish in his debut.
“It was an emotional rollercoaster,” Button said. “First, it was terrible. I mean, I must’ve been last by the end of it, and I was just like, ‘Everyone: Go. I just need to drive and find a rhythm.’ I’ve never gone through a corner too wide so often. And trying to place my car in the right place – I just got it wrong every time.
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“Normally, if you’re a little bit slow through a corner, nobody tries to overtake you from the outside. Because they’re not going to make it all the way on the next one. But here they do because they get a wheel inside for the next one, and if you turn in, you turn around.”
Button finished 18th after qualifying 24th in the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford. In his first of three starts this season, Button stayed on the lead lap and shuffled up and down the leaderboard all afternoon. He ran as high as 15th.
“The first stint was really bad – it was embarrassing for me,” said Button. “I was like, ‘All right guys, we need to pit, freshen the tires and I need some air – I need some fresh air.’ I got that. The pace was good, consistency was good. I was really happy and passed a few cars which was nice.
“We got a little bit unlucky with the safety car because it was just two laps before our window. Pitted, then the next stint was mayhem. We also made a couple of changes that just didn’t work. Big oversteer – went from the car feeling great to really difficult to drive. I also had a massive whack from Kimi [Räikkönen], and it fell off after that. The car wasn’t quite right.”
After two quick cautions in the first 13 laps, the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix had a long green flag run through the end of the first stage and into the final stage. With over two-minute laps around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn course, many drivers were left feeling the effects of a long day in hot cars and working through multiple green flag pit cycles.
But there were six cautions in the final 31 laps. And it came down to Button having to fight through three overtime restarts before seeing the checkered flag.
“Every time I turned in, the rear tires would chatter, then immediately to oversteer,” Button said. “It was really difficult, but towards the end, we made some good calls stopping and putting on fresh tires. I enjoyed the last three restarts – got good placement and good overtaking moves from the outside. (We) finished 18th after almost stopping because I had heat exhaustion.
“It was so hot; I don’t have a fan in my seat which really didn’t help me too much. It was so hot, I thought I was going to faint in the car. So, I stopped twice for a minute. They put ice on me, gave me loads of water, and I went back out.
“I was so close to getting out of the car because I thought I was going to faint. I must’ve drank eight, nine bottles of water during the race. The team kept me calm, and it’s the reason why we got a good result in the end. So, I was happy.”
Button returns to the NASCAR Cup Series in early July for the inaugural street course race in Chicago.
Jenson Button was so anxiously excited to finally get behind the wheel of a stock car at Circuit of The Americas that there was a minor hiccup before he could even get on track for NASCAR Cup Series practice. “I forgot how to start the car, which …
Jenson Button was so anxiously excited to finally get behind the wheel of a stock car at Circuit of The Americas that there was a minor hiccup before he could even get on track for NASCAR Cup Series practice.
“I forgot how to start the car, which was interesting,” he said Friday afternoon. “So they pushed the car back and I’m like, ‘It won’t start.’ There were a few other switches I had to put up. But then it was OK.”
Button clocked in 28th fastest in the only practice session of the weekend — fortunately a 50-minute extended practice as Cup Series teams worked with the new rules package on a road course for the first time.
“I got onto the circuit and I was surprised by how little grip there was initially when I pulled away, and the tires were cold,” Button said. “But it comes to you over time. The gear shifting is something that…I’ve not never driven a sequential gearbox car. I’ve (just) never pulled back going through the gears and pushed to go down. It’s something completely new to learn. I’ve driven a manual gearbox, but you always go across the box. The last time I drove a gearbox like this was like in 1999.
“There’s a lot that you go back into the bank of info you’ve learned over the years, and you bring it out again. It comes to you pretty quick. I really enjoyed it.”
The stark differences in the cockpit extended beyond shifting. Button was also struck by what he was looking through — a windshield with angles and braces that he admitted made it hard to focus on where to put his eyes.
Like many other drivers who have come before him, the Brit has found many differences from the discipline of racing he’s most used to — in this case Formula 1 — to NASCAR. Not only is he learning stock cars and experiencing a much different family environment, but, as practice taught him, he’s learning the differences in how the radios are used as well.
“It’s also interesting having spotters,” he said. “I’ve never had spotters before. So I’ve got guys in my ear the whole way around telling me there’s traffic behind, there’s traffic in front – it’s quite soothing. I kind of like it.
“Our spotters have very soothing voices, which I think is good, and it’s especially going to be good on Sunday when it’s manic out there. That’s something else to learn – having my mirrors, so I can see around me. But they tell me all the fun information about what’s going on around me.”
Button and the rest of the Cup Series field will set the starting line with qualifying Saturday morning. Just as he’s doing with the race, he is going into qualifying with realistic expectations of being competitive but not necessarily at the top of the leaderboard.
The former World Champion is confident in what the car is doing and feels he did most things right during practice. COTA is the first of three races for Button this season, which was by design. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d get the “lovely opportunity” to race a Cup Series car, and doing just one race isn’t enough for him to learn and get the full experience.
“Driving a car is something I’ve done my whole life, so I will be competitive in terms of our race speed,” Button said. “But it’s the other side of it where I have no experience – and that’s being six abreast going into Turn 1 and tapping here and there. As I noticed here in practice, people don’t move out of the way when they’re on a slow lap and you’re on a quick lap.
“There’s a lot to learn. It’s a very, very different sport than what I’m used to. I’ll go with it; roll with the punches. I look forward to the challenge.”
Jenson Button might be a world-renowned Formula 1 champion, but stock cars have intrigued him for quite some time. “For a very long time, I’ve watched NASCAR. A couple of decades,” Button said. “Growing up in the UK, we had four channels on TV back …
Jenson Button might be a world-renowned Formula 1 champion, but stock cars have intrigued him for quite some time.
“For a very long time, I’ve watched NASCAR. A couple of decades,” Button said. “Growing up in the UK, we had four channels on TV back in the late ’80s, and we didn’t get any real sport outside of European sport. It was actually ‘Days of Thunder’ that first brought me to NASCAR because it was the first time I got to see any NASCAR.
“It was a movie, so as an 8-year-old, I thought it was insane. I thought it was amazing. Worlds away from European motorsport. But that got me in the door of liking NASCAR, and I used to watch it with my old man.”
Button now gets to try his hand at NASCAR competition with three road course races for Rick Ware Racing. Button will make his debut later this month at Circuit of The Americas in the No. 15 Ford with Mobil 1 support before also competing at the Chicago street course and the Indianapolis road course.
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“It’s so different than what I’m used to and I think that’s probably what stopped me asking the question of whether I’d be able to race in NASCAR,” Button explained. “And also, back then, it was more ovals. That didn’t excite me so much because it’s another skill set altogether. But now that there are more road courses, it’s definitely more enticing, and also, I think I would be more competitive.
“I watch the races and see the new guys coming in that have experience in road course racing, and they don’t find it easy — it’s very difficult, but I think that’s part of the challenge and why I’m excited about it.”
COTA is a racetrack Button has experience competing on from his time in Formula 1. Chicago will be new for everyone, so Button will be on a level playing field. And the Indianapolis road course, said Button, has a few similar corners to the course Button competed on there in F1.
Although he’s tied to the Garage 56 program Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR have put together for Le Mans, Button’s deal is not linked to those parties. Button mentioned to his partner, Mobil 1, in September while at a Formula 1 race about possibly entering a NASCAR event and initially thought it’d be a potential drive in the Craftsman Truck Series or Xfinity Series.
Mobil 1 took it from there and came back to Button a few months later, saying it was something the company could put together, but it wanted to do more than one race. But even by January, when Button was in Daytona for the Garage 56 driver announcement, he still had not talked to a NASCAR team. Everything has come together recently.
“We talked to Stewart-Haas and Rick Ware Racing and tried to work out how it could work and if it would work, and whether we could build the car for the races,” Button said. “It’s all been very quick how it’s turned around, and I’m a Cup Series driver. It’s been a fun couple of months, but it’s been very tight getting the car ready for Austin.”
Button has spent time with the team this week as preparations continue. Much time was spent trying to get Button comfortable in the car’s cockpit.
“That’s such an important thing,” Button noted. “I can’t be sat up straight with a steering wheel on my lap. I need to be sat back a bit more like a single-seater, and we found a position that works for me. If I have that, I’ll have a lot more feeling through the car and be able to get to grips with it quicker.”
With NASCAR’s testing rules, Button does not anticipate being able to get on track with the car before the March 26 race. However, he has tested the Garage 56 car, which has given him some sense of acclimation to the Next Gen vehicle, although the one for Le Mans has been modified especially for that race.
Button has also watched last year’s COTA race “probably 20 times” to understand where to put the car and the tendencies of the competition. Even through the film, Button feels he understands who is more aggressive than others. The rest of the leadup to COTA will see Button continue down a checklist of things he wants to try to get as familiar with as possible before getting on track.
“It’s to get used to the shifting because it’s a sequential gearbox, which I haven’t ever raced, and you have to be very aggressive with everything,” Button said. “The same with the throttle blip. It’s those little technical things I would love to do if I can before I go racing, because when you get 50 minutes of practice, we want to be doing setup work and try to get the car set up around you. So that would be good, but if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.
“I have simulator time set up next week, which is great. I’ve already done my seat fit, so I’m comfortable in the car. So, it’s simulator time, spending time with the team, getting an understanding of brake traces, throttle traces, lines, and all of the data they have. There is a lot of data — obviously less than F1 because they’re not allowed to have more than they have. But there is still a lot of data there for me to look at and learn from before I step out on track at COTA.”
Jenson Button will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at a Circuit of The Americas venue he knows well from his Formula 1 days, but the challenge could not be much more different. The 2009 F1 world champion will race for Rick Ware Racing – with …
Jenson Button will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at a Circuit of The Americas venue he knows well from his Formula 1 days, but the challenge could not be much more different.
The 2009 F1 world champion will race for Rick Ware Racing — with support from Stewart-Haas — in three events this year, adding Chicago’s new street race and the Indianapolis road course to his schedule. All were chosen due to his experience at the F1 venues and the clean slate in Chicago, but in reality he feels there’s very little he can lean on in terms of previous knowledge.
“I’ve raced at COTA quite a few times in an F1 car and everyone was saying a couple of days ago when I tested there in the Garage 56 car, ‘Oh it’s easy for you, you’ve driven here in an F1 car’ but it’s a little different in an F1 car!” Button says. “You basically drive a different circuit.
“For me to get to grips with a big car, a stock car, the test last week did help even though it’s a very different type of car.
“I enjoy the track, it’s flowing — in an F1 car it’s just awesome. You go through Turn 1 and through the Esses, all the way down to Turn 9 it’s just change of direction after change of direction. You put one foot wrong at Turn 3 and that affects you all the way down to Turn 9, and I think we all love that as drivers, it’s very like the Suzuka Esses. There are some really good overtaking opportunities in an F1 car — DRS helps.
“In a stock car it’s very different. It’s obviously a lot slower, and they’re going side-by-side through Turn 3 and Turn 4, which is just crazy, but I look forward to that all that rubbing and tapping and what have you. It’s going to be an exciting experience.
“And the racing in stock cars around COTA has been good as well. I’ve watched last year’s race probably 20 times now just to get an understanding of where they’re putting the car, the different styles of driving, who’s more aggressive than others… So the race last year was really good fun to watch, so I look forward to the action.”
It’s not just a PR line that he’s looking forward to it. This is a venture that Button himself put into action by flagging his interest to Mobil 1, and has been keen to take on the more he’s learned about NASCAR since the movie “Days of Thunder” put the category on his radar as a nine-year-old.
But so few F1 drivers appear willing to take on other challenges that are so different to the world they know. Button himself was admirably committed throughout his grand prix career and then turned to punditry, suggesting that even living in America didn’t appear to break the ties to the European-based scene.
So after coming close to an IndyCar ride around the time of the pandemic, and now tackling Le Mans in NASCAR’s Garage 56 entry alongside Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller, what has driven Button to jump in a Cup car and follow in the recent footsteps of fellow F1 champions Kimi Raikkonen and Jacques Villeneuve?
“It felt so far removed from us as youngsters. I don’t want to be negative about Formula 1 because it is an amazing sport and I’m an F1 world champion so I spent most of my life there, but you’re so focused and your family doesn’t come to the races because your teams don’t really want them to be there, because they know your focus is so important,” he reflects.
“It’s very tough because it’s your life — it is everything. Everything you do is for Formula 1. I did it for 17 years and you’re in this world that you forget about everything else. It’s all that matters, is making you a better racing driver and a better Formula 1 driver. So when you step outside that, for me it’s exciting to do other things.
“With NASCAR it’s a much more relaxed atmosphere. Don’t get me wrong — the racing is very serious and these are some of the best drivers in the world, but the atmosphere outside the car, the atmosphere at the track is a lot more relaxed. It’s more of a family-based category, so I think that’s why we like it, because it’s trying something different. We’ve done something the same for so many years, so to try something different is exciting.
“Jacques raced last year, Kimi did a race last year, and everyone seems to enjoy it. And I think it’s also because we love another challenge. It’s trying something different. We’re not just F1 drivers, we’re racing drivers. I also live in the States so it definitely helps with that.”
It’s not just a one-off interest that Button has, either. While he admits it’s his performances that will decide if there’s further opportunities for him to race in the Cup Series beyond the three announced, the 43-year-old is also eyeing up a potential oval transition for events like the Daytona 500, but has a longer path in mind as something he can do without sacrificing family time.
“For me it’s not just driving the racing car. A racing car is a racing car, and it’s very different to what I’m used to but you get to grips with it over time,” he says. “It’s the racing that’s a lot more difficult, having cars all around you, having a spotter telling you who’s where and a lot of the time you’re stuck in the middle and can’t really do much!
“It’s just a very different type of racing, and that’s the bit I think would take a while. I could go and drive on an oval, and I’m sure it would take me time but I’d get to grips with it — especially at a circuit like Daytona where it’s flat (out) the whole way round. But it’s when you put other cars into the equation and the drafting and the pushing, it’s a lot to learn.
“Doing that in the Cup Series probably isn’t the best way for me, jumping in a Cup car in Daytona. I think it might be better to do it in a lower category first and get a bit of experience that way.
“The atmosphere is great, and that’s what I really love about NASCAR. About all the different series in NASCAR but especially Cup Series, it’s the family atmosphere that really got me. I was speaking to Jimmie Johnson and he says, ‘My kids come along and they’re playing with everyone else’s kids!’ It’s that part of it that really adds to the interest for me.”
Whatever the motivation behind it, it’s sure to add to the wider motorsports interest in certain NASCAR events this year, too. That’s a win-win for everyone.
The NASCAR Cup Series field at Circuit of The Americas will have another significant name on the entry list as Jenson Button makes his first of three starts this season. Button, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion, will drive the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford …
The NASCAR Cup Series field at Circuit of The Americas will have another significant name on the entry list as Jenson Button makes his first of three starts this season.
Button, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion, will drive the No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford for Rick Ware Racing. Stewart-Haas Racing will provide marketing and promotional support. The two teams did the same last season with multiple drivers.
The 43-year-old Briton ran his last full Formula 1 season in 2016 and retired after making one start in 2017 when he filled in for Fernando Alonso. Button made 306 career starts and earned 15 grand prix victories.
“The reason I was able to stay in Formula 1 for so long was because I always felt I was learning,” Button said. “There was always something new in terms of technologies, or I could still improve my driving or engineering skills within Formula 1. When I got to my 17th year in F1, I felt like I lost that hunger a little bit because it wasn’t new anymore. There wasn’t something new to learn.”
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Over the last few years, Button has challenged himself by racing new things. Button went to Japan and ran in the Super GR Series’ GT500 class, winning the 2018 championship. He competed at Le Mans and did off-road racing in the Mint 400 and the Baja 1000.
COTA will be Button’s first foray into NASCAR. Jordan Taylor is already entered in the event, substituting for the injured Chase Elliott at Hendrick and Kim Raikkonen, another former Formula 1 champion, is driving for Trackhouse Racing.
Button will also compete in the inaugural Chicago street course race and the Indianapolis road course.
“Obviously, racing a Cup car is very different than what I’m used to,” said Button. “It’s a lot heavier with a lot less power and, basically, no downforce. It’s got a sequential gearbox where you need to blip the throttle, so there’s lots of stuff to learn in a very short space of time.
“But I just get excited about that new challenge, and when I throw myself into something, I am 100% in. I’m not just doing it for fun in some one-off. I want to be competitive, and I know that to be competitive, it’s going to take a bit of time. That’s why doing these three races works very well this season.”
Tony Stewart commended Button’s attempt at a new racing series.
“It’s always a challenge to try a new racing discipline, and the best thing you can bring to a new opportunity like this is an open mind,” Stewart said. “Jenson has been doing that his entire career. Those F1 cars evolve every year, and Jenson always found a way to adapt. And when he got out of F1, he jumped into sports cars and won another championship. He’s even done off-road. There’s very little that he hasn’t experienced in a race car.
“He’s new to NASCAR, but he’s not new to racing. This is going to be fun for all of us, and we’re very appreciative of Mobil 1 for making it happen.”
Button made five starts at COTA in Formula 1. He said the most important thing for his Cup Series debut is to enjoy it.
“I want to feel comfortable in the car knowing that I can get as much out of the car in any situation as other people out on track,” Button said. “The result is the result and we’ll see what happens, but I want to get confidence to brake as late as I’d like, to carry the speed through the high-speed corners, and to be able to race close — wheel-to-wheel with the pack.”
Through his association with the Garage 56 program, where NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports are taking a modified Next Gen car to Le Mans, Button is familiar with the vehicle. Button tested the Garage 56 car at Sebring, Daytona and COTA.
“The first time I jumped into the Garage 56 car, it was like, ‘What have I done?’ This is so different,’ and that lasted about four laps,” Button said. “Then it was like, ‘Hang on, it’s still a race car. It’s got four tires that touch the road. It’s a mechanical race car, which is even better for learning.’ I’ve really enjoyed the challenge. A Cup car has a lot less downforce and is a lot heavier, but the Garage 56 car has given me an idea of what it will be like along with a direction, which is really useful.
“I know in my first race I’m not expected to be qualifying right at the front, and I’m not expected to be fighting for a victory. I have a lot of respect for the drivers racing in the Cup Series. There’s so much talent there, whether it’s on ovals or road courses.
“Ten years ago, people used to say NASCAR guys can’t drive around a circuit, but I think they’ve proven that they can. Every time an ex-F1 driver gets in a stock car these days, they struggle initially. It takes a while for them to get up to speed, so I don’t expect to be right at the front straight away. That’s why, for me, doing more than one race is really key, so I can get the best out of myself and the best out of the car.”
