Jenson Button Entering Three NASCAR Races with Stewart Haas Racing

Jenson Button, the 2009 Formula One World Champion, will compete in three NASCAR Cup series races this season.

09 Mar 2023

Another former Formula One World Champion is jumping into NASCAR. Stewart Haas Racing announced that Jenson Button will drive he No. 15 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang in three Cup races for Rick Ware Racing, in partnership with SHR. This is a similar collaboration that SHR had last year with RWR for Ryan Preece.

Button will make his debut later this month at Circuit of the Americas. He will also compete in July's inaugural street race in Chicago, then on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in August. With yesterday's Kimi Raikkonen announcement, the Cup series will have two F1 champs in that March 26 event.

"Two F1 world champions in a NASCAR race. Who would have ever predicted that?” Button said. "A lot of people think I’m crazy for doing this because it’s so different, but that’s why I love the challenge of it. For me, it’s not about how quick the car is, it’s about how close the racing can be. In the Cup Series, the racing is awesome. It’s definitely going to be a shock to the system, but a toe in the water, so to speak, and hopefully help me be more competitive the next time I do it."

It was a surprise to many people when Button was announced as one of the drivers for the Garage 56 project, which is NASCAR's special entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans later this year. Button said that deal has no correlation to this particular deal.

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After his F1 retirement following the 2017 season, Button has driven in several different racing categories such as the World Endurance Championship, GP3, and the Japanese Super GT Series where he won the 2018 title in the GT 500 class. Button made his final F1 start in the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix when he filled in for Fernando Alonso, who was competing in the Indianapolis 500.

Tony Stewart knows a thing or two about drivers crossing over. Stewart himself is running a full season of NHRA drag racing this season. The NASCAR team owner is excited about this new venture for Button.

"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 new to NASCAR, but he’s not new to racing. This is going to be fun for all of us."