Chicago win showed Project91 is an "elite effort"

Marks is an innovator and a disrupter. The issues he and those that work for him have performed since forming the Trackhouse Racing Group have rocked the NASCAR world.

We might go on for hours about what he is doing in a different way within the enterprise aspect of the game, however most significantly, it is delivering outcomes on the monitor.

From placing each vehicles within the 2022 playoffs and almost successful the championship in simply their second yr as a company, or the wall-ride seen around the globe — a transfer that may possible by no means be topped.

Placing all of the items collectively

Then there’s Project91. An element-time, third entry for the race group made solely up of store staff with different tasks who do not usually get to journey to the monitor every weekend. Its said mission is to characteristic worldwide racing champions and provides them a touchdown spot on the earth of NASCAR.

Publicity for the game and crossovers between distinguished types of racing are nice, however ultimately, the aim remains to be to win.

2007 Components 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen was the primary to take up Marks’ supply with the Undertaking 91 initiative, operating Watkins Glen in 2022 and COTA in 2023. Since then, we have seen the Toyota-backed 23XI Racing comply with swimsuit with a 3rd automotive pushed by Travis Pastrana at Daytona, and Kamui Kobayashi later this yr.

However Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 was the primary, and so they have been about to show this idea right into a race-winning concept. Making his NASCAR Cup Collection debut on the Chicago Road Course, New Zealander and three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen received the inaugural occasion.

Race winner Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet Camaro

Picture by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

“It simply places gasoline within the tank so far as we’re making an attempt to construct one thing right here the place the best drivers on the earth have a spot that they’ll name house in the event that they wish to strive NASCAR racing,” stated Marks after the Chicago win.

“For us to place it in Victory Lane, it simply reveals, I feel, the world that this Project91 is a really, very elite effort. It is not about self-importance. It is not about simply sponsorship. It is not about social media. It is about placing a program collectively that may truly win and inform nice tales.

“I feel the truth that we put it in Victory Lane, it simply galvanizes our mission in making an attempt to draw the best motorsport expertise on the earth.”

Kimi Raikkonen, Trackhouse Racing, Onx Houses / iLOQ Chevrolet Camaro, Darian Grubb, Trackhouse Racing

Picture by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

Now, Van Gisbergen appears open to creating the shift to NASCAR on a full-time foundation. What was distinctive about how the SVG deal got here collectively is that the sponsor truly joined earlier than any driver was introduced, permitting Marks to basically choose whoever he wished for the seat. He believes the win will appeal to extra sponsors and worldwide racing stars to this system.

“From a industrial standpoint it was a giant weekend as a result of we had an organization are available that stated, we wish to sponsor Project91,” defined Marks. “You go get the motive force. It wasn’t hooked up to a driver. Improve Well being got here in and stated, we love this idea and we wish to sponsor it.

“That is a giant second for our firm, is that really a companion checked out it and stated, we consider on this Project91 factor siloed from every thing else. We actually like it and we wish to be part of it.

“I feel so far as what it does, it simply hopefully — I feel it simply makes Project91 be on much more individuals’s radar internationally, and we are able to appeal to — proceed to draw the highest expertise on the earth … I feel so far as scaling Project91, it is a two or three race a yr program, and past that it begins to be type of a elevate. It begins to type of really feel like a 3rd group.”

Marks is cautious to not let Project91 pull sources away from the opposite two vehicles which might be battling for the championship, and so they appear be doing simply positive. The week earlier than Van Gisbergen’s triumph in Chicago, Ross Chastain received in Nashville.

Project91 success is sweet for Trackhouse … and nice for NASCAR

Finally, the success of Project91 is nice for Trackhouse, however even higher for the game of NASCAR as an entire. Bringing in names like Raikkonen and Van Gisbergen additionally brings in new eyeballs and curiosity from individuals who would not usually trouble to observe a NASCAR race.

Storage 56 at Le Mans did one thing comparable, placing NASCAR in entrance of race followers who usually would not get the possibility to see it in particular person. Marks thinks outdoors the field in every thing he does, and the optimistic impression he and his group have had on NASCAR can’t be understated.

“I feel the extra individuals globally that we are able to get tuned in and enthusiastic about this sport, the higher it’s for all of us, and I feel immediately was a step in that route.”

Presently, there aren’t any different races deliberate for Project91 for the remainder of the yr. “That is it,” declared Marks. However based mostly on Chicago’s outcome, I really feel as if that will change very quickly.