This weekend, the NASCAR Cup Series welcomes plenty of world-class driving talent to compete with the full-time NASCAR stars. It’s like the ultimate motorsports All-Star Race to some, but there are plenty of other drivers who we would love to see participate. Which non-NASCAR stars would be fun to watch run a NASCAR race?
The seven-time Formula One World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, coming to NASCAR would be nothing short of a spectacle. The press from all over the world would have their eyes on Hamilton should he run in the NASCAR Cup Series. He did express at the Miami Grand Prix earlier this year that he would love to race in NASCAR.
With NASCAR potentially looking at expanding into Europe in the near future, that could be an opportunity for Hamilton to race in NASCAR. It would likely have to be after he finishes his driving career in F1 before he could try NASCAR, but, it would be incredible if he did.
The six-time IndyCar champion and 53-time race-winner in IndyCar, Scott Dixon racing in NASCAR would be quite the sight. Dixon is also originally from New Zealand, the same country as Shane Van Gisbergen. The brand new New Zealand NASCAR fans would love to see another of their own race in NASCAR.
This weekend, NASCAR and IndyCar are running a doubleheader weekend at Indianapolis. If this is going to happen, then why not have a team pitch the idea to him this weekend?
Sebastian Buemi is Kamui Kobayashi’s teammate in the World Endurance Championship. Buemi has won three championships in WEC along with a Formula E title in 2015-16. He also ran three seasons in Formula One for Torro-Rosso, essentially Red Bull’s B-Team, from 2009-2011.
With his wide array of experience in multiple racing series, it would be interesting to see how he takes to NASCAR. How would Buemi perform when running in NASCAR as opposed to the other series he has run in? It would be different from any motorsport he has run in.
Tony Kanaan recently retired from running IndyCar, so, with the extra time on his hands, why not run in NASCAR? He originally hails from Brazil, which does have a history in stock car racing. Kanaan never dabbled in that type of racing, but it is still an interesting connection.
Bringing another IndyCar star to NASCAR would be fun, especially an IndyCar champion like Kanaan. He also is famous for winning the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
Daniel Ricciardo is a fan of NASCAR, and that is no secret. He drove the number 3 car because of his affinity for Dale Earnhardt. That automatically gives him some sentimental points amongst NASCAR fans.
He is back in Formula One now, so it would have to take a while before he can run in NASCAR. However, he has shown his interest in NASCAR in multiple instances, and the eight-time race winner in Formula One would certainly jump at the chance to race.
There is a wealth of motorsports talent out there, and seeing them race in NASCAR would be a treat for NASCAR fans and motorsports fans alike. What other drivers could try their hand at NASCAR?
