What’s Happening?

Trackhouse Racing owner Justin Marks recently teased that their famed Project 91 All-Star Car was set for a 2026 return. As a result, NASCAR fans are pitching who they think should drive the car in 2026.

.@TeamTrackhouse's Project 91 venture is still alive and will likely return in 2026, and the team also expects to grow its sponsorship deal with energy drink giant @RedBull, according to founder Justin Marks. https://t.co/cyGISQoZsj

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) November 17, 2025

Project 91 So Far

Project91 debuted in 2022 as a new idea in NASCAR’s top division, a part-time entry that fielded multiple drivers. This is, of course, common, with 23XI Racing’s No. 50/No. 67, RFK Racing’s No. 60, and RCR’s No. 33.

Furthermore, although other teams had done something similar in lower divisions, Project91 would specifically target “all-star” drivers from outside NASCAR, launching the program with Kimi Raikkonen behind the wheel at Watkins Glen that fall.

The former Formula One World Champion would finish 37th that day but improved in March 2023 at Circuit of the Americas, finishing 29th.

Of course, the car would have its breakthrough when Supercars star, now Trackhouse full-time driver, Shane van Gisbergen stole the show at the inaugural Chicago Street Race, bringing home the first non-charter win of the Next Gen Era. SVG would follow this up with a 10th-place run on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road course.

In 2024, the car would take a hiatus before Hélio Castroneves piloted the car in a lackluster Daytona 500 debut. But, since then, the No. 91 has not been seen.

This was due in part to Trackhouse’s expansion to three full-time cars and Connor Zilisch, who entered four races in the No. 87 in 2026. However, with Zilisch promoted for 2026, team owner Justin Marks, in an interview with Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, claimed that things were lining up for the car to return in 2026.

This was not the first time Marks sent NASCAR social media into a frenzy about Project91, having done so last season prior to announcing Castroneves for the car. But, with that wish granted, who do fans want to see in 2026?

IndyCar Drivers

For many American racing fans, IndyCar drivers are the most obvious choice for a crossover.

Of course, these drivers are prevalent in the U.S. racing landscape, but they also make the most sense from a logistical stance, as they are already in the U.S. and can travel across the country to race on an open weekend.

Furthermore, in 2026, IndyCar and NASCAR will have a doubleheader weekend at Phoenix Raceway during the weekend of March 8, suggesting that one brave driver could attempt a double should the No. 91 be available.

When it comes to the NASCAR debut bucket list, two names that quickly come to mind are veterans Will Power and Castroneves.

While Power has left Team Penske for Andretti Global and Honda, Castroneves, who also races for Honda, albeit part-time for Meyer Shank Racing, was able to drive the Chevrolet in 2025.

Fans already want Castroneves to run it back at Daytona, but, for some time now, Power in a stock car has been a wishlist driver.

Alongside Power, fans have also begged for open-wheel legend Scott Dixon to take on a NASCAR start. Getting either of the Honda drivers, Power or Dixon, would be a major win for NASCAR and Trackhouse, though the Daytona 500 might be a more fitting stage for these legends.

But whenever you talk NASCAR and IndyCar crossovers, Team Penske always comes to mind—specifically, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.

While Newgarden is a clear-cut favorite to make a NASCAR start at some point, McLaughlin, on an oval like Phoenix, would be a disappointment. This is because a rematch of SVG and McLaughlin’s Supercars days on a road course or at the new San Diego Street Circuit would be must-watch TV.

Now, one might ask, why wouldn’t these two race for Team Penske?

That’s where the business side of the sport comes into play. Penske runs Fords in NASCAR and Chevrolets in IndyCar, which may be an issue for one or both OEMs. But with Trackhouse, these two would be behind the wheel of a Chevrolet.

International Names

Although IndyCar drivers are a significant portion of NASCAR fans’ Project91 wishlist, that metaphorical list also includes a substantial number of international stars.

Of course, for any international driver, racing in NASCAR is a challenging addition to their schedule. However, NASCAR somewhat addressed this issue with its 2025 Open Exemption Provisional.

The OEP allows automatic entry for a “world-class driver” into a NASCAR Cup Series race without a charter, even expanding the field to 41 cars if necessary. This means that these drivers no longer need to worry about wasting their valuable time by not qualifying for the race as an open car.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about drivers.

First, let’s address the elephant in the room, the seven-time world champion elephant that is. One name that frequently comes up is Lewis Hamilton. Unfortunately, we may need to wait for him to retire from Formula One before this happens.

However, from a more realistic perspective, two other international names that consistently come to mind when discussing Project91 are Supercars standout Broc Feeney and Formula One veteran Daniel Ricciardo.

While this is due in part to SVG’s success, regarding Feeney, and Ricciardo’s love for NASCAR, they do have ties to Trackhouse through their sponsor, Red Bull.

Red Bull returned to NASCAR with Trackhouse last season, and Justin Marks is hinting that the team could do more with them in 2026.

While it seems like this connection could bridge the gap, these two still seem like long shots, as Feeney’s team, Triple Eight Race Engineering, is leaving the Chevrolet camp for Ford in 2026, and Riccardo retired from professional racing in September and is now an ambassador for Ford Racing.

Who do you want to drive Project91 in 2026? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.