Former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat grateful to race in NASCAR :"In a way a little dream came true"

Daniil Kvyat has been one of the most recognizable international faces seen racing in the NASCAR Cup as well as Xfinity Series last year. The former F1 driver, who drove for Scuderia Alpha Tauri during his open-wheeled exploits, has been trying his hand at stock car racing ever since leaving his role at the Italy-based racing outfit.

Kvyat was last seen in the F1 paddock acting as the reserve driver for Alpine in 2021 after parting ways with Alpha Tauri in 2020. The 28-year-old's performance on track as well as political pressure resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine clouded his future in motorsports under the FIA's umbrella.

However, the Russian driver has found a way to pivot into the world of stock car racing, making his debut in the Cup Series last year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Team Hezeberg. The European-American team also fields famous names such as Jacques Villenueve and owner Loris Hezemans in the series on a part-time basis.

Daniil Kvyat elaborated on how racing in NASCAR has been a pleasant experience and voiced his expectations from the future, saying:

“I'm happy. I always wanted to try myself in NASCAR, as you know, I've been mentioning this, in a way a little dream came true. Of course, to get really on top there, it might take time, but I'm patient, and careers in NASCAR can be really long, if you build it right. I'm curious to see how far I could go there."

The former Red Bull Racing driver also elaborated on how his nationality does not affect which series he decides to race in the United States of America, and said:

"I am open. And I think also here in Europe, in the USA I have green lights from most categories. So there was some period where everything was very tense, of course. Now it's less tense."

Daniil Kvyat's performance in NASCAR so far

Daniil Kvyat has so far appeared in three NASCAR Cup Series races as well as one Xfinity Series race. His first race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw him retire from the race after getting caught up in one of the many tumultuous restarts.

His second appearance came in the form of a road-course race at Watkins Glen, where he managed to finish in P36 while sharing the track with another F1 driver, Kimi Raikkonen. Kvyat's best result came during his Xfinity Series appearance with a finishing position of P15 in Charlotte, followed by another DNF in the Cup Series race at Charlotte Roval.