2015 F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton Wants to Try Driving in NASCAR after visit with Jeff Gordon to Homestead-Miami Speedway
Lewis Hamilton wants to drive in NASCAR in the near future. He added that Grand Prix racing could learn from the oval racing sanctioning body. He would only want it to be a one-off event but he’d like to give NASCAR a try.
Lewis Hamilton attended the NASCAR finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He was there in support of the final race for Jeff Gordon. The two met and became friends several years ago after a meeting in Nashville.
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“There were definitely some things that for sure they do a lot better than us. There were for sure things that we could learn from them. It was a great show, a great spectacle, particularly for the fans. A bit like DTM, the fans get very, very close to the garages in the background and to the drivers. It was a really cool event. I hope I get to do one one days,” said Lewis Hamilton of his NASCAR experience this past weekend.
Speaking to BBC Sport Lewis Hamilton expanded on his trip to the NASCAR race in Homestead-Miami Speedway and how much he enjoyed it.
I actually found it way more appealing in real life than it may appear on television
It’s a very different world from F1 – the teams are much smaller, to the extent that it almost reminded me of my Formula 3 days.
It’s not plush. In terms of the technology the teams have, it is kept much simpler compared to F1.
The atmosphere at the track is fantastic. There was one long grandstand that was absolutely packed with fans.
The lap is only 30 seconds long, so you see the cars constantly.
The cars sound amazing and they are freakin’ rapid.
-Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton continued on how excited he’d be to give NASCAR a try.
The race was 267 laps – really long – but I thoroughly enjoyed it, trying to understand the strategy and the differences between the cars. It was neat.
It made me want to drive one – I really fancy a race in a NASCAR one day.
I’m not sure I’d do an oval, but possibly a road course.
-Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is the 2015 F1 World Champion. He wouldn’t be the first F1 Champion to give NASCAR a try. Kimi Raikkonen gave the NASCAR Truck Series a shot before making his return to F1 with Ferrari. Serveral other F1 drivers have also made the transition to the oval series including Juan Pablo Montoya who now runs in the IndyCar Series.
Source: BBC Sport
Photo: Hendrick Motorsports
