Fuji Speedway announced early Saturday morning that later this month, NASCAR will run an exhibition alongside the seventh and final round of the Super Taikyu Series on November 15th and 16th.
Among those involved are Jimmie Johnson in the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, John Hunter Nemechek in the No. 42 NASCAR Cup, and two-time NASCAR Cup starter and two-time WEC champion Kamui Kobayashi in the 23XI Racing No. 67 NASCAR Toyota Camry.
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Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, who raced the Garage 56 entry in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans, will be behind the wheel again.
In total, six NASCAR cars, including the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, two NASCAR Cup cars, and three ARCA cars, will conduct demonstration runs at Japan’s Fuji Speedway.
The remaining cars will be a Ford Mustang, a Toyota Camry, and a Chevrolet SS from the NASCAR ARCA series. Takuma Koga will run the Toyota Camry, Toshiki Oyu will be in the No. 52 Chevrolet SS, and Kazuto Kotaka will be in the No. 9 Ford Mustang.
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Kamui Kobayashi at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Road Course, the last time he drove the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota Camry. Meg Oliphant – Getty Images
Kobayashi will be back in a stock car for the first time since racing for 23XI Racing in the No. 50 last spring at the Circuit of the Americas and the year before in the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota Camry at the Indianapolis Road Course with 23XI Racing in 2023, in the track’s last race before the second Indianapolis oval race rejoins the NASCAR circuit. Kobayashi finished 33rd.
Kobayashi will bring his knowledge of the Japanese track, the site of his first WEC overall victory in the 2016 6 Hours of Fuji.
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As the only full-time NASCAR Cup driver in the event, Nemechek is excited to show off the power of American Stock car racing in a brand new venue, with the No. 42 driver making his first trip to Japan for the event.
“I’m super excited; it’s going to be a great opportunity to showcase our sport with some great talent behind the wheel,” John Hunter Nemechek told Road & Track. Being able to go over there and have the opportunity from Toyota to showcase what we do in front of a Japan crowd at Mount Fuji, I’m super excited. When I got the call about it, I was smiling ear-to-ear. I’m still smiling ear-to-ear about it.”
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