For the first time since 2004, Mike Rockenfeller, a German, has tried his hand at NASCAR’s highest level – He speaks of a unique experience
1971, 2004 and now also 2022: The tracks of German drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series are relatively small, but with Mike Rockenfeller, a real motorsport great has made it into the field of the stock car series in Watkins Glen. The 2013 DTM Champion clearly enjoyed his NASCAR debut, even if he has not yet been able to consistently keep up at the front.
The two-time class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans jumped into the 77 Chevrolet Camaro entered by Spire. However, with no testing opportunities and little practice time on the New York State track, “Rocky” made a solid impression in all three stages.
Due to thunderstorms, the race start was postponed for the time being, rain showers also caused the first laps to be completed on a wet track. Rockenfeller made good progress during the race and even battled for a moment with ex-Formula 1 champion Kimi Räikkönen, who returned to the NASCAR series with Trackhouse.
Contact prevents better result
But the 38-year-old was then involved in contact with US driver Tyler Reddick on lap 32 of 90, which cost him a lot of pace. A late pit stop for refuelling ultimately catapulted him back to 30th place. At least the racer from Neuwied made it to the finish on the lead lap.
“Despite all the years in racing, my NASCAR debut was a wild experience,” said Rockenfeller after the circuit race at Watkins Glen. “Because of the challenges, I managed to get up to speed with the car and the team quicker than I thought. After the race was released following the postponement, the track was very slippery. “
Rockenfeller speaks of “intense and tight” racing in the NASCAR series, which is why he was then involved in the incident with Reddick. “In one stage I even kept up with the front. In this race I really experienced everything! If someone had told me beforehand that I would be running in fourth place for a short time, I would never have believed it. “
That was just the first strike
For Rockenfeller, the race at Watkins Glen was the first of two guest starts for Spire. On 9 October, the former DTM champion will start on the Roval in Charlotte – a hybrid of circuit and oval. In Watkins Glen, Rockenfeller and Spire “exceeded expectations”, which is why he is now looking forward to the next round: “I haven’t had so much fun in a race for a long time.”
Rockenfeller is only the third driver from Germany to boast a start in NASCAR’s top championship. In 1971, Rolf Stommelen from Siegen started in the superspeedway race at Talladega. Klaus Graf competed in Sonoma in 2004 in a Dodge. In 2018, ex-Euro NASCAR driver Justin Kunz from Appenweier dared to start in the Truck Series, the third NASCAR league, in Mosport, Canada.
