Another V8 Supercars Driver Is Coming to NASCAR
Brodie Kostecki will be hoping to recreate Shane van Gisbergen’s success when he starts his debut race in NASCAR.
When Shane van Gisbergen took victory in his first-ever NASCAR start in Chicago, fans and pundits went wild at the shock result. Eager to follow in those footsteps is Brodie Kostecki, another blow-in from Australia's Supercars series, and he's keen to shake up the order.
As reported by Motorsport.com, Kostecki will make his NASCAR debut at the Verizon 200, running on the Indianapolis road course. He'll drive a third entry run by Richard Childress Racing (RCR), sponsored by MobileX, a company run by entrepreneur and motorsports enthusiast Peter Adderton. Kostecki will be in good company, racing alongside Austin Dillon and two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Busch.
The deal came about as a collaboration between RCR and Erebus Motorsport, which Kostecki races for in the Supercars series. Kostecki himself was a member of a delegation Erebus sent stateside earlier this year.
Earlier this month, van Gisbergen made international headlines when he stormed to victory at NASCAR's first-ever street race. Like any proud Australian, Kostecki will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of the talented New Zealander. He'll be well-placed to do so, given RCR took victory at last year's Indianapolis event with Tyler Reddick behind the wheel.
Kostecki isn't entirely green when it comes to the broader world of NASCAR, having raced in feeder series races in the past. Having taken part in the K&N Pro Series (now ARCA Series East) in 2013 and 2014, he scored two poles and a best finish of fifth over 16 career starts. It's no surprise, given Kostecki's history. "NASCAR has been a lifelong goal of mine after spending years growing up in the sport's heartland in North Carolina," said Kostecki.
The rest of 2023 is going to be busy for the 25-year-old. He currently finds himself fighting for his first-ever Supercars title. Presently, Kostecki sits second in the standings, just seven points behind his teammate, Will Brown. Between that and his debut NASCAR drive, Kostecki has a unique opportunity this year to snatch victory both at home and abroad. It ought to be good entertainment all round.
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