Brodie Kostecki will become the second Supercars driver within six weeks to make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the Verizon 200 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on August 13.
The Erebus Motorsport driver, who currently sits second in the Supercars drivers’ championship to team-mate Will Brown by seven points, will make his Cup debut for the highly-regarded Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the #33 MobileX Chevrolet Camaro.
He will be a teammate to full-time RCR stars Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon.
Kostecki’s debut comes after three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen stunned the NASCAR field when he won on debut at the all-new Chicago road course on July 2.
Van Gisbergen’s victory shone a NASCAR light on Australian motorsports for the first time since former Supercars’ champion Marcos Ambrose moved to the US in 2006 to forge a nine-year NASCAR career, which included two Cup victories and four Xfinity Series wins.
Despite the recent hype, Kostecki’s deal has been four months in the making through his manager, Nathan Cayzer, and Richard Childress himself.
“I am thrilled to be making my NASCAR Cup debut at the Brickyard,” said Kostecki.
“It’s an honor to compete at such an iconic venue and against some of the biggest names in motorsport.
“I’m incredibly grateful to RCR for giving me this opportunity and I’m determined to make the most of it.”
Unlike van Gisbergen and Ambrose, Kostecki actually has long ties and held aspirations for NASCAR, having competed in the K&N Pro Series in 2013 and 2014 during which time he scored two poles, one track record and one top five finish across 14 races.
While his personal connections run deep from those early Pro Series days, this latest deal actually came about through a link between and Erebus and RCR, initiated through Image Racing’s Terry Wyhoon.
Wyhoon’s links going back as far as the AUSCAR and NASCAR days at the Melbourne Thunderdome.
“Racing is at the core of everything I do, and NASCAR has been a lifelong goal of mine after spending years growing up in the sports heartland in North Carolina,” said Kostecki.
“It’s a whole different world over there and any additional time I can spend racing is only going to help me try and win my first Supercars Championship.
“We got some great exposure to the inner sanctum of the team during our recent trip, and I cannot wait to immerse myself in the team, this time as a Cup Series driver.”
Erebus CEO Barry Ryan says that Kostecki’s NASCAR debut comes with his organisations’s blessing.
“We encourage him to race as much as he can,” said Ryan.
“We have always encouraged Brodie’s pursuit of more racing opportunities..
“Providing him with the chance to explore and excel in various racing disciplines not only enhances his skills but also contributes to the overall growth and success of our team.”
Ahead of his NASCAR entry, Kostecki will compete in the 2023 Repco Supercars Championship’s Round 7, the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight, on July 28-31 at Sydney Motorsport Park.
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