(Photo: Richard Childress Racing)
By Aaron Bearden
Another big Supercars name is coming to America to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Brodie Kostecki announced Monday evening that he’ll compete for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the Aug. 13 Verizon 200 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kostecki will pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet, with sponsor backing from MobileX. He’ll join full-time drivers Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon to complete the team’s Indy lineup.
“Excited to be announcing my NASCAR Cup debut at Indy on August 13th,” Kostecki said. “Thanks to Richard and everyone at (Richard Childress Racing) for giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
Kostecki’s announced debut comes weeks after three-time Supercars champ Shane van Gisbergen’s debut Cup win with Trackhouse Racing on the streets of Chicago. Driving for Erebus Motorsport, Kostecki is ahead of van Gisbergen in the 2023 series standings. He sits second, trailing teammate Will Brown by seven points for the championship lead.
The effort comes after Erebus visited the States to land an opportunity for Kostecki earlier in the summer. It will come with the defending race winners – RCR claimed the 2022 edition of the event with former team driver Tyler Reddick.
Indy won’t be Kostecki’s first NASCAR start, but it will mark his first major appearance. Kostecki contested races in what was then the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (now ARCA Menards Series East) in 2013 and 2014, earning a best finish of fifth in his final start at Dover Motor Speedway.
“I am thrilled to be making my NASCAR Cup debut at the Brickyard,” Kostecki said.“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.”
