Shane van Gisbergen impressed the NASCAR world in his Chicago debut. Winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race, the sport’s first-ever event on a street course, he left NASCAR regulars stunned and impressed with the Australian Supercars driver.
And now he’s back to defend his perfect win record in NASCAR. Trackhouse Racing announced Wednesday that the 34-year-old Kiwi will be making his second start with the team’s part-time PROJECT91 entry, designed to showcase world-class drivers, including Kimi Raikkonen, at the Indianapolis Road Course race.
“After a performance like that it’s only natural to want to keep this going,” said Justin Marks, Trackhouse founder. “Shane showed he is a world-class talent and what he did in Chicago was truly remarkable.”
“PROJECT91, Trackhouse Racing and the fans of NASCAR benefit by bringing him back. I don’t think I am being overly dramatic when I say the entire motorsports world will be watching the No. 91 Chevrolet at Indianapolis.”
Van Gisbergen already earned the global motorsports spotlight once after Chicago, with fellow Kiwi Supercars star and IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin the most outspoken in his praise. Other drivers like James Hinchcliff and Landon Cassill shared their congratulations and voiced their admiration following the race.
For the reigning Supercars series champion, who drives for Red Bull Ampol Racing in Australia, getting another NASCAR opportunity is a dream come true. He signaled his interest in competing in more NASCAR races at Chicago.
“I never dreamed this could have all rolled out this way,” van Gisbergen said. “Just getting to race in NASCAR is an opportunity I never thought I would get, but then to win and get another chance this year is beyond anything I imagined.”
I can’t thank Justin Marks, everyone at Trackhouse Racing and NASCAR for this opportunity,” he added. “Everyone in NASCAR welcomed me to Chicago and it’s been awesome to see how big the reception from that race has been around the world. I am honored to be part of it.”
NASCAR champion crew-chief Darian Grubb, who won with van Gisbergen in Chicago, reciprocates the feeling.
“It was a true honor to be able to work with somebody like Shane van Gisbergen who put on a performance like that in his first start,” he said.
“The team did an incredible job preparing the car, being ready for the moment and putting it all out there on the line and letting him put that show on. You’re never going to forget that. It’s the first event; we all wanted some souvenirs and stuff from it just to make sure we remembered it for life and tell our grand kids about it. It was really cool and I hope we can do that again in Indy.”
Shane van Gisbergen won’t be the only Supercars star competing at Indianapolis. He’ll be joined by two-time winner Brodie Kostecki, driving a one-off entry for Richard Childress Racing.
“I am thrilled to be making my NASCAR Cup Series 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 motorsports. I’m incredibly grateful to RCR for giving me this opportunity, and I’m determined to make the most of it.”
The Australian ordinarily drives for Erebus Motorsports in Australia in his third full-time Supercars season, earning a best championship position of seventh last year. He currently sits second in the points standings, ahead of van Gisbergen.
Team owner Richard Childress sees promise in the 25-year-old.
“Brodie Kostecki is a young, promising driver and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in the No. 33 MobileX Chevrolet with Richard Childress Racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course,” Childress said.
“Brodie’s background in the Supercars Championship will suit him well in NASCAR Cup Series racing, especially on Indy’s road course configuration,” he added.
Besides his Supercars experience, which van Gisbergen has already proven can lead to real NSSCAR success, Kostecki got his start stateside in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, now the ARCA East Series.
Also on the entry list at Indy is world-renowned Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi, who’s raced in Formula One and competed at Le Mans. He got his first taste of NASCAR at Chicago as well, although he didn’t actually go out on track.
Richard Childress is the defending winner at Indianapolis’ road course configuration with Tyler Reddick at the wheel. This season’s 200-mile race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course will air on NBC at 2:30 PM EDT on Aug. 13.
- Denny does Dover after surviving hard-charging Kyle Larson to tame the Monster - April 28, 2024
- The Monster Mile brings short track style to high banking - April 25, 2024
- Sam Mayer scores Xfinity win by an inch in photo finish at Texas - April 13, 2024