Kostecki in line for NASCAR oval debut
Brodie Kostecki in line for 2024 NASCAR oval debut
Kostecki made NASCAR Cup Series debut in August
Erebus driver raced for Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR legend Richard Childress is keen to get Brodie Kostecki back over in 2024 for more Cup Series starts, including an oval debut.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer was in attendance at last weekend’s VAILO Adelaide 500, where Kostecki sealed the Repco Supercars Championship title.
Childress’ eponymous team, Richard Childress Racing, handed Kostecki his Cup Series debut at the Indianapolis road course in August. However, the championship- and Daytona 500-winning boss wants more of Kostecki in 2024, including an oval race.
There are three road course/street course races in the regular season in 2024: Circuit of the Americas (March 24), Sonoma (June 9) and Chicago (July 7). Watkins Glen (September 15) and Charlotte Roval (October 13) are in the Playoffs.
COTA clashes with the Grand Prix, Chicago with Townsville, and Charlotte with Bathurst. Sonoma and Watkins Glen are a week before Darwin and Sandown respectively.
This weekend, Kostecki will link up with NASCAR stars Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon in an RCR Camaro in an eight-hour World Racing League race at the Circuit of the Americas.
Kostecki will be joined trackside by Erebus boss Barry Ryan, with the race also the finale of the World Racing League.
“I'm excited about getting Brodie with us next weekend in Texas racing,” Childress told the Schick Cool Down Lap podcast.
“Then we’ll run him in a couple of good road courses and an oval, we’ll put him on an oval and see how we does.
“He will have a good time.”
Should Kostecki make Cup starts in 2024, he could once again compete against Shane van Gisbergen, who will shift to NASCAR in 2024.
Van Gisbergen will compete in select races across the three tiers of NASCAR after signing a deal with Trackhouse Racing.
Kostecki and van Gisbergen fought for the 2023 Supercars title, with the former sealing the deal after van Gisbergen crashed out of Saturday’s race on lap 1.
Childress, who has been involved in motorsport for over 50 years, was impressed by how Kostecki and Erebus kept their cool and delivered both the drivers’ and teams’ titles.
“I’m very proud of him, I’m proud of the whole team,” Childress said.
“The whole organisation, I’ve just sat back and took a lot in, watching the team work, how they kept their composure.
“What they had to do to win this championship, they did a great job, I was impressed.”
Kostecki's Supercars title defence will commence at the first round of the 2024 Repco Supercars Championship, the Thrifty Bathurst 500, on February 23-25.
