SVG joins Kostecki for Indy NASCAR race
Shane van Gisbergen has been confirmed for a second NASCAR Cup Series start, and will go head-to-head with Supercars rival Brodie Kostecki.
Van Gisbergen won the inaugural Chicago Street Race in his maiden NASCAR Cup Series start with Trackhouse Racing’s Project91 program.
The three-time Supercars champion will return to the saddle of the #91 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the Indianapolis road course race next month.
Van Gisbergen will share the track with Erebus Motorsport driver Kostecki, who will race for Richard Childress Racing.
The Supercars duo will be joined on track by 2009 Formula One champion Jenson Button (Rick Ware Racing), and ex-F1 driver and Le Mans winner Kamui Kobayashi (23XI Racing).
The Indianapolis race will be held a week before the OTR SuperSprint, with three-time Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin to race on the same weekend with IndyCar.
"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.
Van Gisbergen celebrates his Chicago win
"I can’t thank [Trackhouse founder and owner] Justin Marks, everyone at Trackhouse Racing and NASCAR for this opportunity.
"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 honoured to be part of it."
Van Gisbergen, who is fourth in the Supercars standings, became just the sixth foreign-born driver to win a Cup Series.
He became the first Kiwi to win in NASCAR, and the first driver since Johnny Rutherford in 1963 to win his first Cup Series start.
"After a performance like that it’s only natural to want to keep this going," Marks said.
"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 will join full-time Trackhouse drivers Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain at Indianapolis.
'Shane showed he is a world-class talent'
The team has hit top form of late, with Chastain winning at Nashville a week prior to van Gisbergen’s victory.
The #91 Camaro will again be led by crew chief Darian Grubb.
"It was a true honour to be able to work with somebody like Shane van Gisbergen who put on a performance like that in his first start," Grubb 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."
The Verizon 200 at the Brickyard will be held on Monday August 14 AEST.
The 2023 Repco Supercars Championship will resume at the Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight on July 28-30. Tickets are on sale now.
