Bad News for Richard Childress & Co. as Insider Unmasks SVG’s Supercars Rival’s NASCAR Future

NASCAR has always welcomed drivers from different motorsports with open arms, and the Supercars championship drivers haven’t been treated any differently. While Shane van Gisbergen etched his name in history books with an explosive debut, his 2023 championship rival, Brodie Kostecki, also trod the same path. Kostecki debuted in NASCAR with Richard Childress Racing earlier this year at the Indianapolis road course race, where SVG started his third NASCAR race.

Brodie Kostecki’s NASCAR debut roots in the alliance between RCR and Kostecki’s Supercars team, Erebus Motorsport. Last month, Kostecki beat SVG to the finish line in the championship finale at Adelaide and claimed the 2023 Supercars championship. However, RCR team owner Richard Childress didn’t miss the chance to witness the success of a driver he has been courting for a long time and was present by the trackside. While Mr. Childress would have hoped for Kostecki to switch to racing in America, motorsports journalist Andrew van Leeuwen has uncovered more details about the West Australian’s future.

Brodie Kostecki is close to staying in Supercars beyond 2024

While Kostecki had displayed some sublime performances with occasional podium finishes, he couldn’t win a race in 2022. However, in the recently concluded Supercars season, he claimed six wins and even beat 3-time champion Shane van Gisbergen in the championship race.

Having kept close tabs on his development, Richard Childress has not been shy about revealing his desire to sign Brodie Kostecki to RCR. After a NASCAR debut in 2023, Kostecki will feature in four races with RCR in 2024. This development has led to talks of a possible full-time switch to American racing for Kostecki. However, as Leeuwen reports, Richard Childress will not receive that good news anytime soon.

According to Andrew van Leeuwen, sources close to Brodie Kostecki have leaned towards a longer stay on the Australian continent. Despite his current contract running out at the end of 2024, he has a higher chance of renewing it. If a renewal agreement is not found between the two parties, Brodie Kostecki will be a free agent in 2025.

The recently surfaced news might hurt Richard Childress’s ambitions, who aimed to create a possible four-driver roster by adding Brodie Kostecki. Supercar teams will also keep close tabs on the situation as a chance to land Kostecki’s services has emerged. Erebus Motorsport’s other driver, Will Brown, has already announced his move to the empty spot that opened up at Triple Eight Racing with SVG’s departure.

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NASCAR fans could wait longer than a year to see Brodie Kostecki in a full-time role in the Cup Series. Despite what the news might suggest, Erebus Motorsport believes that a short-term renewal doesn’t hinder Supercar drivers from joining NASCAR but rather motivates them.

The partnership between Erebus and Richard Childress Racing is key to NASCAR opportunities for Supercars drivers

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Earlier this year, news about Erebus Motorsport transitioning to NASCAR emerged. The team’s CEO, Barry Ryan, has dismissed any such claims but looks forward to the fruits of his alliance with Richard Childress Racing. On the other hand, Erebus has been searching for a seamless method to facilitate drivers’ movement between Supercars and NASCAR.

The team has sent several staff members to the United States in 2023. One of the team’s quests in America was to aid Brodie Kostecki at a road course test in an ex-Image Racing Commodore Supercar. Apart from that, Erebus has also helped Richard Childress Racing in its attempt at the World Racing League Finale at COTA.

Speaking to Speedcafe, Barry Ryan has disclosed that the ongoing partnership between the two teams is a window of opportunity for NASCAR drivers. However, Kostecki’s extension is also part of the same plan but in a larger scenario.

“When you think about retaining drivers, if [we] want to retain Brodie for a couple more years, if he wants to stay in Australia, you want to keep him at Erebus. So if he’s got that link where he knows he’s going to have some opportunities in the NASCAR Cup, and if he ends up as a NASCAR Cup driver in two years or one year, we’ll be proud as punch. We’ll be happy to see him go. We won’t be happy to see him go to another Supercars team,“ claimed Barry Ryan.

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Continuing the conversation, Ryan also revealed how Kostecki’s extension could be exemplary for younger Supercar drivers. This initiative would benefit both teams as Erebus gets champion material drivers through its lucrative opportunities and Richard Childress receives a polished product in return.

“So if that’s the whole journey that this creates, it attracts the next driver to Erebus after Brodie because he’s gone and done Cup, and we’ve still got the relationship with RCR, and we get the next best driver that’s in Supercars because they see this little carrot that we might be able to create. I might even come over here [to the US] one day and spend a five-year period doing NASCAR. I’d love to do that as well.”

Erebus Motorsport has laid the map for up-and-coming Supercar drivers. What remains to be seen is how NASCAR reaps the fruits of the seeds planted by Supercars.