Shane van Gisbergen grabbed all the headlines after he triumphed in the Chicago Street Course race this year. While that has helped him earn a move to NASCAR, it only gets tricky from here. With SVG continuing the development program with Trackhouse Racing in 2024, Justin Marks is set to counter Richard Childress’ smart move.
It is no secret that Richard Childress Racing has been trying to poach Brodie Kostecki for more races in the Cup Series. Kostecki last drove RCR’s #33 Chevy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race earlier this year.
Justin Marks and Richard Childress seem to be involved in a game of chess
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
After having performed amazingly well, Shane van Gisbergen had plenty of suitors for the 2024 season. However, with Trackhouse Racing getting the upper hand, there was very little others could do. While it resulted in a smart scalp by Justin Marks, Richard Childress has been on a different mission.
Having tried Brodie Kostecki once in the 2023 season, the RCR owner is keen on bringing him on board for a longer duration next year. This decision seems to be inspired as Kostecki has been giving a tough fight to defending champion van Gisbergen in the Supercars Championship.
Having both Brodie Kostecki and Shane Van Gisbergen potentially in the coming years competing full-time in The Cup Series is something I look forward too. These 2 are incredible drivers #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/NzQvgeP1H5
? Daniel Kriete (@DanielKriete4) November 24, 2023
In fact, as reports suggest, Richard Childress is set to attend the Adelaide 500 in South Australia. After topping the qualifying race, Kostecki is set to beat Shane van Gisbergen. While the final race is yet to happen, Kostecki’s impressive performance against SVG seems to have impressed Childress to the core.
Given that RCR could manage to sign Kostecki for more races next year and the year after, Marks has been proactive with his approach. He is set to line up SVG perfectly to get well acquainted with the American style of racing. Speaking to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, the Trackhouse Racing co-owner described his plans for SVG.
He said, “What we are looking at for 2024 is a number of Cup races out of Trackhouse Racing and a bunch of Xfinity, Truck, ARCA, and late-model racing. We have a lot of great partners that we work with inside the Chevrolet camp and just the relationships we have got.”
Marks added how next year could be a difference-maker. He said, “So, we have an opportunity to curate a year of development for him where we can learn the lifestyle, we can learn oval track racing, late-model racing and just sort of how to put something together. So, if there’s an opportunity here for him to be a Cup Series driver in 2025, we have to make sure 2024 prepares him for that.”
? Coming up at 3 PM ET ?@DGodfatherMoody revisits some of the biggest stories of the 2023 season on the Best Of SiriusXM Speedway!
Here’s a preview of what’s to come: pic.twitter.com/aNvh4cD2Da
? SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) November 24, 2023
While Marks has everything lined up for SVG, he believes in him to do well in America.
Justin Marks shares words of positivity as Shane van Gisbergen prepares for his stint in NASCAR
Trending
“There’s Going to Be a New Player”- Kyle Petty Warns the Entire NASCAR Garage With Bold Prediction About Spire Motorsports Star
Joey Logano Leaks NASCAR’s Threat to Kick Teams Out of Daytona 500 After Chevy’s Defiance to $400,000 Fine
Michael Jordan’s Opponent’s Warning Comes True as Roger Penske Shuts Down NASCAR’s Infiltration
Chevy Prodigy Loses NASCAR Seat, Fans Allege Ignorance to Kyle Busch’s Daytona Setback Behind It
Kurt Busch Finally Breaking Radio Silence After Criminal Charges Forced 3-Month-Long Hiatus Has NASCAR Fans Breathing Easy
There is no doubt that transitioning from the Supercars Championship to NASCAR will be challenging. However, the race in Chicago showed how things cannot be as difficult as imagined. With Shane van Gisbergen behind the wheel, Justin Marks feels really confident about the New Zealand driver doing well.
As reported by Forbes, Marks said, “This is going to be a tremendous challenge for Shane but he is a tremendous driver as we have all seen. Next year will be about getting him acclimated to oval track racing, superspeedways, 1.5-mile tracks, and everything he has never experienced in his career. It?s obviously going to be a learning process, but we think Shane will perform quite well.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
It certainly means a lot if your co-owner has some kind words to say. Having dominated in the Supercars Championship, SVG would love to have that same dominance in NASCAR. While that’s easier said than done, it is interesting to see how he fares in 2024. It would only get spicier should Richard Childress manage and get Brodie Kostecki for a few more races.
WATCH THIS STORY: Richard Childress Welcomes Shane Van Gisbergen?s Rival: A NASCAR Insider’s Perspective