Supercars hero Shane van Gisbergen will return to NASCAR next month, after his debut success in the Chicago Street Race led to an invitation from Trackhouse Racing to compete at Indianapolis.
Van Gisbergen, who on July 2 became the first driver in 60 years to win in his NASCAR Cup Series debut when he won the weather-plagued street race in downtown Chicago, will race at the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard on August 13.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Burnouts in Chicago as Shane van Gisbergen celebrates NASCAR win.
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That event will be run on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course.
The announcement came on Trackhouse’s Project91 Twitter feed, with a video showing text messages with the New Zealander apparently agreeing to the race.
Project91 is a program designed by Trackhouse to expand its international appeal by adding renowned international drivers for certain races in the No.91 car.
Trackhouse currently sports two full-time cars in the Cup Series, driven by 2022 Cup runner-up Ross Chastain and Daniel Suarez, the first Mexican-born driver to ever win a Cup race. Trackhouse is co-owned by Justin Marks and recording star Pitbull.
“I never dreamed this could have all rolled out this way,” van Gisbergen said in a statement from the team.
“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.”
Added Marks: “After a performance like (Chicago), it’s only natural to want to keep this going. 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.”
After van Gisbergen’s NASCAR win, American driver Denny Hamlin – who started in pole position but finished 11th – was “in awe” of the Kiwi ace.
“I mean, we knew he was really good, but this is just blowing my mind as we‘re talking about it,” Hamlin said.
“He‘s on the wrong side … he’s on the other side of the car?
“You know what, crown him: greatest f***ing athlete in the history of sports,” Hamlin said.
In Indianapolis, Van Gisbergen will go head-to-head with his Supercars rival Brodie Kostecki, who is making his NASCAR debut.
But the Perth-born Kostecki is not really a stranger to NASCAR who in 2013 and 2014 had a stint in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
In 14 races in that series, Kostecki claimed two poles, one track record and one top-five placing.
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