A race-winning Supercars driver is set to replace Brodie Kostecki in an upcoming NASCAR Cup Series race, Wide World of Sports can reveal.
It's widely believed Kostecki would join Richard Childress Racing at Sonoma Raceway on June 10 as part of an expanded program in the United States this year. However, it's understood the fallout from the saga with Erebus Motorsport scuppered those plans.
Wide World of Sports understands eponymous team owner Richard Childress sought a replacement from the Supercars grid once it became evident Kostecki would not be racing with the team this year.
READ MORE: Souths skipper's blunt response to Bennett noise
READ MORE: 'Body was never so sore': Xerri's warning to NRL
READ MORE: 'Strong message' as star banned for match fixing
Wide World of Sports understands that driver is Triple Eight Race Engineering's Will Brown. Motorsport outlet V8 Sleuth has also reported as much since this story was first published.
It's believed the NASCAR team owner approached Boost Mobile and Mobile X founder Peter Adderton late last month to see if he would be interested in sponsoring an entry in the Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway with another Supercars driver.
Adderton made it clear he had no interest given recent events and public statements about future sponsorship in motorsport, although it's believed a deal is not dead in the water yet.
Despite plans long being mooted, Kostecki's long-time mentor Paul Morris said the Supercars champion was "not interested" in NASCAR this year.
"His focus is Australia and doing the best job he can do here," said the 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner on Speedcafe's podcast Polarizer with Paul Morris and Roland Dane.
Kostecki has not spoken publicly about what transpired after he decided to sit out the Supercars season-opener at Bathurst and subsequent races in Melbourne but it's believed his compromised sponsorship arrangement with Boost Mobile and Mobile X played a part in the Supercars champion's NASCAR plans going awry.
Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton sponsored Kostecki via his United States telecommunications brand in a one-off appearance at the road course-configured Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year.
The telco owner claimed Erebus Motorsport told the Supercars champion to walk back from his Boost Mobile ambassador role as part of a reunion with the team, which it is believed implicated his Mobile X affiliation in the United States.
Adderton has been vocal on social media in the wake of Kostecki's return to Erebus Motorsport and told Wide World of Sports in April he would stop all of his motorsport sponsorships globally, feeling he'd been burnt.
It's understood other sponsors formerly associated with Kostecki have been shoulder-tapped to support the yet-to-be-confirmed Supercars driver in the upcoming NASCAR race at Sonoma.
Kostecki is among a handful of Supercars drivers to try their hand in NASCAR in the past 12 months.
Shane van Gisbergen moved to the United States this year to compete full-time in the second-tier Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing and has a part-time program with Trackhouse Racing in the top-flight Cup Series.
Tickford Racing's Cameron Waters will have his second Truck Series cameo in as many weeks at Kansas Speedway on May 5.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.