With only three races remaining before the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, the 82-lap race on the IMS Road Course promises to be filled with intense action and heightened tension for drivers who have not secured their spot.
However, there is an additional aspect to the upcoming race on Sunday. I am unable to reword the rest of the text as it does not require any changes.
Jenson Button
Button will be making his third and final planned Cup start of the year. After finishing 18th in his debut in Austin (COTA), he qualified eighth at Chicago and finished 21st. He will once again be driving the No. 15 Rick Ware Racing Ford.
The 43-year-old British racing driver also ran a highly modified NASCAR stock car at Le Mans this year, winning hearts and minds when he and co-drivers Jimmie Johnson and Mike Rockenfeller completed the 24-hour event in the popular Garage 56 entry.
He said after Chicago: “I anticipate that Indianapolis will present some challenges. I have some concerns, but I will approach it with optimism and give it my best effort.
Kamui Kobayashi
The 36-year-old sports car ace and former F1 driver will be making his NASCAR Cup debut this weekend, driving the No. 67 23XI Racing Toyota Camry.
Kobayashi is set to make history as the inaugural Japanese driver to participate in a Cup race since Hideo Fukuyama’s appearance more than two decades ago at Sonoma Raceway.
Earlier this year, he expressed that his childhood dream was to eventually participate in NASCAR. Despite having competed in 75 F1 races and achieving victory at Le Mans in 2021, the desire to compete in NASCAR persisted.
“The initial televised racing I witnessed was NASCAR,” he mentioned earlier this year. “I must have been around four or five years old. I distinctly remember thinking, ‘wow, that’s impressive!’ As for my first experience racing a go-kart, I must admit I was unfamiliar with Formula 1 at the time.”
Now, he will finally have the opportunity to fulfill his childhood aspiration and will be able to do so using high-performing racing gear. 23XI emerged victorious earlier this season at COTA, and Travis Pastrana secured an 11th place finish with car No. 67 in this year’s Daytona 500.
Shane van Gisbergen
This New Zealander may have needed an introduction for NASCAR fans before Chicago, but not anymore. The three-time Supercars champion (2016, 2021, 2022) became the first driver in 60 years to win on debut when he drove from 18th to 1st in the inaugural running of NASCAR’s Chicago Street Course race.
He has expressed his desire to permanently transition to NASCAR and will have another opportunity to do so this weekend. Once again behind the wheel of the Project91 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, he will strive to maintain his perfect winning record.
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“We must enter and give our utmost effort, but it is also crucial to compete with mutual respect. These individuals are consistently vying for the championship, so I must enter and avoid any complications.”
SVG will also be running the Truck race at IRP this weekend, making his NASCAR oval debut with Niece Motorsports.
Race winner Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: David Rosenblum / NKP / Motorsport Images
Furthermore, it should be noted that he will not be the sole Supercar driver participating in the Cup race on Sunday…
Brodie Kostecki
A native of Perth, Australia, Kostecki currently leads the Supercars championship and has some experience driving stock cars in the USA. He actually ran 16 ARCA East races between 2013 and 2014.
This weekend, he will make his Cup debut driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet.
RCR are the defending winners of the IMS Road Course race, and Kostecki has both the skill and the car under him to make some noise on Sunday.
“After the announcement, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to compete at such a renowned location and against prominent figures in the world of motorsport. Racing is the essence of my existence, and achieving a lifelong dream of being a part of NASCAR is particularly meaningful to me, having spent my formative years in the heartland of the sport, North Carolina.”
Brodie Kostecki, Erebus Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Photo by: Edge Photographics
Mike Rockenfeller
Kobayashi won’t be the sole Le Mans 24 champion participating. The German racer emerged victorious in the LM24 overall race in 2010, and also achieved a class win in 2005. Furthermore, he secured a DTM championship in 2013.
As mentioned before, he was one of the three individuals who operated the well-received Garage 56 NASCAR vehicle during this year’s Le Mans 24-hour race.
He will be driving the No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Chevrolet at IMS, a team co-owned by his friend and Le Mans co-driver Johnson.
Rocky participated in two Cup races last year as a driver for Spire Motorsports. He achieved a 30th place finish at Watkins Glen and a 29th place finish at the Charlotte Roval.
Earlier this week, Rockenfeller expressed, “Having competed alongside Jimmie in IMSA for a duration of two years and collaborating in the Garage 56 initiative, we not only became teammates but also developed a strong friendship.”
“I am incredibly honored to have the chance to race alongside him as a co-owner in the NASCAR Cup Series for LEGACY M.C. It will definitely be a significant test for me since I have never competed at Indy before. The opportunity to be back in a Cup Series car is something I’ve always dreamed of, and I am grateful for it. Despite the limited time, I will give my utmost effort to collaborate with the team and aim for a fantastic race at Indy.”
#24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 of Mike Rockenfeller
Photo by: Marc Fleury
Seven countries spanning four continents will be represented in the race, and it’s not often you see star drivers from such diverse racing backgrounds come together in one event like this. Regardless of what happens on track, this Sunday’s race at Indianapolis is certain to be a special one for any fan of any form of motorsport.
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