After Roger Penske confirmed his ace Austin Cindric for the Adelaide 500, South Australian motorsport fans are dreaming even bigger, eyeing marquee NASCAR stars to lift the event to global prominence. The VAILO Adelaide 500 drew over 259,000 spectators across four days in 2024, already making it one of Australia’s largest sporting spectacles.

Now, organizers are looking to inject more U.S. flavor, with plans to lure top drivers from Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet to create a true international showdown. The festival-style atmosphere of the Adelaide 500—with concerts, family activities, and headline races—mirrors iconic NASCAR weekends like the Daytona 500, where the event is as much about the fan experience as the on-track action.

With grassroots motorsport thriving locally, from karting to touring cars, South Australia is positioning itself as a playground for global racing talent. The buzz now centers on Chevrolet, with teenage phenom Connor Zilisch already on GM’s radar, potentially joining the Australian chase for top NASCAR names alongside Penske’s Cindric.

Australians chase NASCAR stars

Mark Warren, the man steering the South Australian Motorsport Board, wants one driver from each of the three big American manufacturers: Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet. The first piece is already in place with Ford, but the real buzz surrounds Chevrolet. GM has been circling teenage phenom Connor Zilisch, a 19-year-old already turning heads in the U.S., though the logistics of getting him Down Under this year remain tricky.

One hurdle is timing. The Adelaide 500 falls right in the middle of America’s Thanksgiving weekend, making it hard to lure NASCAR’s biggest names away from family traditions. Previous attempts to bring heavyweights like Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson fell through for similar reasons.

Still, the door is not closed. GM and event organizers are actively talking, and with NASCAR legends like Richard Childress already showing interest in the Adelaide spectacle, the momentum is building. Even if Zilisch does not make the trip, Adelaide fans will not be left shortchanged.

Austin Cindric, fresh off the NASCAR season, is set to spend nearly a month in Australia. With road-racing chops, Bathurst miles under his belt, and experience in Super2 machinery, he is being touted as a dark horse to rattle the Supercars regulars.

For Adelaide, this is not just about putting on a show; it is about cementing the race as a true global motorsport festival. Imagine the roar of V8s mixed with the thunder of NASCAR stock cars, all tearing through the same streets. That is the vision, and Warren’s team is not backing down until it happens.

Penske welcomes Malukas to IndyCar

With Roger Penske’s fingerprints all over motorsport, his latest move ties right into the crossover buzz. On September 18, Team Penske announced David Malukas as the new driver of the No. 12 Verizon-sponsored Chevy for the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series, replacing Will Power, who is heading to Andretti Global.

The multi-year deal puts the 23-year-old Malukas, who finished 11th in points with AJ Foyt Racing in 2025, in one of open-wheel’s most iconic seats. “We are excited to add David Malukas as the next driver of the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet. We feel that Team Penske will provide David everything needed to take the next step in his career, and we are confident that he will continue the great legacy of the Verizon Chevrolet.” Penske said.

Malukas, a runner-up in the 2025 Indianapolis 500, added, “Racing for Team Penske is the goal for every young racecar driver, and I am honored to be one that gets to live out that dream. Will Power is one of the legends of our sport and the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet is one of the most-recognized cars on the grid. These are big shoes to fill, but I look at it as an opportunity because I know that it is one of the best teams in the paddock.”

Malukas’ 2025 stint with Foyt was a one-year deal, his fourth team since 2022, and his Indy 500 podium showed the potential Penske sees. This move connects to the Adelaide ambition. Penske’s global reach could bridge NASCAR and Supercars, with Cindric’s November wildcard run paving the way for more U.S. stars Down Under.

As Warren eyes Chevy and Toyota drivers to join Ford’s Cindric, Malukas’ IndyCar leap highlights Penske’s knack for talent-spotting, potentially inspiring similar crossovers in Australia’s growing motorsport scene.