Home

NASCAR

NASCAR Update: Richard Childress Ropes in Fourth Supercars Star Amidst Brodie Kostecki’s Bitter Fallout

Published 05/03/2024, 5:12 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Getty

When Richard Childress wished to field a four-car team in the Cup Series, his only hope soon became Australian Supercars sensation, Brodie Kostecki and his bosses at Erebus Motorsport. However, after Kostecki reportedly had an intense altercation with Erebus Motorsports that led to his shock exit, one of the driver’s major sponsors, Mobile X also pulled out of sponsoring him for Sonoma, which was definitely bad news for Richard Childress Racing.

Fortunately for RCR, seeking a replacement from the Supercars grid has paid off. According to reports, the current leader of the Supercars Championship is all set to drive the #33 RCR Camry at Sonoma Raceway on June 10.

Sonoma is going to be painted Brown!

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

After Brodie Kostecki made his Cup Series debut with Richard Childress Racing at the Indy road course back in August, 2o23, relations between the NASCAR team and Erebus Motorsports gradually picked up pace. During this time, one of the team’s primary sponsors was Australian business mogul Peter Adderton. Through MobileX, the entrepreneur had built an empire that rivaled even companies like Walmart. Although relations between Kostecki and Adderton were on great terms earlier, Kostecki’s departure, reportedly due to a “toxic workplace culture”, left a palpable distance between the two.

This left Richard Childress in a bind as he was left without adequate sponsors to back Kostecki’s Cup Series return. However, in a bid for some damage control, the team owner reportedly approached the Australian tycoon to ask if there were any Supercars drivers he’d like to sponsor other than Kostecki. Fortunately for the empty #33 Camry, MobileX agreed to back the current championship leader, Will Brown, to become the fourth Supercars entrant in the Cup Series, according to V8Sleuth.

Kostecki was the prime prospect for RCR ahead of the Erebus debacle. But the fact that Will Brown was Shane van Gisbergen’s replacement at the Triple Eight Supercars Team speaks volumes of his capabilities. Not only that, but the Triple Eight driver finished no lower than second in the first six races of the 2024 Supercars season. Naturally, after Cam Waters, SvG, and Kostecki, it makes sense to call on another Supercars ace to help bring glory to the #33 RCR entry at Sonoma Raceway.

As Richard Childress continues to hunt for a fourth prospective entry, Will Brown’s inclusion could be RCR’s saving grace after Kostecki’s exit. Perhaps what would also work in Brown’s favor is his prior experience with the Cup Series winning team.

Will Brown is not new to Richard Childress Racing

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NASCAR stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

At the end of 2023, Will Brown got to grips with the Richard Childress Racing-run car at the World Racing League final. Despite Kostecki’s tout to share the car with Kyle Busch and Austin Dillon, RCR had to call upon Will Brown last minute. Back then, the newly crowned Supercars champion had undergone tonsil surgery during the off-season, which meant Kostecki would not be able to travel to the United States for the Enduro.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

In a bid to save face at the amateur event in Texas, RCR had approached Will Brown to help the Cup drivers get up to speed. Fast-forward to 2024, and it appears that Brown is making the most of the opportunity thrown his way by the MobileX founder. If the driver can live up to the expectations that both fans and Richard Childress had of Kostecki, then it wouldn’t be surprising if RCR brought back the driver shortly.

With that said, the trend in Supercars drivers transitioning over to the Cup Series and delivering stellar performances is slowly becoming a regular occurance. But can Will Brown carry on that notion with a solid debut at Sonoma Raceway?

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Kabir Bajaj Ahmed

689Articles

One take at a time

Kabir Bajaj Ahmed is an F1 & NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Known for his storytelling and extensive research skills, he has covered multiple stories on Dale Earnhardt Jr and his legendary dad, allowing readers to relive the thunderous days of 'The Intimidator'. Being a racer himself, Kabir can resonate with the motorsport world better than most.
Show More>

Edited by:

Ariva Debnath