Kyle Busch set for Adelaide 500
By Andrew Clarke
Date posted: 13 June 2024
NASCAR star Kyle Busch is expected to be confirmed for his Australian Supercars debut soon with a double outing at Adelaide that will see him run in both the main race at the Vailo Adelaide 500 and the Super2 race.
He will most likely drive the Triple Eight wildcard car in the main game and an Image Racing Commodore in Super2.
Busch’s appearance in Adelaide would provide massive interest in the States where he is one of the biggest names in the sport with two championships to his name.
The idea for the Adelaide race was spawned last year when his NASCAR boss, Richard Childress, visited the Adelaide 500 as part of his team’s partnership with Erebus Motorsport. At that time, Childress was already hatching a plot for Busch, and with the Adelaide race coming the weekend after the NASCAR series wraps up for 2024, the timing is OK for the debut.
The only challenge revolves around the RCR’s relationship with Erebus, forged off the back of Terry Wyhoon’s Image Racing connection through his former engineer Andrew Dickeson, who works with Busch at RCR. Erebus is believed to be unable to run a wildcard this year, and Will Brown who ran for RCR last weekend in Sonoma is believed to have helped in brokering a deal with Triple Eight for Busch to run the #888 car.
Dickeson and Childress see a benefit in their regular NASCAR drivers learning better road course racing from Supercars drivers. They ran Brodie Kostecki at the Indianapolis road course race last year before putting Brown in the #33 car this year. Brown filled in for Kostecki in a World Racing League event at The Circuit Of The Americas, co-driving in that with Busch when Kostecki couldn’t make the race the week after winning the title.
Brown’s efforts over the weekend have strengthened his connections with RCR and he could spend more time in the States, while continuing to race for Triple Eight in Australia.
In terms of the practicalities, Image Racing has an old Commodore in Charlotte, and Wyhoon spends some time there where he owns an apartment and could work on getting Busch up to speed with the cars, especially the need to heal and toe on the down changes.
The brutal nature of the Adelaide track doesn’t allow for too many mistakes, so a debut in Adelaide would be a big call for the ninth-most-winning driver in NASCAR history.
None of the parties involved in the deal would confirm its progress, but it is believed to have the full support of Supercars and the Adelaide 500.
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet Camaro, #5: Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports, HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro during the NASCAR Cup Series event at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday February 25, 2024 in Atlanta, United States of America. (Photo by Matthew T. Thacker / NKP / LAT Images)
Recent Stories
array (
0 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 4811,
'name' => 'NASCAR',
'slug' => 'nascar',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 4811,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 660,
'count' => 294,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 4811,
'category_count' => 294,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'NASCAR',
'category_nicename' => 'nascar',
'category_parent' => 660,
)),
1 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 38,
'name' => 'Supercars',
'slug' => 'supercars',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 38,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'parent' => 0,
'count' => 5533,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 38,
'category_count' => 5533,
'category_description' => 'The Supercars Championship, currently known as the Repco Supercars Championship, is the premier motorsport category in Australasia and one of Australia\'s biggest sports. It originated from the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC), which held its first race in 1960 at Gnoo-Blas in Orange, New South Wales. The ATCC evolved over the years, and in 1997, it was rebranded as the V8 Supercars Championship, eventually becoming the Supercars Championship we know today.
Some of the leading drivers in the history of the Supercars Championship include Peter Brock, who is often referred to as the "King of the Mountain" for his nine victories at the Bathurst 1000, a race that is considered one of the biggest in the series. Other notable drivers include Dick Johnson, Marcos Ambrose, Craig Lowndes, Shane van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup, who holds the record for the most championship titles, and Mark Skaife, who has also been a dominant force in the series.
The Bathurst 1000, held at Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, is arguably the most famous race in the Supercars calendar. Other significant races include the Sandown 500 and the Adelaide 500, which are known for their challenging circuits and thrilling competitions.
The Supercars Championship has grown to become a globally recognized series, known for its competitive racing and passionate fan base. It continues to be a major part of Australia\'s motorsport culture, attracting top drivers and teams from around the world.',
'cat_name' => 'Supercars',
'category_nicename' => 'supercars',
'category_parent' => 0,
)),
2 =>
WP_Term::__set_state(array(
'term_id' => 2029,
'name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'slug' => 'email',
'term_group' => 0,
'term_taxonomy_id' => 2029,
'taxonomy' => 'category',
'description' => '',
'parent' => 2031,
'count' => 7110,
'filter' => 'raw',
'cat_ID' => 2029,
'category_count' => 7110,
'category_description' => '',
'cat_name' => 'ZZZ-Email',
'category_nicename' => 'email',
'category_parent' => 2031,
)),
)
