NASCAR: Chicago race winner Shane van Gisbergen to make second start in Indianapolis

Shane van Gisbergen returns to the NASCAR Cup Series.

Trackhouse Racing announced Wednesday that van Giesbergen will compete in the Indianapolis Road Race on August 13. Van Gisbergen became the first driver in 60 years to win his first start in the Cup Series when he won the Chicago Street Circuit on July 2.

The three-time Australian Supercars Champion made a clinic in the last laps of the race in Chicago as he worked his way across the field and then easily pulled away from Justin Haley in the final two laps of the race.

A return to NASCAR seemed likely after this win, and van Giesbergen joins fellow Supercars driver Brody Kostecki on the field in Indianapolis. Kostecki is set to drive Richard Childress Racing’s third car in his first race in the Cup Series.

“I never thought things could happen this way,” van Giesbergen said in a team statement. “Just racing in NASCAR is an opportunity I never thought I would get, but winning and getting another chance this year is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Numerous field of part-time racers in Indy.

The Indianapolis circuit will feature two Supercar drivers Kostecki and van Gisbergen, as well as two former F1 drivers Kamui Kobayashi and Jenson Button.

The race should be Kobayashi’s debut as he drives the third 23XI Racing car. The sports car driver has 75 Formula 1 starts and won the Rolex 24 in IMSA twice.

Button will make his third and final start of the season. The 2009 Formula One champion was also on the field in Chicago and made his first start at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin. Button finished 18th at COTA and 21st at Chicago.

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