INDIANAPOLIS — This weekend's Verizon 200 at the Brickyard will feature the current stars of the NASCAR Cup Series. However, Sunday's race also has a fair amount of entrants from other forms of motorsports. Unless you're a diehard fan of racing, you might not recognize some of these names.
Here are the drivers racing in the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard that don't normally run the NASCAR circuit and a little about each one:
Shane van Gisbergen
New Zealand driver Shane van Gisbergen, or SVG, is set to make his second start in the NASCAR Cup Series in Sunday's Verizon 200 driving the No. 91 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. He has already won a NASCAR race this season, having won the inaugural Grant Park 220 in Chicago in early July. The win made van Gisbergen the first driver to win on their NASCAR debut since Mark Donohue accomplished the feat in 1963.
"SVG" comes to NASCAR from the Australian Supercars series. He has won three championships (2016, 2021, and 2022) and has amassed 80 wins total. He has won the Bathurst 1000, one of the most prestigious races in Australia, twice (2020, 2022).
He currently drives for Red Bull Ampol Racing and sits third in the Supercars championship as of Aug. 11. In addition to his duties for Trackhouse, he is scheduled to race his first oval event in Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. He is rumored to join NASCAR full-time next season.
Kamui Kobayashi
Japanese ex-Formula 1 racer Kamui Kobayashi is set to make his NASCAR debut Sunday driving the No. 67 Toyota for 23XI Racing.
Kobayashi raced three full seasons and two part-time seasons of Formula 1 with Toyota, Sauber, and Caterham between 2009 and 2014. His best finish in Formula 1 was also his only podium. He finished third at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix in front of his hometown fans in Suzuka.
Since his departure from Formula 1, Kobayashi has been a factory driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the World Endurance Championship sports car series. He has finished second four times in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. He won the race in 2021 with co-drivers Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez.
He has also run sports car races in the United States. Kobayashi won back-to-back 24 Hours of Daytona races in 2019 and 2020 driving for Wayne Taylor Racing.
When he is not running sports cars, Kobayashi runs full-time in Japanese Super Formula, which is the major open wheel racing series in Japan.
Mike Rockenfeller
Mike Rockenfeller is set to race the No. 42 Chevrolet for Legacy Motor Club in place of Noah Gragson, who left the team following his suspension last week.
The German racer primarily competes in sports car racing throughout Europe and the United States. In 2010, he won overall in both the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also has a class win in the 2005 Le Mans race.
From 2007-2021, Rockenfeller participated in the German touring car championship, often referred to as DTM. He won the championship in 2013 driving an Audi.
Rockenfeller will make his third career NASCAR Cup Series start in Sunday's Verizon 200. He drove the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in last year's Cup races at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval.
Brodie Kostecki
Another driver from the Australian Supercars series is Brodie Kostecki. He currently leads the points in the Supercars championship over his teammate, Will Brown. Kostecki and Shane van Gisbergen will both race in Sunday's Verizon 200 at the Brickyard while still competing for the championship in Supercars.
Kostecki has had an outstanding 2023 season in Supercars driving for Erebus Motorsport. He has scored his first three career wins in the series in addition to leading the championship. While Brodie is new to the NASCAR Cup Series, he is not new to NASCAR.
In 2014, Kostecki ran 13 out of 16 races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (now known as the ARCA Menards Series East). He scored two poles at Iowa and Watkins Glen and scored a best finish of fifth at the season finale race at Dover.
Kostecki will pilot the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing on Sunday, joining teammates Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch.
Jenson Button
Jenson Button is set for his third career NASCAR Cup Series start on Sunday. The 2009 Formula 1 World Champion has made two starts this season in the No. 15 Ford for Rick Ware Racing. Button posted an 18th-place finish at Circuit of the Americas and a 21st-place finish at the Chicago Street Race.
In addition to his 2009 F1 World Title, Button has also scored 15 Grands Prix wins and 50 career podium finishes.
After retiring from Formula 1 following the 2016 season, Button has driven in select sports car races in addition to serving as an analyst on Sky Sports' F1 coverage in Great Britain. He also won the 2017 Japanese Super GT championship.
Button previously raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000-2007 when the F1 United States Grand Prix was held at the track.
He will race the No. 15 Ford for Rick Ware Racing on Sunday.
