WALKINSHAW Andretti United has announced it will run a wildcard entry at three rounds of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship.
The Symmons Plains race winners will field Kurt Kostecki in a #27 Holden Commodore ZB in the next round of the championship, the OTR SuperSprint at The Bend, as well as at the Darwin Triple Crown and for Kostecki’s home round, the Bunnings Trade Perth SuperNight at Wanneroo.
Kostecki co-drove with Bryce Fullwood at WAU in last year’s Bathurst 1000, and recently turned laps for the team at the post-Sandown SuperSprint ride day.
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He had been slated to make wildcard appearances at selected sprint events with WAU last year, but those plans were thwarted by COVID-19 and the rejigged season.
Kostecki’s belated wildcard outings will come despite missing out on a Bathurst co-drive with the team in 2021 due to the sudden availability of Lee Holdsworth.
“It’s great to continue the relationship after our Bathurst campaign last year, they are a great bunch of people,” Kostecki said.
“Being from Perth and having an opportunity to line up on the grid there later this year is very special, and I can’t wait to get stuck into it with the team.”
The entry marks the second time WAU has entered a wildcard entry after fielding a third car for Alexander Rossi and James Hinchcliffe in the 2019 Bathurst 1000.
Kostecki will race the same chassis that the IndyCar stars campaigned, and will get behind the wheel of the car at Winton on Tuesday for a Rookie Day test session.
“It’s fantastic to have Kurt back with us, this time for three rounds in the main game,” Bruce Stewart, WAU Team Principal, said.
“He certainly impressed us at Bathurst, not only with his driving, but his attitude and professionalism.
“There’s no doubt he is a great young talent of the sport, so giving guys like him the opportunity to showcase their skills in the main game is not only pleasing for us as a team, but also crucial for the sport.”
The races mark Kostecki’s first single-driver championship race starts since 2018 when he took in a pair of events as a wildcard entry.
Two years prior to that, Kostecki made his ‘main game’ debut subbing at two rounds for an injured Holdsworth at Team 18; his first race at the Townsville 400 came just five days after his 18th birthday.
The #27 Holden’s livery will be revealed in the weeks ahead of Kostecki’s first scheduled wildcard appearance at The Bend.
WAU’s announcement means the Supercars grid will expand to 26 cars for three events this year with Thomas Randle’s recently announced wildcard schedule with Tickford Racing also taking in The Bend, Hidden Valley and Wanneroo.
