Brodie Kostecki Bio: Cousins, Girlfriend, NASCAR Return, Carbon Dioxide Poisoning And Net Worth
Renowned as Bush, Brodie Kostecki (born on November 1, 1997) is an Australian professional racing driver widely known for his prowess in racetracks.
Brodie currently competes in the Repco Supercars Championship for Erebus Motorsport, driving the No.99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
He’s also a part-time driver for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.
With a passion for racing since the age of 3, Bush began his career with go-karts and won a state title, ranking him among the top 50 kart racers in the country at the age of 10.
After a successful karting career, Kostecki moved to America to compete in the USAC Ford Focus Series, where he won three national championships and 27 feature wins.
One of his major career highlights was when he competed in a Rockingham late model and won against NASCAR stars Ty Dillion and Bubba Wallace.
He then joined the NASCAR K&N Pro Series in 2013-2014 during his late teens before returning to Australia to join the Dunlop Super2 Series.
Later, the NASCAR driver joined his cousins Kurt and Jake for Kostecki Brothers Racing.
In 2023, Brodie returned to NASCAR to make his debut in the Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No.99 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and securing 22nd position.
Bush has driven for several teams, such as Kostecki Brothers Racing, Eggleston Motorsport, Erebus Motorsport, and Richard Childress Racing.
Which Supercar Drivers Is Brodie Kostecki Related To?
Including Brodie, the Kostecki family has a few other talented racers. His cousins, Jake and Kurt, have also been involved in racing for several years.
Brodie and his cousins were on the same team, Kostecki Brothers Racing, a family-run race team.
In 2021, the three brothers, for the first time, shared the same track at the OTR SuperSprint, driving for different teams.
Jake and Kurt have a younger brother, Jay Kostecki, who is also following in their footsteps and currently competes in go-kart racing.
The youngest Kostecki was able to secure 3rd place at the 2022 Emerald in the Australian Kart Championship. Later, in 2023, he bagged his second-round win in succession in Cadet 9.
Kurt Kostecki
Kurt Kostecki (born 4 July 1998) competes in the Dunlop Super2 Series for Kostecki Brothers Racing, driving the No.55 Holden VF.
He also co-drives in the Pirtek Enduro Cup alongside his brother, Jake Kostecki.
He debuted in the Super2 Series in 2014 in an MW Motorsport Falcon. He then became one of the youngest drivers to drive a V8 Supercar at 16.
Later, he joined RSport, but their partnership didn’t last long as Kurt stepped down from the drive with a best result of 14th to focus on his studies.
Kurt returned the following year, driving for the Kostecki Brothers Racing team, acquiring two Gen2 Holden VF Commodore chassis from Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Moreover, Kurt united with his brother Jake Kostecki in the 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000.
Besides racing, he’s also interested in activities like swimming and marathons. He also competed in a Goal Coast marathon, covering 42 kilometers.
Jake Kostecki
Jake Kostecki (born 24 January 2000) started go-kart racing at 8 in the Western Australia Karting Championship.
From the age of 11, he progressed in the races and secured third position in the SKUSA SuperNats XVII in 2013.
After a year of moving to the Super2 Series, Jake suffered a major crash at the Sandown round.
He made his Supercar debut in 2019 when he teamed with Brodie Kostecki in a PIRTEK Enduro Cup wildcard program for Kostecki Brothers Racing; They contested in all three Supercars endurance events.
Jake had a multi-year contract with Ford in 2022, but after just one season, their deal was terminated.
According to Tickford Racing, the decision was made on a mutual agreement, but it was later revealed it was due to a physical altercation between Kostecki and Scott Pye at the Supercars Gala Awards.
Moreover, he co-drives with Aaron Love for the Blanchard Racing team, driving the BRT Ford Mustang.
Brodie Kostecki Girlfriend: Claudia Vanzati
Brodie Kostecki is currently in a relationship with Claudia Vanzati. However, it’s not clear about when the pair started dating. The pair first appeared together on Instagram in 2021.
The Supercar racer’s girlfriend has been frequently present in most of Brodie’s racing events.
Claudia Vanzati is a marketing manager at Method Race Wheels. She pursued a Bachelor’s in Media at the University of Adelaide and graduated in 2020.
Claudia started her career as a digital media assistant in 2018, and after two years, she joined Van Schaik’s Bio Gro as a Marketing and Communications Officer.
Later, she started as an E-commerce Marketing Officer at Holiday Trading & Co. from June 2020 to May 2021.
Similarly, after she worked as a Marketing Officer at Jetpilot for two years, she joined Method Race Wheels Australia in May 2023.
Besides marketing, she’s also interested in fashion and traveling. She has worked with several small brands.
Additionally, she has a strong enthusiasm for things related to automation and motorsports.
How Brodie Kostecki Got His Nickname
Racecar drivers are known for their victories and thrilling moves, but sometimes, the unexpected moments create the coolest nicknames.
When fans and racers talk about the Australian speedster, ” Bush ” often comes to their tongues before his actual name.
He earned his moniker earlier in his racing career after he unbuckled from a moving car.
In 2019, Kostecki went for some time behind the wheel in Paul Morris’ Norwell Motorplex along with his cousins, Jake and Kurt.
Brodie and Kurt were in the same car, and Paul Morris and Jake on the other.
Bush was driving an old VT Commodore, which was going for recovery. Later, Kurt switched seats with Brodie and went on to drive.
Kurt complained that the brakes were a bit soft, so they decided to slow down the speed for some laps.
He was driving at the speed of about 120km/h, then he proceeded to press the brake pedal, but instead, it fell to the floor.
Brodie immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the moving vehicle.
In an interview with Supercars, Brodie says, “My first reaction was, I saw the light quickly and thought ‘no, I’m going to take a different route’ so I just decided to jump out and I just undid my seatbelt and hopped out.”
The car was at the speed of 110km/h at the time he jumped, and he slid up about 150m into the bush. And from that day, he was known as Bush.
Kostecki Suffered Carbon Dioxide Poisoning
Brodie Kostecki had the worst start to his 2019 Bathurst 1000 race. He was driving the family-run #56 Commodore on the warm-up lap for Kostecki Brothers Racing.
As he was driving, the cool box suddenly failed, with a helmet fan issue that filled the car with fumes. That caused Kostecki breathing difficulties and burning eyes.
After some laps, he suddenly stopped and was taken to the medical center as he suffered from carbon dioxide poisoning and nearly passed out.
Brodie tells Supercars, “It was a bit scary in the car, I just went on to flick my helmet air, and the cool suit wasn’t connected up properly inside the box, so I was just breathing in all the dry ice.”
He further elaborated, “You just become completely delirious about what’s actually going on around you and it was a frightening feeling.”
Later, he received oxygen and underwent a concussion test. This incident resulted in a 15-minute delay to start the race.
Kostecki Brother Racing was all set to replace Brodie with his cousin Kurt if he was unable to return to action. However, Bush later returned to race.
Brodie Kostecki Return To NASCAR And What Disappointed Him?
Brodie Kostecki competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series from 2013 to 2014, but later, he returned to his hometown and put a hold on his NASCAR career.
After nine years, in 2023, Kostecki again returned to continue his NASCAR journey and debuted in the Cup Series at the Verizon 200, Brickyard for Richard Childress Racing, driving the No.33 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
Brodie Kostecki’s NASCAR return made headlines as fans were eagerly waiting to see how the West Aussie would perform at his long-awaited race.
On being asked about his NASCAR debut, Kostecki said, “To get my Cup debut, I guess my career has sort of done full circle, which is pretty cool. This is an absolute dream come true for me.”
However, Kostecki wasn’t satisfied with how he raced. He crashed into the wall with both the front and rear of the car’s left side at his qualifying round, damaging his #33 Camaro.
He was running the 6th-fastest in Round 1 but ended up 11th-fastest in the next round due to the crash.
Due to the substantial work done by the RCR team in his car, Kostecki had to start his next round from the rear of the field.
About the crash, he added, “I’m pretty disappointed in myself, to be honest. I was finishing my lap a little too hot coming off the banking, and now we have damage.”
He was able to secure 22nd position in the final round while his fellow Supercars star Shane van Gisbergen finished 10th.
Kostecki Amazing Weight Loss Journey
Although currently in great shape, Brodie, the racing sensation, has battled with excessive weight in the past.
Kostecki was always an overweight kid and struggled with maintaining a healthy weight due to difficulties with diet and exercise.
“Going through karting, I was always one of the bigger drivers. I’m built pretty wide,” Kostecki told Supercars.
But in an effort to accomplish his Erebus Motorsport goal, Bush followed a strict diet plan and received training from Paul Morris and his partner Carina Lee.
He started boot camping, skiing, paddle boarding, and cutting all sorts of carbohydrates.
All his efforts resulted in him trimming down from 117 kg to 97 kg in the span of two months.
He believes that cutting off all the weights has made him more energetic and sharp.
Net Worth
According to FirstSportz, Brodie Kostecki has an estimated net worth of around $1 million to $5 million as of [2023].
He accumulated major earnings through his racing career in the Supercar Championship and NASCAR Series.
Bush is said to be making approximately $5,700 a month as a member of the Erebus Motorsport team. His contract with Erebus lasts up to the end of 2024.
Along with his income from races, Kostecki has achieved considerable success in obtaining numerous sponsorships and endorsements.
His most prominent sponsors include 2K, Coca-Cola, Boost Mobile, and Pentrite Oil.
A professional driver’s net worth also comprises performance-based bonuses. However, the information about his bonus earnings is not available.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Car Did Brodie Kostecki Drove At The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series?
Brodie Kostecki drove the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in his debut season in NASCAR Cup Series.
2. Are Brodie Kostecki And Kurt Kostecki Brothers?
Brodie and Kurt Kostecki are cousins, while Kurt and Jake are brothers.
3. Where Was Brodie Kostecki Born?
Brodie Kostecki was born in Perth, Australia.
