Supercars veteran Jack Perkins locks in ‘dream' NASCAR debut two decades in the making
Australia's NASCAR invasion has continued with Supercars veteran and Channel 7 commentator Jack Perkins securing a debut nearly two decades in the making.
The 38-year-old will drive a Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the second-tier Xfinity Series at the Portland road race in August.
He has already spent time practising in the team's simulator at their North Carolina headquarters and will attend this weekend's blockbuster races at Charlotte.
Perkins' looming debut comes 17 years after he first put a NASCAR debut on his bucket list during a trip to watch a Supercars champion and help out a future Bathurst winner.
'This is a long-held dream come true for me, and I am so excited about driving in NASCAR's Xfinity Series for the legendary Joe Gibbs,' Perkins said in a statement.
'I started thinking about competing in NASCAR when I first visited the US in 2008 to watch Marcos Ambrose at Sonoma, and be a spotter for Paul Morris, who was contesting an ARCA West race the same weekend.
'It's been a long journey to get here. I've come close a few times, but we couldn't quite get all the ducks lined up. To do it now with Coach Gibbs and JGR proves you should never give up.'
Perkins' NASCAR run will follow recent cameos from fellow Supercars drivers Cam Waters, Will Brown and Brodie Kostecki, while Shane van Gisbergen famously turned a shock win on debut into a full-time switch.
Waters, Brown and Broc Feeney are all hopeful of Cup or Xfinity appearances at Chicago or Sonoma in July.
Perkins' hopes received a massive boost when long-time friend and Bathurst-winning former Supercars race engineer James Small put in a good word with his bosses at JGR.
Small moved to the US at the end of 2013 and has risen to become a race-winning crew chief in the top-tier NASCAR Cup Series.
Perkins will be the first Australian to drive for Joe Gibbs, the three-time NFL Super Bowl-winning coach who has led his eponymous NASCAR team to nine championships across the top-tier Cup and Xfinity series.
'James and I grew up together, running round Australia's race paddocks as kids while our dads were busy doing their things, and we've remained close mates,' Perkins said.
'James will be at Darlington with the Cup Series the weekend we're racing in Portland, but he's doing everything he can to help me prepare and ensure JGR and I have a successful experience.
'Without James, the whole deal just wouldn't be happening.'
Perkins will front Channel 7's Supercars coverage at the Darwin Triple Crown in June and Townsville 500 in July before turning his attention back to NASCAR.
His American adventure comes ahead of a possible return to the Supercars grid as a co-driver for the endurance season headlined by the Bathurst 1000.
Perkins is tipped to resume his partnership with James Courtney after the 2017 third-place finishers reunited last year at Blanchard Racing Team.
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