Will Brown: Australian Supercar Standout Looking Toward NASCAR
Australian standout Will Brown, who earned a Supercar championship title in his rookie season with Triple Eight Race Engineering, plans to return to NASCAR in 2025. During a recent Supercar Drivers Only podcast episode, Brown told teammate Broc Feeney and champ James Courtney that he was eyeing a cup return. Will Brown debuted with RCR in 2024 for his NASCAR debut at Sonoma Raceway on June 9, but the debut didn’t go according to plan.
However, the Gen 3 driver proved himself during practice, earning the third-highest speed on the field. He started at 24 and ended in 31 with three laps to go after running into electrical issues in the No. 33. In essence, a 2025 run will be more or less a shot at redemption for Brown, and he’s ready for it.
Where Will Brown Plans to Race
While on air with Feeney and Courtney, Brown was asked how many races he’s planning to run in 2025. He quickly responded that he hopes to run two if a car is available, but if not, he’ll settle for running a single. Feeney continued pressing his teammate, asking if he had any race in mind. As Brown hesitated to answer, Feeney joked he bet he’d choose Talladega and Daytona. Though Will Brown remained tight-lipped during much of the podcast, James Courtney kept fishing for answers.
Feeling increasingly put on the spot, Will Brown eventually caved, saying Chicago was on his list, but he’s unsure if there’s availability for him due to its popularity. Another option is the Circuit of the Americas, but whether he runs in Cup or Xfinity remains to be seen. Aside from the hiccups he experienced in California over the summer, he’s eager to return to Richard Childress Racing, but not in Sonoma. Due to NASCAR’s recent schedule re-alignment, Sonoma is being held in July instead of June, which conflicts with his Supercar schedule.
“Chicago is one I want to do, but a lot of the guys over there want to do it, so it’s dependent on if a car is available, a team is available,” Will Brown said of his next move.
“I’m waiting to hear on that one.” “That’d be awesome if I could try and do that, but I’d be happy to do Xfinity if I couldn’t get that. Obviously, Xfinity over there is pretty big,” he added.
Following in Shane Gisbergen’s Footsteps?
Should Will Brown participate in the Chicago Street Race, he’ll join ranks with former Triple Eight driver Shane van Gisbergen. Gisbergen has run in Craftsman, ARCA Menards, Xfinity, and the Cup Series, winning his first Xfinity start with Kauling Racing in Chicago in 2023. There’s no questioning the success and ease of transition from Supercar to NASCAR, and Brown has taken note. He’s sat by the wayside watching Gisbergen and his success in races like Chicago. Using Gisbergen as an example, he hopes to replicate similar success in 2025, regardless of the series.
Even so, Brown has clarified that he aims to compete in the Cup Series but knows he stands a far better chance with Xfinity. He mentioned that Xfinity has become as big as the Cup Series and feels views will skyrocket since NASCAR announced its 2025 new media deal. He noted that if viewers thought ratings were good last season, they should reconsider in 2025. Across the board, viewership for 2024 was roughly 3.85 million and is expected to increase next season. Brown is ready to make a name for himself, and the vast amount of publicity he’ll get from racing in either series will be massive.
Final Thoughts
Brown may have had a shaky start with his NASCAR debut in 2024. The Australian Supercars champion is not ready to call it quits. Finishing in 31 in Sonoma was not an indicator of his capabilities, nor was the lap average of 97.716 mph. He knows he can do better. At 26 years old, Will Brown has plenty of time to redeem himself and learn street courses and ovals, which are challenging as a driver transitioning disciplines.
Is there a chance he could move to NASCAR permanently like Shane van Gisbergen? That doesn’t seem likely for now, as he intends to split his time between both disciplines, but he will make the two-race return with RCR. As NASCAR is ramping up for the upcoming season, many eagerly await answers on the races he’ll run, so stay tuned.
