“Hopefully, two NASCAR races. That’s the plan,” elaborated Will Brown on his probable future in the world of American stock car racing. The recently crowned 2024 Australian V8 Supercars champion has his sights set on another stint with Richard Childress Racing after making his NASCAR Cup Series debut with the storied team in Sonoma this year.
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Filling in for Shane van Gisbergen at the now full-time NASCAR driver’s Supercars team (Triple Eight Race Engineering) back in Australia, Brown has solidified himself as a top-level talent after finishing on the podium in every race of the 2024 season. However, his accomplishments down under do not necessarily guarantee his success in the United States of America.
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Despite the popularity and monetary gains NASCAR could provide to Brown as a driver, the 26-year-old driver seems skeptical of uprooting his life in Australia to fully dedicate himself to the stock car racing world.
In complete contrast to the Supercars series despite the vehicular similarities to the Next Gen Cup car, a deciding factor for Brown to not make the full-time switch could be the sport’s emphasis on oval racing, a niche that Shane van Gisbergen has also struggled with over the 2024 season.
Well I’ve never really celebrated a 12th place before but after how tough I’ve found the cup series on ovals I’m pretty happy!! Great racing all day, the @AcceptanceHQ @KauligRacing Chevy was awesome and once we got near the front we stayed there! pic.twitter.com/E9Ym8YTUru
— Shane van Gisbergen (@shanevg97) November 4, 2024
Meaning to cut his teeth in the junior Xfinity Series before heading to Trackhouse Racing for a full-time Cup ride, SVG elaborated on the same and said earlier this year, “The ovals are very, very, very difficult. But I feel like I’m getting better and better, finishing the races with straight cars and starting to get more and more competitive.”
One of the main reasons behind SVG’s success was the fairytale ending to his first-ever race in the sport, the inaugural Chicago City Street Race. The debutant’s win at the event came as a product of circumstance at the time.
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NASCAR drivers were caught off guard when asked to race between the confines of a track lined with concrete walls, with the added peril of racing on a partially wet track. These drawbacks played to the former Supercars driver’s strengths, with the majority of the schedule of the Australian series consisting of street circuits.
This meant SVG could blitz the field in what was a historic finish in the sport. Such a scenario, however, is almost impossible to replicate. The argument is further solidified by Brown’s debut at Sonoma this year. Despite racing on a road course, Brown’s appearance in California wine country saw him finish in P31 as he adapted to the new car and surroundings.
Thus, a repeat of van Gisbergen’s almost movie-like entry into the NASCAR world could be difficult for Brown to replicate, and the 36-year-old Supercars champion seemingly realizes the same, prioritizing his stint in Supercars before stock car racing.
