Will Brown is all set to make his second Cup Series start at the Chicago Street Course on July 7. The 2024 Supercars Champion, who made his debut at Sonoma Raceway last year, had a disappointing outing after his Richard Childress Racing car developed electrical issues during the race.
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Brown was exceptionally fast in practice at Sonoma last year. Had it not been for the issues with the car that forced him to retire, he could have secured a good result.
This year, the 26-year-old will seek better fortunes with Kaulig Racing. Ty Norris, the Chief Business Officer of the team, spoke to Supercars.com at Nashville and expressed strong faith in Brown’s ability to become a NASCAR superstar, much like Shane van Gisbergen.
“We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t think we were going to put a competitive car under him, nor if we thought he couldn’t do a great job with it, so we know he can,” said Norris.
The executive pointed out Brown’s good showing in practice sessions at Sonoma while making a case for trusting him. The driver will also have the advantage of Chicago being a relatively new track for everyone in the field.
“We’ve only run Chicago twice, and both of them in the rain, so it would be really incredible if it was just dry, that would be the first time for everybody, so I think Will could be right there and be competitive,” said Norris.
Brown, with all his road course experience, is more than capable of winning at Chicago. It’s just a matter of all the pieces falling in place at the right time.
Kaulig Racing will face an intra-team battle at Chicago
Kaulig Racing’s A.J. Allmendinger is one of the most capable road course drivers in NASCAR at the moment. The upcoming race in Chicago will be a prime opportunity for him to secure a spot in the playoffs. But with Brown’s presence, he will face strong competition from within the team as well.
Norris reiterated that the team expects Allmendinger to compete for Victory Lane alongside Brown. “If we execute, and get to the end where hopefully it’s him and A.J. racing for the win, I really do believe that Will will be competitive,” he said
Brown will be flying to the United States following the Betr Darwin Triple Crown at the Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin, Australia, from June 20-22. All his focus will be on the Grant Park 165 from then on.
