Following Shane van Gisbergen’s breakthrough in the NASCAR Cup Series, several Australian Supercars talents have begun testing the waters stateside. Among them, Brodie Kostecki, Cam Waters, and Will Brown have all dipped their toes into NASCAR’s deep waters.
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Waters made his debut at Sonoma last year, ending his day in P35. Kostecki took to the Indianapolis road course in 2023, bringing home a respectable P22. Brown, who made his maiden NASCAR start at Sonoma as well last season, started 24th and finished 31st. Now, he’s getting ready to tackle the streets of Chicago for his second outing.
However, Brown’s upcoming appearance in the Windy City isn’t guaranteed. Several factors could throw a wrench into his plans. For starters, the field is capped at 40 cars. With 41 entries scheduled for the Chicago Street Course, this means someone will be sent packing after qualifying.
NASCAR’s Open Exemption Provision, typically used to guarantee a start for certain wildcard entries, remains unused for this event. With no applications submitted, every driver must qualify on speed. For Brown, that means adapting to a new track and an unfamiliar car, an uphill climb for any driver, let alone one flying in from halfway around the globe.
Then there’s the clock. Brown is staring down a tightrope of transcontinental logistics. Listed to run one of Kaulig Racing’s entries in Chicago, he’ll have to quickly fly for the Townsville 500 in Australia, scheduled just days later on July 11–13.
Following the end of the Grant Park 165 on July 6, Brown plans to board a Monday flight to Charlotte before heading straight back to Australia on Wednesday and then onward to Townsville by Thursday.
A strange set of circumstances could thwart Will Brown’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series on the streets of Chicago. #NASCAR #RepcoSC #Supercarshttps://t.co/4BqEjHB1Mt
— Speedcafe.com (@speedcafe) July 1, 2025
Despite what appears to be a comfortable window, the 27-year-old knows better than to count his laps before they’re run. He acknowledged that while preparing in Charlotte is manageable, the return leg poses the real challenge.
“I take off Monday morning after the race, and I get back in Wednesday, and we’re heading up to Townsville Thursday,” Brown explained. With only one day to recover, everything hinges on a smooth, delay-free itinerary. Hence, any flight delay could be costly, especially with so little recovery time between the two events.
The Grant Park 165 will start with practice at 1 PM ET on Saturday, July 5, followed by qualifying at 2 PM ET. The 75-lap main event will roll off at 2 PM ET on Sunday, capping the weekend that could either make or break Brown’s latest NASCAR attempt.
