Will Brown “living the dream” with NASCAR opportunity

It’s been a real inventory automotive rollercoaster journey and it’s arduous for Brown to fathom how shortly his racing profession has advanced. He’s dedicated, nevertheless, to get pleasure from each alternative that comes his approach.

On Wednesday, Richard Childress Racing made official what Motorsport.com had reported earlier this month – that Brown will drive the group’s No. 33 Chevrolet within the June 9 Cup race Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. MobileX and Motorola will sponsor Brown’s NASCAR debut.

Brown, 25, will be part of Shane van Gisbergen, Brodie Kostecki and Cam Waters as Supercars standouts who’ve made NASCAR nationwide sequence begins previously two seasons.

The native of Toowoomba, Queensland, leads the Supercars standings this season with three victories for the Triple Eight Race Engineering Purple Bull workforce. He has eight profession wins in 108 begins.

Will Brown, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Photograph by: Edge Photographics

“You recognize, Shane actually opened that door for lots of people and to be trustworthy, for me,” Brown stated in an interview with Motorsport.com earlier this week. “I stated the opposite day it was solely 4 years in the past I used to be attempting to get into Supercars. Now I’m with the perfect workforce in Australian motorsport.

“You recognize, you possibly can’t go greater. And now, I’ve been provided this chance to go to NASCAR. For me 4 years in the past, quite a lot of this wasn’t even on the horizon. I didn’t suppose I’d ever get the chance to race NASCAR.

“So, I’m identical to dwelling the dream. I’m glad about it. It’s nice. However yeah, I feel Shane’s actually allowed this to occur in a approach with what he’s executed.”

Final July, van Gisbergen, 34, grew to become the primary driver in additional than 60 years to win a Cup race in his debut when he took victory within the inaugural Chicago Road Race driving for Trackhouse Racing.

The victory served because the instigator for the Kiwi to maneuver to NASCAR competitors this season, the place he’s operating full-time within the Xfinity Sequence whereas additionally operating part-time in Cup races.

Gaining curiosity on the planet of inventory automotive racing

Brown’s personal curiosity in NASCAR was fostered by watching races on TV however he dived far deeper into it following van Gisbergen’s shock win in Chicago and his subsequent skill to maneuver to full-time NASCAR competitors.

Whereas van Gisbergen has already dedicated to a NASCAR profession, Brown’s ambitions are rather more in flux. Sonoma will not be a part of van Gisbergen’s Cup schedule this season, however Waters will make his Cup debut within the race as nicely, driving a 3rd entry for RFK Racing.

“It’s superior to return over right here and check your self in opposition to the perfect in America and the perfect on the planet as nicely,” Brown stated. “So, you recognize we’re form of over on our facet of the world and we’re very aggressive.

“But it surely’s not till you head abroad are you aware what kind of degree you’re at. So, for me, it’s about doing that. I really like what I’m doing in Australia with Purple Bull and Purple Bull Racing. If I may do a number of races a yr in America every year, I’d like to do it.

“So, hopefully, it opens up a number of a number of doorways to have the ability to do this subsequent.”

RCR is a pure match for Brown, who competed with the group’s Cup drivers, Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch, in a World Racing League occasion at Circuit of the Americas final December.

Final yr, RCR entered Supercars star Brodie Kostecki within the Cup race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Highway Course.

Will Brown, Triple Eight Race Engineering Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Photograph by: Edge Photographics

RCR and Supercars groups Erebus Motorsport and Picture Racing keep a relationship that has seen each events go to one another of their native international locations, together with workforce proprietor Richard Childress’ go to to final season’s Supercars finale at Adelaide.

“I’ve stayed in contact with Will since he came to visit in December to race with us, and he has confirmed to be a disciplined and passionate racer,” stated Childress.

“His begin with RCR is a continuation of a long-standing funding that RCR has made to find and honing expertise and looking out past U.S. motorsports.”

Brown stated he hopes the Supercars-to-NASCAR pipeline will quickly begin operating in the wrong way.

“I feel it might be superior for us if we may get one or two of the NASCAR guys out right here on the finish of the yr to race our final spherical in Supercars,” he stated.

“You recognize, carry them over right here and see how they compete over in Australia and get a little bit of an alliance going there that we have now form of that mutual respect. You recognize, the automobiles are comparable. The racing we do is comparable. Clearly, the ovals are a bit completely different.

“However, you recognize, hopefully like I say, we are able to get a little bit of an alliance going there.”