Will Brown (racing driver)
| William Brown | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Brown at Sonoma Raceway in 2024 | |||||||
| Nationality |  Australian | ||||||
| Born | 5 June 1998 Toowoomba, Queensland | ||||||
| Racing licence |  FIA Gold | ||||||
| Previous series | |||||||
| 2015–16 2015–16 2016 2017–20 2019, 22 | Australian Formula Ford Australian Formula 4 Australian Toyota 86 Series Super2 Series TCR Australia | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| 2016 2019 2024 | Australian Formula 4 Australian Toyota 86 Series TCR Australia Supercars Championship | ||||||
| Supercars Championship career | |||||||
| Car number | 87 (Triple Eight Race Engineering) | ||||||
| Championships | 1 (2024) | ||||||
| Races | 124 | ||||||
| Wins | 9 | ||||||
| Podiums | 31 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 6 | ||||||
| 2024 position | 1st (3060 pts) | ||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| Car no., team | No. 33 (Richard Childress Racing) | ||||||
| 2024 position | 42nd | ||||||
| First race | 2024 Toyota/Save Mart 350 | ||||||
| |||||||
William Brown (born 5 June 1998) is an Australian racing driver currently competing in the Repco Supercars Championship with Triple Eight Race Engineering, driving the No. 87 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1,[1] and in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing. Brown won the 2024 Supercars Championship driving for Triple Eight Race Engineering.
With championship wins in both the Formula 4 Australian Championship and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series in 2016, Brown became one of only five drivers in Australian motorsport history to achieve two national racing titles in one year. In 2017, he received the Mike Kable Young Gun Award and was awarded The Peter Brock Medal by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) for his outstanding year in racing.
Early career
[edit]Karting
[edit]Brown started his career in karting in 2011 at the age of thirteen. He won numerous championships in his junior years and had an 80% win rate. He moved up the ranks and competed in the inaugural CAMS Jayco Australian Formula 4 Championship in 2015 with team BRM.[1]
Formula 4
[edit]On the back of his karting form, Brown was signed by AGI Sport to race in the inaugural FIA Formula 4 Australia Championship and claimed victory in the first ever race. Brown was a championship contender for the Formula 4 championship in 2015, winning 3 of the 15 races that season. He finished third overall and crowned Rookie of the Year after his impressive debut.
In 2016, he signed with BRM and recorded six race wins and 12 podiums from 18 races to be crowned Formula 4 Australia Champion. Brown took the title with one round and one race remaining after a controversial race in Tasmania, where he was involved in a collision with rivals Nick Rowe and Jordan Love.
Formula Ford
[edit]Brown competed in the 2016 Australian Formula Ford Championship. Despite missing the first three rounds due to a date clash with Formula 4, Brown would go on to secure P2 in the 2016 championship, with multiple wins and podiums.
Toyota 86 Racing Series
[edit]Brown also competed in the one-make Australian Toyota 86 Racing Series in 2016, claiming the Series Title in a field of 39 drivers. With championship wins in both the Australian Formula 4 and the Australian Toyota Racing Series in 2016, Brown became one of only five drivers in Australian motorsport history to achieve two national racing titles in one year.
Professional career
[edit]Super2 Series
[edit]For the 2017 racing season, Brown was picked up by Eggleston Motorsport to replace the outgoing Liam McAdam.[2][3] He scored a best finish of 3rd at Symmons Plains and was on course to win the final race of the season in Newcastle before blowing a gearbox. He finished ninth in the championship overall.
TCR Series
[edit]In 2019 Will drove in the new TCR Australia Touring Car Series. He was crowned champion with one round remaining.[4]
2020 Junior Driver Program
[edit]In 2020 Hyundai Motorsport named Brown in the 2020 Junior Driver Program as one of four drivers who will race Hyndai Motorsport TCR cars in some of the leading championships in the category. Outside of Europe, Will Brown will represent the Customer Racing Junior Driver Program. Brown dominated the inaugural Australian TCR season with 7 wins in his debut driving TCR cars. He remains with HMO Customer Racing team to defend his title.[5]
Erebus Motorsport
[edit]2018
[edit]Brown was named as a Supercars Endurance Cup co-driver, partnering Anton de Pasquale with Erebus Motorsport, where he immediately showed his elite driving ability throughout the 3 race series. He continued to make solid progress in his Dunlop Super2 Series landing P6 in the 2018 Driver's Championship with Eggleston Motorsport.
2019
[edit]Again partnering with Anton de Pasquale at Erebus Motorsport in the Supercars championship, Brown's talent was on show finishing P2 behind Craig Lowndes and ahead of Garth Tander in the Co-driver Race, taking his first podium in the series. Furthermore, Brown also accepted a drive in the inaugural S5000 series, competing alongside former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello.
2020
[edit]Brown began 2020 with a multi year signing with Erebus Motorsport (Penrite Racing), that would see him compete in the Supercars series as a co-driver to David Reynolds in 2020, before becoming a full time driver for the team from 2021. The Supercars Enduro Cup was reduced to a single race at Bathurst for 2020, where Brown and Reynolds finished P15 due to engine issues.
2021
[edit]Brown performed strongly in his first full-time Supercars season, achieving his first Supercars podium with second place in Race 22 at Sydney. He went on to score a maiden Armor All Pole Position the next weekend, starting in P1 for Race 23, again at Sydney Motorsport Park, but had to wait until Race 28 to claim his first Supercars race win. A stunning drive saw the Red Bull Australia drivers pressure Brown, but he held his nerve for become the 82nd driver to win an ATCC/Supercars race. He is the first rookie driver to win a Supercars race since 2013, when Scott McLaughlin and Chaz Mostert both took victories in their first full-time season.
2022
[edit]Brown had a mixed season in his second full time Supercars season, only achieving a single podium at the first race at Sandown. He would also fail to start the last race at Pukekohe, after being involved in a major accident with Mark Winterbottom. He would finish 14th in the championship.
2023
[edit]Brown would improve massively in the first year in Gen3 machinery, compared to the previous year, with four wins and four pole positions. In August, Will Brown announced his departure from Erebus to join Triple Eight, replacing the NASCAR bound Shane van Gisbergen.[6] He would finish fifth in the standings.
Triple Eight Race Engineering
[edit]
2024
[edit]Brown joined Triple Eight Race Engineering, with Broc Feeney as his team-mate. He would endure his best year in the championship, with five wins across the season and a podium in every event[7], a feat not achieved since Dick Johnson in 1984, to secure his first title in the Supercars Championship.
NASCAR
[edit]
On May 15, 2024, it was announced that Brown will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Sonoma Raceway, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.[8][9][10][11][12] Brown started 24th and was in the top 20 at one point in the race before electrical issues relegated him to a 31st place finish three laps down.
Business career
[edit]Outside of racing, Brown is a used car salesman for his father's business in Toowoomba.[13][14]
Career results
[edit]Karting career summary
[edit]| Season | Series | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior National Light | 5th |
| 2014 | Australian National Sprint Kart Championship - Junior National Light | 2nd |
| Australian Junior Clubman Kart Championship | 3rd |
Circuit racing career
[edit]* Season still in progress.
Complete Australian Formula 4 Championship results
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | AGI Sport | TOW 1 1 |
TOW 2 4 |
TOW 3 8 |
QLD 1 Ret |
QLD 2 8 |
QLD 3 4 |
SMP 1 8 |
SMP 2 3 |
SMP 3 3 |
SAN 1 8 |
SAN 2 Ret |
SAN 3 5 |
SUR 1 7 |
SUR 2 5 |
SUR 3 4 |
PHI 1 2 |
PHI 2 3 |
PHI 3 6 |
SYD 1 2 |
SYD 2 6 |
SYD 3 3 |
3rd | 216 |
| 2016 | Team BRM | SYM 1 2 |
SYM 2 3 |
SYM 3 2 |
PHI 1 3 |
PHI 2 1 |
PHI 3 2 |
SMP 1 4 |
SMP 2 1 |
SMP 3 5 |
QLD 1 4 |
QLD 2 1 |
QLD 3 2 |
SAN 1 1 |
SAN 2 EX |
SAN 3 1 |
SUR 1 1 |
SUR 2 4 |
SUR 3 2 |
1st | 316 |
Complete S5000 results
[edit]| Year | Series | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Exhibition | Eggleston Motorsport | SAN R1 5 |
SAN R2 6 |
SAN M 4 |
BMP R1 5 |
BMP R2 4 |
BMP M 3 |
N/C | - |
Complete Super2 Series results
[edit](key) (Round results only), (2020 Race results only)
| Super2 Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Position | Points | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VF Commodore | ADE 6 |
SYM 6 |
PHI 7 |
TOW 9 |
SYD 8 |
SAN 5 |
BAT 8 |
NEW 17 |
9th | 1078 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VF Commodore | ADE 4 |
SYM 8 |
BAR 17 |
TOW 9 |
SAN 14 |
BAT 13 |
NEW 3 |
6th | 1068 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Eggleston Motorsport | Holden VF Commodore | ADE 13 |
BAR 3 |
TOW 14 |
QLD 11 |
BAT Ret |
SAN 2 |
NEW 13 |
12th | 960 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Image Racing | Holden VF Commodore | ADE 3 |
ADE 3 |
ADE 2 |
SYD 1 |
SYD 4 |
BAT 1 |
BAT 3 |
2nd | 813 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Supercars Championship results
[edit]Bathurst 1000 results
[edit]| Year | Team | Car | Co-driver | Position | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Erebus Motorsport | Holden Commodore ZB | Anton de Pasquale
|
24th | 143 |
| 2019 | Erebus Motorsport | Holden Commodore ZB | Anton de Pasquale
|
DNF | 125 |
| 2020 | Erebus Motorsport | Holden Commodore ZB | David Reynolds
|
15th | 160 |
| 2021 | Erebus Motorsport | Holden Commodore ZB | Jack Perkins
|
20th | 150 |
| 2022 | Erebus Motorsport | Holden Commodore ZB | Jack Perkins
|
10th | 161 |
| 2023 | Erebus Motorsport | Chevrolet Camaro Mk.6 | Jack Perkins
|
8th | 161 |
| 2024 | Triple Eight Race Engineering | Chevrolet Camaro Mk.6 | Scott Pye
|
3rd | 161 |
Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results
[edit]| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | MARC Cars Australia
|
 Keith Kassulke Rod Salmon
|
MARC II V8 - Ford V8 | Invitational | 258 | 18th | 1st |
| 2017 | MARC Cars Australia
|
Keith Kassulke Rod Salmon
|
MARC II V8 - Ford V8 | Invitational | 270 | 17th | 1st |
| 2022 | Nineteen Corporation
|
Jack Perkins Mark Griffith
|
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | A–GT3 Pro-Am | 33 | DNF | |
| 2024 | Triple Eight Race Engineering
|
Broc Feeney Mikaël Grenier
|
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | Pro | 275 | 6th | 6th |
TCR Australia results
[edit]| TCR Australia results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Position | Points | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | HMO Customer Racing | Hyundai i30 N TCR | SMP R1 3 |
SMP R2 1 |
SMP R3 1 |
PHI R4 2 |
PHI R5 2 |
PHI R6 1 |
BEN R7 2 |
BEN R8 1 |
BEN R9 5 |
QLD R10 16 |
QLD R11 10 |
QLD R12 8 |
WIN R13 2 |
WIN R14 1 |
WIN R15 1 |
SAN R16 2 |
SAN R17 7 |
SAN R18 7 |
BEN R19 1 |
BEN R20 2 |
BEN R21 3 |
1st | 743 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | Melbourne Performance Centre | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2017) | SYM R1 7 |
SYM R2 4 |
SYM R3 13 |
PHI R4 18 |
PHI R5 7 |
PHI R6 2 |
BAT R7 4 |
BAT R8 10 |
BAT R9 7 |
SMP R10 Ret |
SMP R11 10 |
SMP R12 6 |
QLD R13 8 |
QLD R14 2 |
QLD R15 4 |
SAN R16 2 |
SAN R17 3 |
SAN R18 1 |
BAT R19 6 |
BAT R20 C |
BAT R21 1 |
2nd | 677 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Melbourne Performance Centre | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) | SYM R1 DNS |
SYM R2 Ret |
SYM R3 DNS |
PHI R4 Ret |
PHI R5 11 |
PHI R6 8 |
WIN R7 |
WIN R8 |
WIN R9 |
QLD R13 1 |
QLD R14 3 |
QLD R15 1 |
SAN R16 2 |
SAN R17 Ret |
SAN R18 DNS |
SMP R19 1 |
SMP R20 1 |
SMP R21 3 |
BAT R16 13 |
BAT R17 Ret |
BAT R18 DNS |
11th | 442 | |||||||||||||||||||
TCR World Tour results
[edit]| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Melbourne Performance Centre | Audi RS 3 LMS TCR (2021) | ALG R1 |
ALG R2 |
SPA R3 |
SPA R4 |
VAL R5 |
VAL R6 |
HUN R7 |
HUN R8 |
VBF R9 |
VBF R10 |
JCB R11 |
JCB R12 |
SMP R13 1 |
SMP R14 1 |
SMP R15 3 |
BAT R16 13 |
BAT R17 Ret |
BAT R18 DNS |
MAC R19 |
MAC R20 |
10th | 95 |
NASCAR
[edit](key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Cup Series
[edit]| NASCAR Cup Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | NCSC | Pts | Ref |
| 2024 | Richard Childress Racing | 33 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | LVS | PHO | BRI | COA | RCH | MAR | TEX | TAL | DOV | KAN | DAR | CLT | GTW | SON 31 |
IOW |
NHA | NSH | CSC | POC | IND | RCH | MCH | DAY | DAR | ATL | GLN | BRI | KAN | TAL | ROV | LVS | HOM | MAR | PHO | 42nd | 6 | [15] |
* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Will Brown – Formula 4". formula4.com.au. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
- ^ "Latest News — Will Brown Motorsport". willbrownmotorsport.com.au. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Brown hails successful Super2 introduction". speedcafe.com. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
- ^ "Brown claims TCR crown, Girolami completes sweep". speedcafe.com. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Hyundai Motorsport names Brown in 2020 Junior Driver Program". Will Brown Motorsport. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ Pavey, James (16 August 2023). "Brown in, van Gisbergen out at Triple Eight". Supercars.
- ^ Miles, Thomas. "Where Brown Stepped Up". Auto Action. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
- ^ "Supercars driver Will Brown reportedly making Cup debut with Richard Childress Racing at Sonoma UPDATES". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media. 15 May 2024.
- ^ Christie, Toby (15 May 2024). "Supercars Star Will Brown Making NASCAR Cup Debut at Sonoma with RCR". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: WILL BROWN "LIVING THE DREAM" WITH NASCAR OPPORTUNITY". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Will Brown to Race With RCR at Sonoma". Frontstretch. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
- ^ Bartholomaeus, Stefan (3 May 2024). "Will Brown set for NASCAR Cup debut". V8 Sleuth. AN1 Media. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Who is Will Brown? Meet Red Bull Ampol Racing's latest top gun!". Red Bull Australia. 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Supercars gun Will Brown to make NASCAR Cup Series debut in California". Seven Network. 8 June 2024.
- ^ "Will Brown – 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
External links
[edit]- Will Brown career summary at DriverDB.com
- Will Brown driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- V8 Supercars Official Profile
- Will Brown Official Website
- Cartopia.com.au