Will Brown (racing driver)
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. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1,[1] and in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving a 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 careerKartingBrown 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 4On 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 FordBrown 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 SeriesBrown 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 careerSuper2 SeriesFor 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 SeriesIn 2019 Will drove in the new TCR Australia Touring Car Series. He was crowned champion with one round remaining.[4] 2020 Junior Driver ProgramIn 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 Motorsport2018Brown 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. 2019Again 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. 2020Brown 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. 2021Brown 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. 2022Brown 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. 2023Brown 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 Engineering2024Brown 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. NASCAROn 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 careerOutside of racing, Brown is a used car salesman for his father's business in Toowoomba.[13][14] Career resultsKarting career summary
Career summary
* Season still in progress. Complete Australian Formula 4 Championship results(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete S5000 results
Complete Formula Regional Oceania Championship Results(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Super2 Series results(key) (Round results only), (2020 Race results only)
Supercars Championship resultsBathurst 1000 results
Complete Bathurst 12 Hour results
TCR Australia results
TCR World Tour results
NASCAR(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) Cup Series
* Season still in progress References
External links
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