July 5, 2025 • 31 mins
Will Brown, the reigning Australian Supercars champion, makes his NASCAR return this weekend on the streets of Chicago in a third entry for Kaulig Racing. It’s a course Brown has never competed, so he explains the work he’s done in the simulator to prepare; simulators not being a tool for Supercars drivers; thoughts on the course in Chicago based on what he’s learned in the simulator and seen otherwise; comparison of the Supercars to the Next Gen car; what he’s like on iRacing and why he’s in disguise; his tailgating experience in Atlanta; takeaways from the NASCAR experience; doing a Vlog; why he’s not used to running a visor in NASCAR; who else he’d like to see try NASCAR and from NASCAR try Supercars; how things are going for him in Supercars; being the guy who took SVG’s seat after his departure; making the decision to take the seat; his sales pitch for fans to watch Australian Supercars racing.
Original music created by Tony Monge.
Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall
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Original music created by Tony Monge.
Follow me here: https://linktr.ee/kellycrandall
PRE-ORDER: NASCAR Race Day Eats https://insighteditions.com/products/nascar-race-day-eats
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Racing Writers Podcast. I'm your host,
Kelly crandall. Our guest today is Will Brown. He's entered
in the number thirteen for Colic Racing this weekend at
the Chicago Street Course and if he qualifies, it'll be
his second start in the NASCAR Cup Series. Will is
the reigning Australian Supercars champion, had an absolutely incredible year
on the run to that championship and he is defending
(00:28):
it of course this year in the series. But it's
back to try more stock car racing, and this time
do so on the streets of Chicago. We're gonna get
to know Will a little bit. We're gonna talk Chicago,
his prep, everything he's been putting into making this happen,
as well as his pitch for supercar racing and what
he enjoys about it and why others should give it
a shot as well. So let's jump into the conversation.
(00:49):
Here is Will Brown on the Racing Writers Podcast. Will
welcome to the podcast. Welcome to I guess welcome back
to the United States. I know you've been busy going
back and forth. Let's just start with today. You just
got done with your simwork, preparing for Chicago this weekend.
(01:09):
How did that go? What's it like being in that
simulator kind of get your way around and get ready
for this weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, it's great for me to prepare that way this weekend.
For us, we don't have simulators that are of that
level in Australia, so we really don't use simulators a
lot to prepare for our weekend. So for me, it's
definitely helpful from a driving point of view, but also,
you know, hopefully for the team I can help on
Chicago a street course that I'm more familiar with, hope a.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Little bit with the setup as well.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
I was just going to ask that was going to
be my next question is because I think you would
mention that either in your vlog or I've seen some interviews,
it seems like the simulator is a new tool for you.
It's not something that's a guest drivers are accustomed to
as we are over here in NASCAR.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I find this one quite good though, because when I
do something like I racing on my simulator at home,
it's just not realistic enough for me to benefit from it.
But also I seem to just get annoyed because I
make a lot of mistakes where I find this so
realistic that I can drive it the same as what
I would do in a real car and really benefit
from it. So I've enjoyed it definitely. Last year when
I came out, it was a bit of a shock
(02:09):
seeing at all and seeing the facility. It's still amazing
this time looking at it again. But yeah, it's good
to have a bit more familiarity with this year with
the sim and yeah, hopefully we can use that to
our advantage. I was probably unsure about it last year.
I didn't know if the sim would be realistic to
the car, so we probably didn't make that up changes
off it where hopefully this year we can do a
(02:30):
bit more of that.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
So if simulators are not as much of a tool
in Australia as you just said, of what NASCO drivers
are accustomed to, what is the biggest resource or how
different do drivers prepare? What do you all do there?
What are your tools your resources compared to what you're
now learning that NASCAR drivers have.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, it's completely different for us.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It's about looking at driving other categories because you know,
I guess NASCAR is just every weekend, so they don't
have the opportunity to look at racing other categories. But
for us, we race thirteen times a year, so thirteen
weekends a year, but we do three races a weekend,
so we still get to your late thirties, like thirty
eight races a year, but it's over thirteen weekends. So
(03:09):
for me, on other weekends, I was racing GT cars,
the Audi's Ferraris and stuff like that. Also raced TCR
for three years, so I was racing all the categories
because we don't have simulators like you just said, and
we also don't have test days. You know, we know
how expensive it is to put a car on the track,
so we get two test days a year, and that
was just to allow that the you know, typical that
(03:30):
the teams with bigger budgets didn't go into a lot
of test days. So yeah, it's just it's one of
those things. But yeah, we definitely don't utilize simulators. But
it's something that I'm sure will adapt to a little
bit more in the future. But having something like this,
this sort of infrastructure costs a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Okay, what you just said there about not having test
days but running thirteen races a year. Okay, that is
interesting to me because again being the NASCAR person, Okay,
I understand over here we're NASCAR and the sport and
the team talked a lot about saving money and no
open testing. But this is a thirty eight race schedule
compared to thirteen. So I guess I'm just curious of
(04:08):
kind of lafer or the approach of supercars and kind
of how that is run. And I guess the way
that the teams approach things when it thirteen doesn't sound
like a lot, but I guess they're still procedures and
policies in police right. It sounds like to try to
keep things as easier or as comfortable and level.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, I guess it's you know, thirteen is still keeping
everyone very busy back at the workshop, but its differences.
You go to you know, Triple eight Red bullamp Or
Racing that I drive for, We've got seventy staff there,
which is a huge team for Australia. You know, the
old team I was at at Arabis, we only had
twenty two. So when you look at the staff, that's
someone like rcr Has or Hendrix or anyone like that.
(04:47):
I guess having that amount of staff allows you guys
to run. We you know, week in week out, you've
got people at the workshop that are prepping the cars
and then people that go away and aren't going to
the workshop where our guys, our mechanics are, our pit
stop go guys. They do everything, they prepare the cars,
so we keep them definitely busy. It's a massive full
time job for them. But just the cost for us,
(05:08):
We've got to reduce costs. I guess we don't have
as many people in Australia the population, so trying to
get the sponsorship. We still get good sponsorship, but not
to the level of NASCAR. So you got to bring
the costs in a little bit. And that's by doing
thirteen weekends a year and saving a lot of money
on travel and all of that sort of stuff. That
and when you look at it, we do a lot
of miles. Like you know, we're doing three races a
(05:30):
weekend where NASCAR does one race, So we do two
races on Saturday and a long one on Sunday and
we have practice Friday. So you know, I had I
had twenty four weeks where I was racing last year
and it doesn't sound like a lot but you guys
generally travel on a Friday back on a Sunday. We
travel on our Tuesday or Wednesday back on a Monday.
Our race weekends are five days long, so it's a
(05:53):
lot of It's still a lot of travel, it's just
different the approach of how Australia does it.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
To hear scales, so the skin it's yeah, okay, schedules
and just the approach is different. It sounds like, Okay,
what are you finding in the same work you've done
as you prepare for this weekend? About the course, right,
because this is really NASCAR's first kind of foray into
creating and running a street course. We're going into its
third season, but it's the first, like I said, kind
(06:18):
of street course NASCAR has created. What have you seen,
as someone who's familiar with road and street courses of
this course of what Chicago is and kind of how
you think it'll drive in real life versus what you're
seeing on the simulator.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
We have about five or six street courses in Australia
very similar to Chicago. So for me, I'm excited about that.
And it looks fairly bumpy, which you get a lot
at street courses. You know, they don't resurface the roads
for us to go and race on. Usually it's just
the road you know, everyone's been using the whole time.
So it gets quite bumpy for a race car. So
it's about you know, breaking and all those breaking points,
(06:53):
watching where those bumps are. That it just changes the
characteristic of the car and unsettles the car and breaking
and any even on drive in all different areas. So
for me, it's it's something that I'm definitely used to,
but I probably won't know until I get out there.
I feel these bumps on the simulator, I'm like, hopefully
that's the exact same in real life and I get
used to it. But no, for us, you know, our
(07:14):
street course are the biggest at home, we get the
best crowds there always brings a lot of excitement and
hype and you know, hopefully, you know, I get to
see that over here as well.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And yeah, how.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
About the layout of the course. What have you noticed
about how you think the corners are set up? There's
not a lot of runoff. That was the biggest thing
Sheen even mentioned for him his comparisons to what he
is used to. Is that something that that's going to
stand out to you.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
You ye as well, it's already stood out to me
on the simulator, just because for us in Australia and
the way they run the category, I guess as an
FIA you have to have the runoff at the end
of each long breaking zone, so if you do make
a mistake, usually you can just go down the run
up throad and unfortunately you'll go to the back of
the field, but you don't crash. The way that Chicago's
being built is that you get to the end of
the straight and there's just.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
A wall there, so everything's closed in.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
So yeah, a lot of the time I feel like
you make a mistake as a driver on a street
course is usually under breaks, breaking too deep, locking up.
So it's taken that factor out of it with Chicago
that you can't you can't just bottle off down the
escape road or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You're straight into tires or the wall.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
So it just takes that approach of leaving, you know,
that extra couple of percent on the line and not
not stepping over to one hundred and five percent. But yeah,
it's it'll be interesting actually sitting in the car and
having the consequences. I'm sure, it'll It'll get my eyes
open on the first lap or two.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That's exactly one wanted to ask. Next, is how much
of a mental adjustment and mindset is that going to
be knowing that at the end of that you are
head on into either, as you said, a tire or
a wall. There is no you're staring at that. That
is your consequence.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, no, it won't change it. It'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
It's he still do the same things, and you know,
I hope you don't make a mistake, but you know,
all the guys that are really good will be pushing
it to the limits even with that, so you got
to do it.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Yeah, this next gen car, there's been a lot of
talk over the power couple of years of why it's
been so attractive for drivers to whether it's supercars or
someone else, to come over and drive this race car.
What has been your biggest adjustment, aside from mebe sitting
on the opposite side of the car, right, What are
some of the things that the way it reacts and
the way it drives that is familiar to you versus
(09:18):
very different from what you're used to.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Surprisingly, I don't think there's anything that's that's very different
on the cars, Like they are heavier than the NASCAR
than the supercar. Maybe they don't break as well as
the sorry as the supercar. But yeah, they are very
similar to what we have, and I noticed that when
I came out for Sonoma. Maybe you know, we probably
didn't exactly get this up to where we wanted it Sonoma,
(09:41):
but I think that, you know, they probably handle very
similar similar to a supercar at the end of the day,
and I think that helps someone like Shane coming out.
He even spoke about how, you know, even when we're
asking him that the Infinity Car was probably worse for
him because the supercar was so much more similar to
the next Gen, to the to the new cup Car
(10:02):
that he found that transition easier than to the Infinity Car. So, yeah,
we we just designed a new car, our Gen three
car that came out very similar time to the next gen,
and I think they just got even closer in sort
of how they handle and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Sheen had mentioned recently to me that supercars. There is
a new supercar, and I was curious of of how
that if it had moved away or closer to next gen.
But you just said it might be even closer.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Now, Yeah, I'm not sure. Don't ask him about the
new supercar. He doesn't like it, definitely doesn't like it.
To be honest, I couldn't comment so much because I
haven't driven an older NASCAR or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
But yeah, in terms of the older supercar to the
new supercar to next.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Gen, yeah yeah, I think I would think that they've
gotten closer.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
The only thing is our old cars used to have
a bit more a bit more error on them, like
the like the next gen car, they probably have errow
as well, So not exactly sure from there. But for me,
I guess the simil pilarities is, you know, I've driven,
I drive GT cars, I did open wheelers at the
start of the year and all different stuff. But for me,
the NASCAR is so similar because it doesn't have abs,
it doesn't have traction control, it still has a gearlever.
(11:12):
We can still heal in toe like you see Shane
doing the right foot breaking with the blipping. We can
do all that in the NASCAR. So that's what makes
it very similar for me, and I feel more at
home in that than jumping in an open wheeler that's
completely different.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
And I left foot break into all those things you mentioned.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
You have iRacing, You have a simulator at home? What
is Will Brown the racing driver.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Lake, I'm terrible. I suck. I know, I definitely do.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I wouldn't do it for years because I'd get on
with like all my mates that had done for years,
and they were so good, and I'd get angry because
they'd nearly lap me. So I've just started getting on
it more these days and having fun. A lot of
our crew at work has started to get simulated, so
we started jumping on them, and I use my one
at home a lot more to prepare for this weekend.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
So just to get used to Chicago, get used to
the track. I'm prepared.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
So it was a bit of a stepping stone to
go from my simulator onto this onto the rail track.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So Will Brown eye raser? Does that mean that is
there going to be a time? And there people might
come across to you if you're running a race and
be like, wait, he's supposed to be better at this.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Yeah, people don't come across me because I actually I
actually came you stay out of it. No, no, I
it was like when I was seventeen. I created my account.
I put under my mum's name accidentally with the credit.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Card, so it's actually it's not under my name. But yeah,
I'm in disguise on there, but.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
No, I am enjoying the I racing thing more and more.
It's it's cooled about to jump on with friends and
do it, but yeah, as a tool, I don't love it.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Understandable. All right, let's recap your weekend. You went down
and it was all over social You made it know
and you wanted to go down to Atlanta, experienced tailgating
and hanging out with folks. So how did that go?
Did it look up to what you were hoping?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Yeah, that was awesome. Ainsley, who's with me, who does
all my social media stuff? I was saying, yeah, I
want to I want to go down and experience it,
and she's like, oh, put a tweet out and X
isn't probably as big in Australia, but over here it is.
And then I saw amount of people sharing and then
a lot of people come around and have a beer
and catch up. So I did that when I got there,
and I wanted to do it because Australia is not
big on that like we, our fans don't show up
(13:09):
early and drink beers at their at their cars and
then come into the track. They show up just before
the race and come in and it's We still get
big crowds, but there's just not that hype before the
race of the tower getting So I wanted to experience
that and sort of probably similar at home when we're young,
we're from a country town, you'd go and drink beers
in the paddock with friends and do that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
So I was cool to kill to experience that.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Tell me more about how different the I guess, as
I would call it the NASCAR experiences, not just the racing,
but everything you've been taking in and maybe things that
have stood out about the fan experience. What if the
garage and paddock is different, just this world, this world
compared to, as you said, what you're so used to
and where you come from.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, I think the best thing about NASCAR, and maybe
it's America as well, is just the there's not so
many rules, you know, for us back at home. Supercars
are great up, but people nearly can't have a beer
at home. There's designated bar areas, so you know, and
they get filled quite quickly.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Where I was.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Walking around on the weekend on the infield having a
beer and there's multiple fans doing it. They've got setups
to stand on top of their motor homes, they've got
their dogs there, they've got there's just the kids are
running around. It just felt so much freer and that
you could have, you know, you could have fun and
get a little bit loose where I feel like Australia's
unfortunately put a little bit of a you know, pulled
(14:30):
back people having a little bit of that fun and
drinking and probably gone a lot more family orientated, you
know what I mean. Where Yeah, it was cool to see.
I enjoyed that side of it and the bit of
the party side.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah. I haven't watched the vlog yet. I know you
recently think it went up today about how the experience
went doing this vlog? Has that just because you want
to try to show people this experience, what it's like,
everything that's even going into just making it to Chicago
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, we don't do it at home the vlog when
we're racing there, but yeah, I just wanted to show
the experience to you know, you know, even if fans
over here are watching it, that's great. But to all
my fans at home that support me in supercars, showing
what it's like to travel over here, go to a supercar,
go to a NASCAR event and race at Chicago. You know,
there's a lot of people that would probably at home
(15:19):
love to come over and support this event and check
it out and can't, so they can get that sort
of insight. Also, the insight you know what I'm like
and what my team's like away from just a thirty
second clip on Instagram all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
They get a bit more insight into us.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Something you said when I watched the first one that
you posted was you were talking about the visor showing
off the helmet and you said that you don't really
run a visor at home. I'm curious about that.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, we've got windows, So the NASCAR runs obviously the windshield,
but no windows. They just run the window net. Well,
we have windows, so we don't get dirt or rocks
in there, so I actually run a peek. It's to
be honest, probably better for sponsors and that sort of
stuff the way we do it. So I just went
away from the visor and only at a race meeting
where we're racing into the night. We do some night
races sometimes and the sun will be coming down, will
(16:06):
I put a visor on? But yeah, I'm not used
to running a visor, so it seems it seems a
bit weird for me at the start. But I did
the open wheelers at the start of this year and
had to run a visor and all that. So yeah,
it's but it's not what i'd usually run.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
And it's not it sounds like then it's not something
that's even required. You can do whatever it's comfortable for you.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Whatever's comfortable. They actually just run a cut down visor,
So the visors we run are just one inch thick
and they just they just cut the actual part off
that comes down over your face.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I've never seen a video or a picture. I'll have
to go look for that because I'm not used to that.
And obviously over here there's so much talk about all
of the different safety measures and kind of what the
requirements are for drivers to run that. So when you
said that in that first episode, that's when my ears
kind of perked up because I was like, oh, I
never thought about that. Okay, that makes sense, and it
(16:53):
looks exactly the same, but yeah, as you said, it's
just the actual visor part is not there.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Yeah, that's cool, okay, bit different but.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Different, yes, and again very different when you look at
NASCAR drivers and most of the pictures you can't see
their eyes.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It is like, you know, for us with the on
board cameras. All our cars have on board cameras. So
when you go to us doing a qualifying shootout and
the fans get to watch your eyes and what you're
doing and get that perspective, I think it's cool, cool
for them as well the way we run homelets.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Okay, yeah, I need definitely need to go try find
some in car cameras now because that would be fascinating
a lot of folks over here have been making a
big deal out of our own car cameras because every
time Danny recently has had the camera on him, his
visor's been up or it's been clear enough that people
can see his eyes, and people have just been fascinating.
They're like, it's like he doesn't blink when he's dry,
he's so focused, and so yeah, I can only imagine
(17:46):
then everybody being able to see you guys all the
time and kind of the expressions and the look in
the face that that would be awesome. All right, so
this weekend still to be determined. You ran Sonoma last year.
I know you enjoyed it didn't get exactly the result
that you wanted, but you're back, you're doing this. Who
would you love to see will either Vice versa go
run supercars from NASCAR or who in the supercars padd
(18:10):
act would you love to see come over here and say,
I want to see them go experience it?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah, I think we were hoping to get Kyle Larson over.
We tried putting that together actually this year, and I
think it just fell apart, like it was pretty much
sordid and then it just fell over in the last
few weeks. And that is definitely the guy that I
think everyone in Australia would love to see come over
and do it. And yeah, so that'd be my one
(18:37):
to come to Australia and someone to come over here.
You know, my old teammate Brody Kostecki, he actually came
over in twenty twenty three and he's you.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Know, he's a hard AUS Race three. He does a
good job and all that.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
And also my current teammate Brock Feeni he's currently me
and him a one twin in the championship.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
He's leading.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
He does a fantastic job as well, So all of
those guys are going to run good. But for us, it's,
you know, for me, this weekend, it's about trying to
have a good run at Chicago in Cup obviously on
the on the road course, but then if I can
have a good run this weekend and hopefully get some support,
it's probably looking at trying to do some truck races
on ovals and that sort of stuff, because at the
end of the day, it's it's good you guys have
(19:17):
six or seven road courses, but it's it's mainly ovals.
So yeah, it's it's looking at that after this and
seeing what else I could do.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
I've heard you say that before in interviews where it's
almost like you all are cheating coming over here and
doing the rodent street courses. It's almost like it's not
official to you do an oval.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Our experience experience is not a.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Ficial that's kind of it.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Like it's it's you know, I think it's smart of
us to come over and do the road course. Obviously,
what we're very used to but I think coming over
and experiencing an oval like Shane has, it be cool
to have a go at.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Let's touch a little bit on how things are going
for you on that side and how the season's gone.
You are the raining champion. I want to touch on
that in a minute, but kind of catch everyone up
of how that season so far has been playing out
for in Australia.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yeah, So for myself, I had a you know, I
guess I'll probably take it back to twenty twenty three
when when Shane came over here and won, because that's
what set everything up for me.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
It was, it was perfect.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I was very glad I had a good weekend there
because he obviously came home and the team that I'm
now driving for, Red Bull Lampole Racing, they you know,
no one thought that they had led him out of
his contract to come over here and Shane got offered
the drive with Truckhouse. Red Bull left led him out
of the contract and then at that time they they
had to get a new driver and that was they
approached me, and I was actually leading the championship at
(20:32):
that time in Australia, so I was able to move
across to them and then that sort of set everything up.
So I won the championship last year with Red Bull
Ampoul with my first so which was my first year
with them, and then this year started off a little
bit tougher. Last year on the podium every round of
the year.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Said the first driver and for forty years, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
We had an awesome year.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
We had had a great year, heaps of podiums, not
as many wins as we wanted to have, but a
lot of seconds and third and still a fair few wins,
but not as many as we wanted. And then this
year started off still strong. We're getting podiums and that,
but we probably in the last two rounds have just
had a tough run. We've had really good race pace
but very poor qualifying pace. And yeah, we probably heard
(21:16):
it the last round at Darwin. I think we got
a fifth, a seventh and a seventh, but yeah, qualifying
we qualified seventeenth in some of the races. So we're
moving forward, but yeah, just need to work out, you know,
how we can bounce back. We're still second in the championship,
still being very consistent, but just need to get that
sometimes you just get in that purple patch, you know what.
I mean, if you see guys do it all the time,
(21:37):
they have a good race, they get back on or
have a bad race. So we've just got to get
through this NASCAR stuff, have some fun and get back
to Australia and yeah, get ready to bounce back a bit.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
The reason I enjoy your story so much, well, the
more that I've learned about you and kind of done
research and learned who you're driving for and what you're
doing now, is because it is the other side of
that butterfly effect that you just hit on. Is for
those of us familiar with NASCAR, we were caught up
in the SPG side. He's coming over here, he gets
out of the contract. But as I said, what's cool
(22:06):
about your story is there was the other side of
it when he leaves what happens over there, and you
were the guy. I'm curious as you were watching all
of that unfold. Was it one of those things where hey,
please go go that's a seat you know, how did
you as an observer seeing this opportunity for him, even
as a competitor like I guess kind of what were
(22:28):
you thinking before it even fell into police for you
to be that guy that took that seat.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Yeah, I think it was amazing that Shane got that
opportunity because for I never thought i'd be in this
position getting to drive NASCAR, you know I was. I
never thought i'd raise supercars, and then I got to supercars,
won the championship, and Shane opened up doors with him
coming over here. I think that they I guess, you know,
there's one thing NASCAR has to trust that we're good
enough to roll straight out and do a Cup race,
(22:53):
you know what I mean. They're not probably going to
let anyone do it. And I think now with Shane
coming over doing that, it proves that we're probably not
going to go out there and do something silly and
deliberately run into people and that sort of stuff. So
Shane opened up opportunities for us in NASCAR between teams
and all that sort of stuff that kind of are
keen to run us in road courses. And then for
me it was actually a bit of a tough period
(23:15):
because I was actually contracted as well for another year
when he left, So I was under contract with Erebus Motorsport,
a lady that named Betty Clemenco that gave me my start,
and she's extremely wealthy lady that owns a team because
she really enjoys it. And I got the call from
Red Bull saying, hey, can you switch over? But we
were leading the championship at that time with Betty and
(23:37):
it was actually Coca Cola at the time, so it
was like it was coke verst Red Bull Triple eight
versus Erebus, and Triple E had rung me and said hey,
we want you to come across. Can you make it happen?
So then I had to go through all the contract thing.
Can I get out of my contract? How am I
going to do this? So while Shane was going through
his contract stuff to try get out and come over here,
I was going through the exact same stuff to try
(23:58):
and get into his seat and fill his seat. So
I was a stressful couple of months. But Betty, actually
a very nice lady, ended up. You know, I actually
just rang her. I didn't I didn't try to get
out anyway through legal and rang her and said, I've
got this opportunity with Triple eight has won the championship
all come second for the last twenty years, I'd like
to look at going across there. And she said, yeah,
(24:19):
I'll release you. And that was pretty much it. So
the team boss that I had over there at the time,
who ran the team, was not very happy about it.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
We definitely had some words, but I get along with
him all right now. But yeah, it was. It was
a stressful time for me.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
And during that period you're wondering if you know, I
knew I made the right decision, but there's just you know,
I had to race for that team for six weekends
after it and your crew that you've pretty much while
leading the championship gone, I'll screw you all.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I'm leaving.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
So it was a tough time, but it was awesome
to do it, and then didn't win the championship that year.
My teammate Brodie Costeki went on to win it and
he actually just beat Shane in the beat Shane in
the championship. But yeah, it was it was a cool period.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
It was.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yeah, you look back on it and we made the
right decision, but yeah, it was an interesting period.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
That's incredible, yep, as I said, because the more you
learn about the story, there's so many pieces, and I
guess it's just the journalist in me is like, I'm
fascinated by the details. So one more thing on that,
as you said, obviously it's the right decision when that
opportunity comes along. As you were just talking about, how
quick of a decision for you personally was that of
this is an opportunity I want to try to take
(25:26):
versus staying where you were because you were leading the points.
It's not like you weren't having success. So for you,
as you're talking about how difficult and incredible that whole
period was, I mean mentally, what were you just going
through of how quickly you decided, yes, I have to try,
I have to try to get this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
I was pretty quick, to be honest, once on you
was there and I knew they wanted me, and they were,
you know, very keen to get me. That's that's one
thing I think I look at as a driver, if
you're trying to work to get to that team, they
obviously don't believe in you a lot like you know
what I may normalize in my career, I've wanted teams
to want you and obviously believe in what you do.
And Jamie win Cup, the team owner, had wrung me
(26:02):
up and tried really hard to get me to come across,
So I was keen straight away. But then it was yeah,
obviously trying to work out how you actually make that
happen and seeing if it is possible before, you know,
I don't like to pump myself up too much and think, hey,
I can move across here, and it wasn't possible, But yeah,
it was. It was a tough phone call to make
to ask Betty because I thought, if she doesn't let
(26:23):
me out, then she's always known that I've tried, I've
tried leaving and that sort of stuff. So it was
a tough phone call to make. But yeah, definitely I
knew straight away when the opportunity rose it was the
right decision. You know, our team was on the rise,
but I didn't think it could last. And unfortunately the
team sort of fell apart after I left, and they've
they're you know, struggling now. But the team had, you know,
(26:45):
brought up myself and Brodikstecki through and had a great year.
He won the team's championship and Brody won the championship.
But I didn't think it was sustainable there at the time,
as much as what I saw at Triple eight. And yeah,
I just thought that they've showed for twenty years they
can win championships, so got to get there.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I also respect the fact that you went right to
the top and you did it yourself, like you said
you weren't going to go through other channels. I think
that's need of taking it right into your hands to
say it's my future. Give me your sales pitch will
about supercars because Shane's come over, You've come over, Brody's
come over. Perkins is next, I think on the list
he's getting set to run. I believe some Exfinity races
(27:20):
with Joe Gibbs. So but give our fans, give the
United States a pitch on why we should turn around
and watch supercars racing because it's not unknown over here.
People know it. But it seems like in the last
couple of years, as all of you have come over,
people are paying more attention. So watch now your pitch
of hey, give it a shot, give it a watch.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I think if you love road courses and how competitive
our category is, it's as competitive as NASCAR. We got
twenty five really talented drive as always very close to
each other. Our last round the top, all twenty four
cars were within five tenths half a second of each
other on a road course. The racing that have now
opened it up that it's more like now car we
(28:00):
can run into each other, we can push each other off,
and there's hard racing over there. So yeah, I think
it's probably stuff like Mexico where you saw Shane racing
up the front making moves and that that probably was
very similar to what we have in Australia.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
So it's really what the fans love.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Some fans over here in NASCAR really love the ovals,
and I'm sure they all love the ovals because that's
what it is. But you know what I mean, Some
are more like what would you say, some are becoming
more accustomed to the road courses and enjoying it more.
You can see through the comments and that sort of stuff,
and that's what we're all about, is the road courses.
And yeah, I think we always put on a great show,
(28:37):
so hopefully I think you'll watch one and can make
your own decision out of it. But we've had some
great races this year.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, I appreciate it. I'm sorry we were not keeping
track time, that's right, but good luck this weekend and
I can't wait to see as you were talking about earlier,
kind of like where this develops into so well. Thank
you more of you after Chicago.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Thank you nice chatting.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Once again, My appreciation to Will for sitting down recording
the podcast and shedding some insight into who he is
as well as what he is ready to do for
this weekend in Chicago. I said it earlier, there are
forty one cars on the entry list, so that's why
he needs to qualify his way into the field. So
one driver, one team will be going home this weekend.
We haven't seen that recently in the Cup Series, but
it is a stacked and full field, so there will
(29:23):
be a full field of forty Will and a couple others.
Of course, as I just said, have to qualify, and
if he does, it will be his second career Cup
Series Start made his debut in twenty twenty four. It's
an Oma Raceway and it's back for more. So I
appreciate Will coming on the podcast. I also want to
thank Alicia Dial and Carly McDuck for coordinating and helping
day of as well to get Will and I sat
(29:45):
down to record the podcast. If you enjoyed the episode,
please leave a rating and review. You can also engage
with me on social media x Facebook Instagram, LinkedIn YouTube TikTok.
It's very easy to find me. I say that all
the time, but it truly is. So I hope you're
enjoying the podcast and let me know what you think. Also,
don't forget pre order the NASCAR official cookbook that's coming
(30:05):
out at the end of the year. But it is
available now. You can order it and not have to
worry about it and it'll show up at your door.
So NASCAR Race Day Eats is coming in October, the
perfect cookbook for your tailgates or your parties at home.
I hope you will check it out. That information is
also in the show description of this episode. So we
have two episodes this week to get ready for Chicago.
(30:25):
We were talking to the ladies of twenty three eleven
Racing earlier this week. Hopefully you're caught up on that,
and hopefully you enjoyed this episode with Bill Brown. So
thank you for clicking and listening, and I will see
you again real soon on the Racing Writers Podcast at
Hey, everyone, Welcome to the Racing Writers Podcast. I'm your host,
Kelly crandall. Our guest today is Will Brown. He's entered
in the number thirteen for Colic Racing this weekend at
the Chicago Street Course and if he qualifies, it'll be
his second start in the NASCAR Cup Series. Will is
the reigning Australian Supercars champion, had an absolutely incredible year
on the run to that championship and he is defending
(00:28):
it of course this year in the series. But it's
back to try more stock car racing, and this time
do so on the streets of Chicago. We're gonna get
to know Will a little bit. We're gonna talk Chicago,
his prep, everything he's been putting into making this happen,
as well as his pitch for supercar racing and what
he enjoys about it and why others should give it
a shot as well. So let's jump into the conversation.
(00:49):
Here is Will Brown on the Racing Writers Podcast. Will
welcome to the podcast. Welcome to I guess welcome back
to the United States. I know you've been busy going
back and forth. Let's just start with today. You just
got done with your simwork, preparing for Chicago this weekend.
(01:09):
How did that go? What's it like being in that
simulator kind of get your way around and get ready
for this weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Yeah, it's great for me to prepare that way this weekend.
For us, we don't have simulators that are of that
level in Australia, so we really don't use simulators a
lot to prepare for our weekend. So for me, it's
definitely helpful from a driving point of view, but also,
you know, hopefully for the team I can help on
Chicago a street course that I'm more familiar with, hope a.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Little bit with the setup as well.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
I was just going to ask that was going to
be my next question is because I think you would
mention that either in your vlog or I've seen some interviews,
it seems like the simulator is a new tool for you.
It's not something that's a guest drivers are accustomed to
as we are over here in NASCAR.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I find this one quite good though, because when I
do something like I racing on my simulator at home,
it's just not realistic enough for me to benefit from it.
But also I seem to just get annoyed because I
make a lot of mistakes where I find this so
realistic that I can drive it the same as what
I would do in a real car and really benefit
from it. So I've enjoyed it definitely. Last year when
I came out, it was a bit of a shock
(02:09):
seeing at all and seeing the facility. It's still amazing
this time looking at it again. But yeah, it's good
to have a bit more familiarity with this year with
the sim and yeah, hopefully we can use that to
our advantage. I was probably unsure about it last year.
I didn't know if the sim would be realistic to
the car, so we probably didn't make that up changes
off it where hopefully this year we can do a
(02:30):
bit more of that.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
So if simulators are not as much of a tool
in Australia as you just said, of what NASCO drivers
are accustomed to, what is the biggest resource or how
different do drivers prepare? What do you all do there?
What are your tools your resources compared to what you're
now learning that NASCAR drivers have.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, it's completely different for us.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
It's about looking at driving other categories because you know,
I guess NASCAR is just every weekend, so they don't
have the opportunity to look at racing other categories. But
for us, we race thirteen times a year, so thirteen
weekends a year, but we do three races a weekend,
so we still get to your late thirties, like thirty
eight races a year, but it's over thirteen weekends. So
(03:09):
for me, on other weekends, I was racing GT cars,
the Audi's Ferraris and stuff like that. Also raced TCR
for three years, so I was racing all the categories
because we don't have simulators like you just said, and
we also don't have test days. You know, we know
how expensive it is to put a car on the track,
so we get two test days a year, and that
was just to allow that the you know, typical that
(03:30):
the teams with bigger budgets didn't go into a lot
of test days. So yeah, it's just it's one of
those things. But yeah, we definitely don't utilize simulators. But
it's something that I'm sure will adapt to a little
bit more in the future. But having something like this,
this sort of infrastructure costs a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
So yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Okay, what you just said there about not having test
days but running thirteen races a year. Okay, that is
interesting to me because again being the NASCAR person, Okay,
I understand over here we're NASCAR and the sport and
the team talked a lot about saving money and no
open testing. But this is a thirty eight race schedule
compared to thirteen. So I guess I'm just curious of
(04:08):
kind of lafer or the approach of supercars and kind
of how that is run. And I guess the way
that the teams approach things when it thirteen doesn't sound
like a lot, but I guess they're still procedures and
policies in police right. It sounds like to try to
keep things as easier or as comfortable and level.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Yeah, I guess it's you know, thirteen is still keeping
everyone very busy back at the workshop, but its differences.
You go to you know, Triple eight Red bullamp Or
Racing that I drive for, We've got seventy staff there,
which is a huge team for Australia. You know, the
old team I was at at Arabis, we only had
twenty two. So when you look at the staff, that's
someone like rcr Has or Hendrix or anyone like that.
(04:47):
I guess having that amount of staff allows you guys
to run. We you know, week in week out, you've
got people at the workshop that are prepping the cars
and then people that go away and aren't going to
the workshop where our guys, our mechanics are, our pit
stop go guys. They do everything, they prepare the cars,
so we keep them definitely busy. It's a massive full
time job for them. But just the cost for us,
(05:08):
We've got to reduce costs. I guess we don't have
as many people in Australia the population, so trying to
get the sponsorship. We still get good sponsorship, but not
to the level of NASCAR. So you got to bring
the costs in a little bit. And that's by doing
thirteen weekends a year and saving a lot of money
on travel and all of that sort of stuff. That
and when you look at it, we do a lot
of miles. Like you know, we're doing three races a
(05:30):
weekend where NASCAR does one race, So we do two
races on Saturday and a long one on Sunday and
we have practice Friday. So you know, I had I
had twenty four weeks where I was racing last year
and it doesn't sound like a lot but you guys
generally travel on a Friday back on a Sunday. We
travel on our Tuesday or Wednesday back on a Monday.
Our race weekends are five days long, so it's a
(05:53):
lot of It's still a lot of travel, it's just
different the approach of how Australia does it.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
To hear scales, so the skin it's yeah, okay, schedules
and just the approach is different. It sounds like, Okay,
what are you finding in the same work you've done
as you prepare for this weekend? About the course, right,
because this is really NASCAR's first kind of foray into
creating and running a street course. We're going into its
third season, but it's the first, like I said, kind
(06:18):
of street course NASCAR has created. What have you seen,
as someone who's familiar with road and street courses of
this course of what Chicago is and kind of how
you think it'll drive in real life versus what you're
seeing on the simulator.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
We have about five or six street courses in Australia
very similar to Chicago. So for me, I'm excited about that.
And it looks fairly bumpy, which you get a lot
at street courses. You know, they don't resurface the roads
for us to go and race on. Usually it's just
the road you know, everyone's been using the whole time.
So it gets quite bumpy for a race car. So
it's about you know, breaking and all those breaking points,
(06:53):
watching where those bumps are. That it just changes the
characteristic of the car and unsettles the car and breaking
and any even on drive in all different areas. So
for me, it's it's something that I'm definitely used to,
but I probably won't know until I get out there.
I feel these bumps on the simulator, I'm like, hopefully
that's the exact same in real life and I get
used to it. But no, for us, you know, our
(07:14):
street course are the biggest at home, we get the
best crowds there always brings a lot of excitement and
hype and you know, hopefully, you know, I get to
see that over here as well.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
And yeah, how.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
About the layout of the course. What have you noticed
about how you think the corners are set up? There's
not a lot of runoff. That was the biggest thing
Sheen even mentioned for him his comparisons to what he
is used to. Is that something that that's going to
stand out to you.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
You ye as well, it's already stood out to me
on the simulator, just because for us in Australia and
the way they run the category, I guess as an
FIA you have to have the runoff at the end
of each long breaking zone, so if you do make
a mistake, usually you can just go down the run
up throad and unfortunately you'll go to the back of
the field, but you don't crash. The way that Chicago's
being built is that you get to the end of
the straight and there's just.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
A wall there, so everything's closed in.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
So yeah, a lot of the time I feel like
you make a mistake as a driver on a street
course is usually under breaks, breaking too deep, locking up.
So it's taken that factor out of it with Chicago
that you can't you can't just bottle off down the
escape road or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
You're straight into tires or the wall.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
So it just takes that approach of leaving, you know,
that extra couple of percent on the line and not
not stepping over to one hundred and five percent. But yeah,
it's it'll be interesting actually sitting in the car and
having the consequences. I'm sure, it'll It'll get my eyes
open on the first lap or two.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That's exactly one wanted to ask. Next, is how much
of a mental adjustment and mindset is that going to
be knowing that at the end of that you are
head on into either, as you said, a tire or
a wall. There is no you're staring at that. That
is your consequence.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Yeah, no, it won't change it. It'll be fine.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
It's he still do the same things, and you know,
I hope you don't make a mistake, but you know,
all the guys that are really good will be pushing
it to the limits even with that, so you got
to do it.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
Yeah, this next gen car, there's been a lot of
talk over the power couple of years of why it's
been so attractive for drivers to whether it's supercars or
someone else, to come over and drive this race car.
What has been your biggest adjustment, aside from mebe sitting
on the opposite side of the car, right, What are
some of the things that the way it reacts and
the way it drives that is familiar to you versus
(09:18):
very different from what you're used to.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
Surprisingly, I don't think there's anything that's that's very different
on the cars, Like they are heavier than the NASCAR
than the supercar. Maybe they don't break as well as
the sorry as the supercar. But yeah, they are very
similar to what we have, and I noticed that when
I came out for Sonoma. Maybe you know, we probably
didn't exactly get this up to where we wanted it Sonoma,
(09:41):
but I think that, you know, they probably handle very
similar similar to a supercar at the end of the day,
and I think that helps someone like Shane coming out.
He even spoke about how, you know, even when we're
asking him that the Infinity Car was probably worse for
him because the supercar was so much more similar to
the next Gen, to the to the new cup Car
(10:02):
that he found that transition easier than to the Infinity Car. So, yeah,
we we just designed a new car, our Gen three
car that came out very similar time to the next gen,
and I think they just got even closer in sort
of how they handle and all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Sheen had mentioned recently to me that supercars. There is
a new supercar, and I was curious of of how
that if it had moved away or closer to next gen.
But you just said it might be even closer.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
Now, Yeah, I'm not sure. Don't ask him about the
new supercar. He doesn't like it, definitely doesn't like it.
To be honest, I couldn't comment so much because I
haven't driven an older NASCAR or anything like that.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
But yeah, in terms of the older supercar to the
new supercar to next.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Gen, yeah yeah, I think I would think that they've
gotten closer.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
The only thing is our old cars used to have
a bit more a bit more error on them, like
the like the next gen car, they probably have errow
as well, So not exactly sure from there. But for me,
I guess the simil pilarities is, you know, I've driven,
I drive GT cars, I did open wheelers at the
start of the year and all different stuff. But for me,
the NASCAR is so similar because it doesn't have abs,
it doesn't have traction control, it still has a gearlever.
(11:12):
We can still heal in toe like you see Shane
doing the right foot breaking with the blipping. We can
do all that in the NASCAR. So that's what makes
it very similar for me, and I feel more at
home in that than jumping in an open wheeler that's
completely different.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
And I left foot break into all those things you mentioned.
Speaker 1 (11:28):
You have iRacing, You have a simulator at home? What
is Will Brown the racing driver.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Lake, I'm terrible. I suck. I know, I definitely do.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
I wouldn't do it for years because I'd get on
with like all my mates that had done for years,
and they were so good, and I'd get angry because
they'd nearly lap me. So I've just started getting on
it more these days and having fun. A lot of
our crew at work has started to get simulated, so
we started jumping on them, and I use my one
at home a lot more to prepare for this weekend.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
So just to get used to Chicago, get used to
the track. I'm prepared.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
So it was a bit of a stepping stone to
go from my simulator onto this onto the rail track.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
So Will Brown eye raser? Does that mean that is
there going to be a time? And there people might
come across to you if you're running a race and
be like, wait, he's supposed to be better at this.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Yeah, people don't come across me because I actually I
actually came you stay out of it. No, no, I
it was like when I was seventeen. I created my account.
I put under my mum's name accidentally with the credit.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Card, so it's actually it's not under my name. But yeah,
I'm in disguise on there, but.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
No, I am enjoying the I racing thing more and more.
It's it's cooled about to jump on with friends and
do it, but yeah, as a tool, I don't love it.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
Understandable. All right, let's recap your weekend. You went down
and it was all over social You made it know
and you wanted to go down to Atlanta, experienced tailgating
and hanging out with folks. So how did that go?
Did it look up to what you were hoping?
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Yeah, that was awesome. Ainsley, who's with me, who does
all my social media stuff? I was saying, yeah, I
want to I want to go down and experience it,
and she's like, oh, put a tweet out and X
isn't probably as big in Australia, but over here it is.
And then I saw amount of people sharing and then
a lot of people come around and have a beer
and catch up. So I did that when I got there,
and I wanted to do it because Australia is not
big on that like we, our fans don't show up
(13:09):
early and drink beers at their at their cars and
then come into the track. They show up just before
the race and come in and it's We still get
big crowds, but there's just not that hype before the
race of the tower getting So I wanted to experience
that and sort of probably similar at home when we're young,
we're from a country town, you'd go and drink beers
in the paddock with friends and do that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
So I was cool to kill to experience that.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Tell me more about how different the I guess, as
I would call it the NASCAR experiences, not just the racing,
but everything you've been taking in and maybe things that
have stood out about the fan experience. What if the
garage and paddock is different, just this world, this world
compared to, as you said, what you're so used to
and where you come from.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Yeah, I think the best thing about NASCAR, and maybe
it's America as well, is just the there's not so
many rules, you know, for us back at home. Supercars
are great up, but people nearly can't have a beer
at home. There's designated bar areas, so you know, and
they get filled quite quickly.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Where I was.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
Walking around on the weekend on the infield having a
beer and there's multiple fans doing it. They've got setups
to stand on top of their motor homes, they've got
their dogs there, they've got there's just the kids are
running around. It just felt so much freer and that
you could have, you know, you could have fun and
get a little bit loose where I feel like Australia's
unfortunately put a little bit of a you know, pulled
(14:30):
back people having a little bit of that fun and
drinking and probably gone a lot more family orientated, you
know what I mean. Where Yeah, it was cool to see.
I enjoyed that side of it and the bit of
the party side.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Yeah. I haven't watched the vlog yet. I know you
recently think it went up today about how the experience
went doing this vlog? Has that just because you want
to try to show people this experience, what it's like,
everything that's even going into just making it to Chicago
this weekend.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Yeah, we don't do it at home the vlog when
we're racing there, but yeah, I just wanted to show
the experience to you know, you know, even if fans
over here are watching it, that's great. But to all
my fans at home that support me in supercars, showing
what it's like to travel over here, go to a supercar,
go to a NASCAR event and race at Chicago. You know,
there's a lot of people that would probably at home
(15:19):
love to come over and support this event and check
it out and can't, so they can get that sort
of insight. Also, the insight you know what I'm like
and what my team's like away from just a thirty
second clip on Instagram all that sort of stuff.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
They get a bit more insight into us.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Something you said when I watched the first one that
you posted was you were talking about the visor showing
off the helmet and you said that you don't really
run a visor at home. I'm curious about that.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Well, we've got windows, So the NASCAR runs obviously the windshield,
but no windows. They just run the window net. Well,
we have windows, so we don't get dirt or rocks
in there, so I actually run a peek. It's to
be honest, probably better for sponsors and that sort of
stuff the way we do it. So I just went
away from the visor and only at a race meeting
where we're racing into the night. We do some night
races sometimes and the sun will be coming down, will
(16:06):
I put a visor on? But yeah, I'm not used
to running a visor, so it seems it seems a
bit weird for me at the start. But I did
the open wheelers at the start of this year and
had to run a visor and all that. So yeah,
it's but it's not what i'd usually run.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
And it's not it sounds like then it's not something
that's even required. You can do whatever it's comfortable for you.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Whatever's comfortable. They actually just run a cut down visor,
So the visors we run are just one inch thick
and they just they just cut the actual part off
that comes down over your face.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Yeah, it's interesting.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
I've never seen a video or a picture. I'll have
to go look for that because I'm not used to that.
And obviously over here there's so much talk about all
of the different safety measures and kind of what the
requirements are for drivers to run that. So when you
said that in that first episode, that's when my ears
kind of perked up because I was like, oh, I
never thought about that. Okay, that makes sense, and it
(16:53):
looks exactly the same, but yeah, as you said, it's
just the actual visor part is not there.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Yeah, that's cool, okay, bit different but.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Different, yes, and again very different when you look at
NASCAR drivers and most of the pictures you can't see
their eyes.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
It is like, you know, for us with the on
board cameras. All our cars have on board cameras. So
when you go to us doing a qualifying shootout and
the fans get to watch your eyes and what you're
doing and get that perspective, I think it's cool, cool
for them as well the way we run homelets.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Okay, yeah, I need definitely need to go try find
some in car cameras now because that would be fascinating
a lot of folks over here have been making a
big deal out of our own car cameras because every
time Danny recently has had the camera on him, his
visor's been up or it's been clear enough that people
can see his eyes, and people have just been fascinating.
They're like, it's like he doesn't blink when he's dry,
he's so focused, and so yeah, I can only imagine
(17:46):
then everybody being able to see you guys all the
time and kind of the expressions and the look in
the face that that would be awesome. All right, so
this weekend still to be determined. You ran Sonoma last year.
I know you enjoyed it didn't get exactly the result
that you wanted, but you're back, you're doing this. Who
would you love to see will either Vice versa go
run supercars from NASCAR or who in the supercars padd
(18:10):
act would you love to see come over here and say,
I want to see them go experience it?
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Yeah, I think we were hoping to get Kyle Larson over.
We tried putting that together actually this year, and I
think it just fell apart, like it was pretty much
sordid and then it just fell over in the last
few weeks. And that is definitely the guy that I
think everyone in Australia would love to see come over
and do it. And yeah, so that'd be my one
(18:37):
to come to Australia and someone to come over here.
You know, my old teammate Brody Kostecki, he actually came
over in twenty twenty three and he's you.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
Know, he's a hard AUS Race three. He does a
good job and all that.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
And also my current teammate Brock Feeni he's currently me
and him a one twin in the championship.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
He's leading.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
He does a fantastic job as well, So all of
those guys are going to run good. But for us, it's,
you know, for me, this weekend, it's about trying to
have a good run at Chicago in Cup obviously on
the on the road course, but then if I can
have a good run this weekend and hopefully get some support,
it's probably looking at trying to do some truck races
on ovals and that sort of stuff, because at the
end of the day, it's it's good you guys have
(19:17):
six or seven road courses, but it's it's mainly ovals.
So yeah, it's it's looking at that after this and
seeing what else I could do.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
I've heard you say that before in interviews where it's
almost like you all are cheating coming over here and
doing the rodent street courses. It's almost like it's not
official to you do an oval.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
Yeah, yeah, that's right.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Our experience experience is not a.
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Ficial that's kind of it.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Like it's it's you know, I think it's smart of
us to come over and do the road course. Obviously,
what we're very used to but I think coming over
and experiencing an oval like Shane has, it be cool
to have a go at.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Let's touch a little bit on how things are going
for you on that side and how the season's gone.
You are the raining champion. I want to touch on
that in a minute, but kind of catch everyone up
of how that season so far has been playing out
for in Australia.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Yeah, So for myself, I had a you know, I
guess I'll probably take it back to twenty twenty three
when when Shane came over here and won, because that's
what set everything up for me.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
It was, it was perfect.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I was very glad I had a good weekend there
because he obviously came home and the team that I'm
now driving for, Red Bull Lampole Racing, they you know,
no one thought that they had led him out of
his contract to come over here and Shane got offered
the drive with Truckhouse. Red Bull left led him out
of the contract and then at that time they they
had to get a new driver and that was they
approached me, and I was actually leading the championship at
(20:32):
that time in Australia, so I was able to move
across to them and then that sort of set everything up.
So I won the championship last year with Red Bull
Ampoul with my first so which was my first year
with them, and then this year started off a little
bit tougher. Last year on the podium every round of
the year.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Said the first driver and for forty years, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (20:53):
We had an awesome year.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
We had had a great year, heaps of podiums, not
as many wins as we wanted to have, but a
lot of seconds and third and still a fair few wins,
but not as many as we wanted. And then this
year started off still strong. We're getting podiums and that,
but we probably in the last two rounds have just
had a tough run. We've had really good race pace
but very poor qualifying pace. And yeah, we probably heard
(21:16):
it the last round at Darwin. I think we got
a fifth, a seventh and a seventh, but yeah, qualifying
we qualified seventeenth in some of the races. So we're
moving forward, but yeah, just need to work out, you know,
how we can bounce back. We're still second in the championship,
still being very consistent, but just need to get that
sometimes you just get in that purple patch, you know what.
I mean, if you see guys do it all the time,
(21:37):
they have a good race, they get back on or
have a bad race. So we've just got to get
through this NASCAR stuff, have some fun and get back
to Australia and yeah, get ready to bounce back a bit.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
The reason I enjoy your story so much, well, the
more that I've learned about you and kind of done
research and learned who you're driving for and what you're
doing now, is because it is the other side of
that butterfly effect that you just hit on. Is for
those of us familiar with NASCAR, we were caught up
in the SPG side. He's coming over here, he gets
out of the contract. But as I said, what's cool
(22:06):
about your story is there was the other side of
it when he leaves what happens over there, and you
were the guy. I'm curious as you were watching all
of that unfold. Was it one of those things where hey,
please go go that's a seat you know, how did
you as an observer seeing this opportunity for him, even
as a competitor like I guess kind of what were
(22:28):
you thinking before it even fell into police for you
to be that guy that took that seat.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Yeah, I think it was amazing that Shane got that
opportunity because for I never thought i'd be in this
position getting to drive NASCAR, you know I was. I
never thought i'd raise supercars, and then I got to supercars,
won the championship, and Shane opened up doors with him
coming over here. I think that they I guess, you know,
there's one thing NASCAR has to trust that we're good
enough to roll straight out and do a Cup race,
(22:53):
you know what I mean. They're not probably going to
let anyone do it. And I think now with Shane
coming over doing that, it proves that we're probably not
going to go out there and do something silly and
deliberately run into people and that sort of stuff. So
Shane opened up opportunities for us in NASCAR between teams
and all that sort of stuff that kind of are
keen to run us in road courses. And then for
me it was actually a bit of a tough period
(23:15):
because I was actually contracted as well for another year
when he left, So I was under contract with Erebus Motorsport,
a lady that named Betty Clemenco that gave me my start,
and she's extremely wealthy lady that owns a team because
she really enjoys it. And I got the call from
Red Bull saying, hey, can you switch over? But we
were leading the championship at that time with Betty and
(23:37):
it was actually Coca Cola at the time, so it
was like it was coke verst Red Bull Triple eight
versus Erebus, and Triple E had rung me and said hey,
we want you to come across. Can you make it happen?
So then I had to go through all the contract thing.
Can I get out of my contract? How am I
going to do this? So while Shane was going through
his contract stuff to try get out and come over here,
I was going through the exact same stuff to try
(23:58):
and get into his seat and fill his seat. So
I was a stressful couple of months. But Betty, actually
a very nice lady, ended up. You know, I actually
just rang her. I didn't I didn't try to get
out anyway through legal and rang her and said, I've
got this opportunity with Triple eight has won the championship
all come second for the last twenty years, I'd like
to look at going across there. And she said, yeah,
(24:19):
I'll release you. And that was pretty much it. So
the team boss that I had over there at the time,
who ran the team, was not very happy about it.
Speaker 3 (24:26):
We definitely had some words, but I get along with
him all right now. But yeah, it was. It was
a stressful time for me.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
And during that period you're wondering if you know, I
knew I made the right decision, but there's just you know,
I had to race for that team for six weekends
after it and your crew that you've pretty much while
leading the championship gone, I'll screw you all.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
I'm leaving.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
So it was a tough time, but it was awesome
to do it, and then didn't win the championship that year.
My teammate Brodie Costeki went on to win it and
he actually just beat Shane in the beat Shane in
the championship. But yeah, it was it was a cool period.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
It was.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Yeah, you look back on it and we made the
right decision, but yeah, it was an interesting period.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
That's incredible, yep, as I said, because the more you
learn about the story, there's so many pieces, and I
guess it's just the journalist in me is like, I'm
fascinated by the details. So one more thing on that,
as you said, obviously it's the right decision when that
opportunity comes along. As you were just talking about, how
quick of a decision for you personally was that of
this is an opportunity I want to try to take
(25:26):
versus staying where you were because you were leading the points.
It's not like you weren't having success. So for you,
as you're talking about how difficult and incredible that whole
period was, I mean mentally, what were you just going
through of how quickly you decided, yes, I have to try,
I have to try to get this opportunity.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
I was pretty quick, to be honest, once on you
was there and I knew they wanted me, and they were,
you know, very keen to get me. That's that's one
thing I think I look at as a driver, if
you're trying to work to get to that team, they
obviously don't believe in you a lot like you know
what I may normalize in my career, I've wanted teams
to want you and obviously believe in what you do.
And Jamie win Cup, the team owner, had wrung me
(26:02):
up and tried really hard to get me to come across,
So I was keen straight away. But then it was yeah,
obviously trying to work out how you actually make that
happen and seeing if it is possible before, you know,
I don't like to pump myself up too much and think, hey,
I can move across here, and it wasn't possible, But yeah,
it was. It was a tough phone call to make
to ask Betty because I thought, if she doesn't let
(26:23):
me out, then she's always known that I've tried, I've
tried leaving and that sort of stuff. So it was
a tough phone call to make. But yeah, definitely I
knew straight away when the opportunity rose it was the
right decision. You know, our team was on the rise,
but I didn't think it could last. And unfortunately the
team sort of fell apart after I left, and they've
they're you know, struggling now. But the team had, you know,
(26:45):
brought up myself and Brodikstecki through and had a great year.
He won the team's championship and Brody won the championship.
But I didn't think it was sustainable there at the time,
as much as what I saw at Triple eight. And yeah,
I just thought that they've showed for twenty years they
can win championships, so got to get there.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
I also respect the fact that you went right to
the top and you did it yourself, like you said
you weren't going to go through other channels. I think
that's need of taking it right into your hands to
say it's my future. Give me your sales pitch will
about supercars because Shane's come over, You've come over, Brody's
come over. Perkins is next, I think on the list
he's getting set to run. I believe some Exfinity races
(27:20):
with Joe Gibbs. So but give our fans, give the
United States a pitch on why we should turn around
and watch supercars racing because it's not unknown over here.
People know it. But it seems like in the last
couple of years, as all of you have come over,
people are paying more attention. So watch now your pitch
of hey, give it a shot, give it a watch.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
I think if you love road courses and how competitive
our category is, it's as competitive as NASCAR. We got
twenty five really talented drive as always very close to
each other. Our last round the top, all twenty four
cars were within five tenths half a second of each
other on a road course. The racing that have now
opened it up that it's more like now car we
(28:00):
can run into each other, we can push each other off,
and there's hard racing over there. So yeah, I think
it's probably stuff like Mexico where you saw Shane racing
up the front making moves and that that probably was
very similar to what we have in Australia.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
So it's really what the fans love.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Some fans over here in NASCAR really love the ovals,
and I'm sure they all love the ovals because that's
what it is. But you know what I mean, Some
are more like what would you say, some are becoming
more accustomed to the road courses and enjoying it more.
You can see through the comments and that sort of stuff,
and that's what we're all about, is the road courses.
And yeah, I think we always put on a great show,
(28:37):
so hopefully I think you'll watch one and can make
your own decision out of it. But we've had some
great races this year.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
Well, I appreciate it. I'm sorry we were not keeping
track time, that's right, but good luck this weekend and
I can't wait to see as you were talking about earlier,
kind of like where this develops into so well. Thank
you more of you after Chicago.
Speaker 3 (28:54):
Thank you nice chatting.
Speaker 1 (29:01):
Once again, My appreciation to Will for sitting down recording
the podcast and shedding some insight into who he is
as well as what he is ready to do for
this weekend in Chicago. I said it earlier, there are
forty one cars on the entry list, so that's why
he needs to qualify his way into the field. So
one driver, one team will be going home this weekend.
We haven't seen that recently in the Cup Series, but
it is a stacked and full field, so there will
(29:23):
be a full field of forty Will and a couple others.
Of course, as I just said, have to qualify, and
if he does, it will be his second career Cup
Series Start made his debut in twenty twenty four. It's
an Oma Raceway and it's back for more. So I
appreciate Will coming on the podcast. I also want to
thank Alicia Dial and Carly McDuck for coordinating and helping
day of as well to get Will and I sat
(29:45):
down to record the podcast. If you enjoyed the episode,
please leave a rating and review. You can also engage
with me on social media x Facebook Instagram, LinkedIn YouTube TikTok.
It's very easy to find me. I say that all
the time, but it truly is. So I hope you're
enjoying the podcast and let me know what you think. Also,
don't forget pre order the NASCAR official cookbook that's coming
(30:05):
out at the end of the year. But it is
available now. You can order it and not have to
worry about it and it'll show up at your door.
So NASCAR Race Day Eats is coming in October, the
perfect cookbook for your tailgates or your parties at home.
I hope you will check it out. That information is
also in the show description of this episode. So we
have two episodes this week to get ready for Chicago.
(30:25):
We were talking to the ladies of twenty three eleven
Racing earlier this week. Hopefully you're caught up on that,
and hopefully you enjoyed this episode with Bill Brown. So
thank you for clicking and listening, and I will see
you again real soon on the Racing Writers Podcast at
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