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Following the footsteps of Shane van Gisbergen and Brodie Kostecki, Australian Supercars driver Will Brown is set to make his NASCAR debut later this season. He will compete in the Cup Series, driving the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing.
Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen made his NASCAR debut last season. In what was a historic race, Van Gisbergen became the first driver in nearly six decades to win on their NASCAR Cup Series debut. Driving for Trackhouse Racing as a part of their Project91 program, SVG won the Grant Park 220 race at Chicago Street Course.
Van Gisbergen competed in two more races last season before moving permanently from the Australian Supercars to NASCAR. The Kiwi driver currently competes full-time in the Xfinity Series, driving for Kaulig Racing, and on a part-time schedule for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series.
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2023 also saw other Supercars drivers like Cam Waters and Brodie Kostecki announce their NASCAR debuts. Following up on this trend, Australia-native Will Brown is set to make his NASCAR debut later this year. He will pilot the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing.
The 2023 season also saw Supercars drivers Cam Waters and Brodie Kostecki announce their NASCAR debuts, further cementing the trend. Cam Waters, an 11-time Supercars race-winning driver, will pilot the No. 60 RFK Racing #Stage60 entry in the race at Sonoma. Waters has already competed in two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events this season, showcasing his versatility and adaptability across different racing formats.
Adding to this growing list, Will Brown is the latest Supercars driver to make the leap. He will join the Cup Series later this year, driving the No. 33 for Richard Childress Racing. This team previously fielded the No. 33 entry for Brodie Kostecki last season. However, an unexpected situation unfolded this year, with Kostecki and Erebus Motorsport parting ways for the opening two events of the 2024 season, paving the way for Brown’s entry.
Shane van Gisbergen compares his NASCAR move to Marcos Ambrose
Two time V8 Supercars champion Marcos Ambrose moved to the United States to compete in NASCAR.
Ahead of the race weekend in Darlington, Shane van Gisbergen reflected on this influence. He credited Ambrose for initially bridging the gap between NASCAR and the Australasian region. The 35-year-old said (via Frontstretch):
"NASCAR got so much coverage, and when he stopped, it died off and now its come back again. It's pretty awesome to have that and hearing about people waking up early on a Monday morning or a Sunday morning to watch my races or Cup races, it's really cool."
He acknowledged the challenges of the transition but expressed satisfaction at seeing more Supercars drivers taking up the challenge.
"I'm starting to see other guys coming to try too. There's two Supercar guys racing at Sonoma which is awesome. It's been cool to see and hopefully more of us keep coming over and having a go."
In the ongoing season, Shane van Gisbergen is ranked 15th in the Xfinity Series standings. He has 235 points to his name.
