Brown’s NASCAR Trip Compromised Townsville Supercars Run

Triple Eight acknowledges US venture impacted preparation for Victorian round

Will Brown‘s recent NASCAR Cup Series appearance in Chicago appears to have affected his and Triple Eight’s performance at Townsville. The Supercars driver and his race engineer, Andrew Edwards, were both in the United States during the crucial period between the Darwin and Townsville events.

Challenging Start to the Weekend

The compromise became evident on Friday at Townsville, where Triple Eight faced an uncharacteristic difficult session. This included a crash during opening practice for **Brown**, who then qualified a disappointing 20th. His teammate, **Broc Feeney**, also struggled, qualifying 14th.

Fighting Back for Strong Results

Despite the challenging start, both drivers showed resilience. **Feeney** recovered to finish eighth in the opening race and went on to dominate the weekend, winning both Saturday and Sunday’s main events. **Brown** also made significant progress, securing fourth place on Saturday and a strong second on Sunday.

“We were probably a bit compromised, we had Will and Andrew in the US making names for themselves in the NASCAR world. It was a little bit compromised, but I’m happy to have those compromises if it means greater opportunities for our drivers, engineers, mechanics, and what not.”

—Roland Dane, Triple Eight Managing Director

Looking Ahead After Townsville

Triple Eight managing director **Roland Dane** expressed pride in the team’s comeback, while admitting the US trip had an impact. “We prepared as well as we possibly could,” **Dane** stated. “Friday wasn’t our finest day, but thankfully we had a great weekend.” The team plans to debrief the weekend to understand and prevent future Friday struggles.

This season, Feeney is in a prime position to claim the inaugural Supercars Sprint Cup. Meanwhile, Brown remains a strong contender to defend his overall championship title. With the new Finals series format, finishing in the top 10 after the Bathurst 1000 secures a chance at the championship, and Brown is currently second in the standings. In a similar situation, Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen’s recent participation in a sim racing event did not prevent him from securing pole position in the subsequent Grand Prix, demonstrating that some drivers can manage dual commitments successfully (Source: Formula 1, 2024).