Will Brown faced challenges in qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Portland, driving the #11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro.
Performance Overview
Will Brown, competing for Kaulig Racing, finished 25th in practice, trailing pace-setter Connor Zilisch by two seconds. Unfortunately, a gearbox issue during qualifying hindered his performance, costing him crucial time on the track. Brown, along with his teammate Jack Perkins, was part of the first qualifying group. While Perkins managed to secure the third position, Brown ended up 13th out of 19 cars, with the second group later improving the overall benchmark. Ultimately, Perkins qualified 11th, while Brown found himself in 27th place.
Qualifying Insights
Zilisch claimed pole position for the upcoming 75-lap race, finishing nearly half a second ahead of his closest competitor, Justin Allgaier. Reflecting on his qualifying experience, Brown admitted, “I probably wasn’t feeling as comfortable as I hoped, to be honest. I just had a little drama. I don’t know if I burred second gear or something happened.” He recounted a missed shift early in the session, which severely affected his ability to engage second gear, ultimately impacting his performance in braking zones and preventing him from finding a rhythm on the track.
Race Strategy
Despite starting from the back, Brown remained optimistic about the race ahead, stating, “It’s a long race. We’ll slowly see if we can pick a few off. We’ll get it sorted and see what happens.” He acknowledged the differences between the Chevrolet Camaro and the Supercar he was accustomed to, noting, “They pick up the front, they roll a lot, so that was something to get used to. You can’t feel the lock-ups as easy, but I’ve just got to do a better job and hopefully we get this sorted and we’ll be right.”
Broadcast Information
Fans can catch the action of the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Portland International Raceway live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, starting at 9:00 AM AEST.