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Find your Sport Nation frequencyBrown out to avenge 'tough year' in semi-final showdown
Sebastian Tan, AAP • November 5th, 2026 1:39 pm
Will Brown is looking to secure a spot in the Supercars finals with a good showing at Sandown | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
Will Brown admits reaching the Supercars grand final would mean more to him than in previous years, but that thought stirs up his nerves.
The Triple Eight Race Engineering star will look to punch his ticket for the Adelaide decider when he takes the Sandown 500 track on Friday ahead of two crucial 250km races over the weekend.
Seven drivers are currently in the hunt for the title, but only four will remain after the penultimate round's chequered flag falls.
They will be the winners of Saturday and Sunday's races regardless of their standings, along with the top two ranked drivers who fail to claim victory.
Will Brown has had a solid season, but laments at-times frustrating results | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
For Brown, he sits in fifth place, 12 points shy of the fourth-placed Chaz Mostert.
But at one point this season, the Triple Eight driver's hopes of even being in the top five by Sandown looked distant after he endured a tumultuous start to his campaign.
His fortunes flipped when his team realised that his Ford Mustang had a less-powerful engine, and after replacing it, the 28-year-old had become a regular on the podium and secured his first win of the year in Ipswich.
But just as things began looking right for Brown, he was dealt a blow in the most recent Gold Coast 500, where he came sixth and 11th in the two races, respectively.
Will Brown is now even more fired up and motivated to keep delivering in 2026 | Photo: Mark Evans/AAP
"If I got through the final, it would certainly mean more than any other year. It's just been such a tough year before that," Brown told AAP.
"It would show the commitment and the car speed we've had over the last couple of rounds.
"Making that top four and trying to go out and win that championship is no small feat this year at all. Everyone from teams, drivers, and everything has stepped up a lot."
The 2024 champion slid into the precarious fifth spot after his Gold Coast woes, but Brown says the results do add fuel to the fire.
He also has some butterflies knowing he must win or podium in both races to have a chance of making a third straight grand final.
"Yeah, a little bit (of nerves)," he said.
"But the honest truth is that everyone out there should be nervous this weekend.
"The points are tight. It's anyone's game. If we have a solid weekend, we'll make it through the top four."
The 2024 champion will have Triple Eight Team Principal Jamie Whincup in his ears, which may be key as the Supercars great boasts the second most victories at the rough Sandown track.
"Jamie's a massive addition on the weekend to chat about when the weather comes in and just to pick his brain a little bit," he said.
"It's probably on paper our strongest track over the last four or five years ... Hopefully we can draw on that."
