Aussies in America: Perkins, Brown Face Setbacks in NASCAR Xfinity Race at Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. â It was a bittersweet weekend for Australian motorsport stars Jack Perkins and Will Brown as they took on the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Portland International Raceway. Both drivers showed flashes of promise, but their runs ended in frustration â Perkins with a late-race mistake that cost him a podium, and Brown with mechanical issues that forced him to retire.
Perkinsâ Podium Slips Away
Jack Perkins looked poised for a breakthrough finish on American soil. Running inside the top five for much of the Pacific Office Automation 147, he had positioned himself for what would have been a career-best result in NASCAR. With only a handful of laps to go, however, Perkins overdrove a corner and slid wide, opening the door for rivals to slip past.
âA third-place finish went begging,â Perkins admitted. âThe car was strong all day, and Iâm disappointed not to bring it home for the team. But being up there fighting with the leaders shows we belong.â
Despite the setback, the performance reaffirmed Perkinsâ adaptability as he transitions from Supercars competition into NASCARâs unique stock-car environment.
Brownâs Debut Cut Short
For reigning Supercars champion Will Brown, the weekend was about gaining valuable experience in his Xfinity Series debut. After a steady opening stint that saw him find rhythm in traffic, his day unraveled when mechanical gremlins struck, forcing him to retire before the finish.
âNot the debut we were hoping for,â Brown said. âThe car just had an issue we couldnât fix, and itâs frustrating when youâre trying to get laps and learn. Still, the atmosphere, the racing â itâs an awesome experience. Hopefully, I get another shot.â
Growing Aussie Presence
The double feature at Portland highlighted the increasing presence of Australian talent in American stock-car racing. With Shane van Gisbergen already turning heads as a full-time NASCAR competitor and drivers like Brown and Perkins exploring opportunities, the connection between Supercars and NASCAR continues to strengthen.
While the results werenât what either driver envisioned, the experience itself was a valuable step forward. Perkins demonstrated his ability to mix it up at the front, while Brown gained firsthand knowledge of the Xfinity Seriesâ intensity. Both left Portland encouraged about future chances to compete in the U.S.
Would you like me to expand this into a âAussies Abroadâ feature that also includes SVGâs progress in Cup and how the Supercars-to-NASCAR pipeline is growing?
