Supercars champion Will Brown and NASCAR star Shane van Gisbergen have linked up for a day of racing at the Franklin Dirt Kart Club in Meremere.
Sunday’s catch-up between the two Red Bull-backed drivers comes less than 24 hours after van Gisbergen made his final Sprintcar appearance of the summer at Western Springs, where he won a heat and finished second in the feature.
“Fun day here in NZ!” Brown posted on social media. “First time running a go-kart on dirt was a blast. Thanks to Shane van Gisbergen for organising it. Now time to get ready for the Historic Grand Prix at Taupo!”
Brown is in New Zealand preparing for his Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship (CTFROC) debut at the Sixt Taupo Historic GP next weekend.
He will also compete in Round 2 of CTFROC at Hampton Downs on January 17-19 before returning to Australia for the Bathurst 12 Hour, where he’ll partner Chaz Mostert and Ferrari factory driver Daniel Serra in the Pro class in one of Arise Racing GT’s Ferrari 296 GT3s.
The ten-time race winner will then return to CTFROC and rejoin Giles Motorsport for the 69th running of the New Zealand Grand Prix at Highlands.
Brown, who took over at Triple Eight after van Gisbergen’s move to the United States, has preserved a close bond with the three-time champion, with the Kiwi even serving as his spotter during his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Sonoma last year.
Van Gisbergen’s 2025 NASCAR season begins on February 2 with the Clash at Bowman Gray, a non-points round on the quarter-mile oval that welcomes the Cup Series for their first competitive visit since 1971.
Two weeks later, the regular season begins with the 67th annual Daytona 500 on February 16.
Header Image: Will Brown (Facebook)
