History is set to repeat itself. Remember when Shane van Gisbergen made his memorable Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Course? The Kiwi racer shocked the motorsports community by securing a win, a result that paved the way for his stock car racing career. He’s not the only racer to have made it from the land down under. Brodie Kostecki, Cam Waters, and Will Brown have all made the transition as well, and it seems like another young superstar is roaring to follow in their footsteps.

Triple Eight racing driver Broc Feeney hopes to make his NASCAR debut this year. Like SVG, the 22-year-old wants to play to his strengths by making a one-off appearance on a road course, even though he has no plans of abandoning the Supercars Championship just yet.

Broc Feeney is hoping to get a taste of stock car racing

Hailing from Gold Coast, Queensland, Broc Feeney was invited to experience the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, an opportunity he couldn’t pass by. “So I bit the bullet, I bought my flights like 24 hours before I left. I literally just jumped on a plane and went over. It was a cool experience”, he said. That’s where he reunited with his former Triple Eight teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, who is pulling the strings to help Feeney make his NASCAR debut later this year.

According to Speedcafe, Broc Feeney is expected to make his one-off appearance for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series, even though the 22-year-old denies any such agreement is in place just yet. He said, “I certainly don’t have anything locked in. Everyone’s like, ‘oh, you’ve done something’, but I haven’t. I’ve got nothing sorted. But I’d love to go and do it, just go do a couple of road courses would be my intent. Everyone knows the calendar. There’s obviously tracks that clash and tracks that don’t, so we’ll see what happens.”

Catching up with Shane van Gisbergen wasn’t the only highlight of Feeney’s time at Martinsville. He also reunited with Triple Eight PR man Mitch McEvoy, who has taken up a PR role at Trackhouse Racing this year. While SVG made a full-time switch to NASCAR last year, Feeney has no such plans of leaving Supercars for good. He said, “The ovals don’t interest me, but for sure I’d go run a road course if the opportunity came up.”

A quick look at the calendar highlights several road course races that Broc Feeney can participate in this year. The races at Mexico City (June 14), Chicago (July 5), and the Xfinity Series weekend at Portland (August 30) don’t clash with the Supercars calendar, which could allow the 22-year-old to make his debut. His teammate, Will Brown, is also being linked to a Cup Series seat. After making his NASCAR debut with Richard Childress Racing last year, Brown could link up with Kaulig Racing for the Chicago Street Course race in the Cup Series.

Having international drivers wanting to experience competing in NASCAR is a major win for the racing series. Not only does it increase the talent pool for teams, but also expands the market on a global scale, bringing in more sponsorships and viewers. These one-off appearances  also pave the way for newer drivers to break into the sport, just like Shane van Gisbergen. But at 22, Broc Feeney’s reluctance to leave the Supercars Championship is understandable too.

Feeney shares his thoughts ahead of Taupō Super 440

Expectations are high from Broc Feeney. After ending the 2024 season with Triple Eight Race Engineering in second place, the 22-year-old hasn’t quite hit the ground running in this year’s campaign yet. Two runner-up finishes and a triumph at Albert Park Circuit are decent results though, and he currently finds himself third in the standings, with teammate Will Brown occupying the top spot followed by Cam Waters close behind.

Reflecting on the season so far, Feeney couldn’t help but say, “We’ve had four poles and three second-place starts in qualifying, so the speed’s certainly been there. I hate saying I haven’t had good luck, but we just haven’t put it all together − in Sydney I got a flat tyre in one race, I got run off the track and lost the podium due to someone out of position, then grand prix we missed Sunday’s race in the rain [when he had qualified first].”

His last appearance at Taupō International Motorsport Park was an entertaining affair, as Broc Feeney battled teammate Will Brown for a victory, only to fall short. “I obviously came off second best, which wasn’t fantastic, but it was a great spectacle, and it really probably set me and Will up for what was the year to come,” said Feeney. It’s time for redemption for the 22-year-old, who will be fueled by last year’s outcome and will want to reignite his friendly rivalry to clinch the top spot.