18-Year-Old Scores First Top-Five in Second Career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Start
Date: Sunday, Oct. 11
Event: Blue Cross NC 300
Series: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 200 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/110 laps)
Start/Finish: 20th / 5th (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Overview:
In his first start of any kind at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and in just his second career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start, Carson Brown finished an impressive fifth Sunday night in the Blue Cross NC 300. Making the result even more remarkable was that Brown did it without any track time beforehand on the 1.5-mile oval, as rain washed out the scheduled practice and qualifying sessions Saturday. The 18-year-old from New London, North Carolina, simply went to work behind the wheel of his No. 32 TestEquity Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport, starting 20th in the 38-car field and methodically working his way toward the front while providing detailed feedback to his team so it could improve his racecar during each pit stop. It all culminated in a final 10-lap dash to the finish when, after a caution period, Brown restarted 14th and continually picked off cars, grabbing two positions on the penultimate lap to secure his first top-five finish.
Carson Brown, driver of the No. 32 TestEquity Chevrolet for Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport:
“To run this good here with no practice, no qualifying, just super proud of this whole Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport group and our partner, TestEquity, and everyone on this car. I thought we just fired off really well, and I really didn’t lack much. I struggled a little bit with rear grip there just as the race went on, and I felt like we just kept losing spots on pit road because we were working on the car and trying to just make it better, and it kind of just stayed the same throughout the night. I thought the track was gonna change on us, get a lot tighter, but it really didn’t. But we all kept after it, so big thank you to all the guys and Mark Setzer (crew chief) for making a really good call at the end. We just picked our way through the field. There were some very good players, and never really raced against that whole group all day, but I just think we carried so much momentum into that lead pack there toward the end of the race that we just had so much momentum that they struggled to defend it. When I heard P5 after the checkered, I was pretty shocked. Very proud. It was just a really good day.”
Notes:
● This was Brown’s second career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series start. He made his O’Reilly Series debut Aug. 8 at Iowa Speedway in Newton and finished 15th.
● Brown will race full time in the O’Reilly Series in 2027 and run for rookie-of-the-year honors driving the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
● Even though practice and qualifying were rained out Saturday for the Blue Cross NC 300, Brown was the lone O’Reilly Series driver to still get track time. It wasn’t at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Instead, it was at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, where Brown competed in the 55th annual Winchester 400. Brown was originally scheduled to compete in the Winchester 400 on Friday, but with Hurricane Isaias heading toward the track, ASA STARS National Tour officials moved the race to Saturday. This presented a conflict with the O’Reilly Series schedule at Charlotte, but when the O’Reilly Series race was postponed to Sunday because of the same storm system, Brown was able to race at Winchester and get back to Charlotte in time for the Blue Cross NC 300. And he returned with the coveted rifle trophy, as Brown dominated the Winchester 400 in his No. 81 Chevrolet for Anthony Campi Racing (ACR), leading twice for 388 laps, including the final 351 laps, outpacing ACR teammate Stephen Nasse. It was Brown’s fifth ASA STARS National Tour win this season, further strengthening his lead in the championship standings with just two races remaining – Nov. 8 at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway and Nov. 15 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
● The Winchester 400 marked Brown’s 10th overall victory of 2026, a tally that includes five ASA STARS National Tour wins, four ARCA Menards Series victories and one CARS Tour West win.
- ASA STARS National Tour Feb. 10 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway
- ARCA Menards Series March 5 at Phoenix Raceway
- ASA STARS National Tour March 14 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida
- ASA STARS National Tour June 21 at Slinger (Wis.) Speedway
- ASA STARS National Tour July 25 at Newport (Tenn.) Speedway
- CARS Tour West Aug. 15 at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Washington
- ARCA Menards Series Sept. 6 at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds
- ARCA Menards Series Sept. 17 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
- ARCA Menards Series Sept. 25 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas
- ASA STARS National Tour Oct. 10 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway
Next Up:
Brown returns to the CARS Tour for its season finale Oct. 17 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Less than a month later, he’s back on the ASA STARS National Tour for the All-American 400 Nov. 8 at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway. It is the tour’s penultimate race and Brown enters as the championship points leader. The ASA STARS National Tour concludes its 2026 campaign Nov. 15 with the Florida Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna Speedway.
