'Very average': Brown's brutally honest debrief
Will Brown endured difficult Gold Coast weekend
Reigning champion had two crashes in as many days of qualifying
Brown slipped from third to fifth in points, currently below Finals cut-line
Reigning Supercars champion Will Brown had a very succinct debrief of his eventful Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500.
It simply wasn't good enough if he wants to go back-to-back.
Entering the Elimination Final third in points, Brown missed both podiums to slip back to fifth. However, it could've easily been so much worse for the 27-year-old.
On a strong Boost Mobile Top Ten Shootout run on Saturday, Brown whacked the wall on the exit of the Beach Chicane, parking the #1 Camaro against the fence.
He was then turned by Kai Allen in a controversial collision on just the second lap of the corresponding race, before escaping an even bigger moment in Sunday qualifying that could've easily resulted in an enormous accident at the first chicane.
"Scrappy is probably a nice way to put it, to be honest," Brown admitted.
"It was a very average showing on probably my behalf, I think especially in qualifying.
"It wasn't just due to pace, I think we had the pace, in the Shootout we were looking really good. I just hit the fence, made a mistake, and did the same on Sunday unfortunately, so pretty disappointed with the weekend as a whole."
After spinning to the rear of the field, Brown stormed his way back through to fifth on Saturday, before an equally impressive fightback from 18th to eighth on Sunday secured his passage to the Semi Final at Sandown.
Brown carries form into Sandown, having taken the last two pole positions at the historic Melbourne venue, and claiming last year's Sandown enduro alongside Scott Pye.
"But as usual, we had really good race pace. We drove from last after being turned around back up into fifth, and from 18th up to eighth, so obviously our race pace is what's helping us this year in getting us through," Brown said.
"I feel like at Sandown race pace is going to be a massive thing. I do enjoy Sandown, love that track, I've qualified pole there for the last two years in a row for the Sandown 500.
"I'm feeling fairly confident going into that round, I think that we can have a good showing and win a race there."
With the first hurdle of his Finals campaign now cleared, Brown is confident that his title-winning form can return when it matters most, as seven Finals Drivers will become just four at the end of the weekend.
"It's my most confident track. I knew going into Gold Coast that that would be our harder track, we really had to get through that round, but I think for us I'm feeling more confident going into Sandown than I was for Gold Coast."
Track action at Sandown commences on Friday November 14. Tickets are on sale now.
