Carson Brown: NASCAR O'Reilly Series debut was 'a long time coming'

Carson Brown will make his NASCAR O'Reily Auto Parts Series debut Saturday at Iowa Speedway with Jordan Anderson Racing, giving fans their first chance to see what the 18-year-old can do in the second-highest tier of NASCAR competition. 

Brown scored his first career ARCA win at Phoenix in March and has finished top five in all six of his ARCA starts this season. He was signed by Richard Childress Racing as a development driver in November 2025. 

"It was a long time coming, honestly, with my whole RCR family," Brown said Tuesday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. "I knew that once I turned 18 I wanted to make my O'Reilly debut. I felt like it was time. Never really wanted to rush the process per se, but just kind of knew it was time. 

"Talking with RCR, talking to Jordan Anderson, we knew Iowa was going to be available. We figured that was going to be the time to pull the trigger and try and get my feet wet."

Carson Brown isn't nervous yet

Brown said he's yet to experience the onslaught of nerves that usually comes for young drivers as they prepare for their NASCAR debuts. 

"I feel like it might hit me once I get to the racetrack and once I see everything and everyone," Brown said. "I think it's finally going to feel real. We all knew it was going to happen, it was just a matter of when and where."

Brown will also race in Friday's ARCA race at Iowa, which will provide the young driver with some extra laps at the 0.875-mile short track ahead of his NOAPS debut.