(Bill W) March 19, 2012 – Two nights with the World of Outlaws at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California became one last weekend when rains canceled Saturday’s finale. Brian Brown finished twelfth in Friday’s prelim, and is looking forward to this weekend’s Mini-Gold Cup at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico.
Things started well for the Brian Brown Racing Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 team. “We were really excited about going into Tulare,” says Brian. “We had heard a lot about how racy a place it was. It is always good to get to new tracks. We were good from the get go. We were seventh fastest in hot laps, and then we qualified sixth quick.”
With the top two finishers in each heat transferring to the dash, starting inside the second row can be a tough spot. “In the Outlaws format, with three heats, that is not where you want to be,” says Brian. “It’s an easier path to the dash if you are in the top four, or seventh through twelfth. We started third in our heat, and just kind of ran behind (Craig) Dollansky (finishing fourth).”
With a starting spot outside row six on a heavy track, Brian was thinking about just seeing where he was going. “As the laps went on, the track just kept getting stickier and stickier and stickier,” he says. “I knew the biggest issue in the feature would be just getting enough tear-offs on to make it to the end. I think we went through nineteen in the heat race.”
One of Brian’s partners came in handy. “Thank goodness they make Racing Optics (tear-offs) and they are a partner of ours,” he says. “I put forty on for the feature. I think we had a red flag on the twelfth or thirteenth lap, and I had eight or nine left at that point.”
Brian maintained to a twelfth place finish. “It was tough in the middle of traffic,” he says. “Unless you were Tim Kaeding, everyone was running about the same speed. We started twelfth and finished twelfth. After seeing some guys get torn up, you are happy to get out of there with the car in one piece and move on to Chico.”
The team is gearing up for the Mini-Gold Cup Friday and Saturday. “All these places, we’ve never been,” says Brian. “I’ve watched a lot of video from Chico. I’m sure it will be pretty sticky and we’ve been pretty decent on those tracks this year. We just need to get our car working good. I hear they’ve taken some bank out too. It will be interesting to see how that affects the guys who have been there before.”
Brian will be running with the Outlaws two more weeks in California. “We’re really enjoying ourselves racing with the Outlaws,” he says. “We’re working hard, and I think that’s going to show when we get back around home. We’ve got some FVP folks coming on Saturday and it will be good to get with them. That’s one of the reasons we’re out here. We’re going up to Kaeding Performance this week. We’ll work up there. They are a good supporter of ours, and I’m looking forward to checking out their place too.”
Web site info
For up to date information on Brian Brown Racing visit www.BrianBrownRacing.com
Casey's: www.caseys.com
FVP: www.fvpparts.com
Brian's Q&A
Adrian Wood asks: What do you think of the new Friday format at the Nationals?
Brian answers: I think it’s great. It’s kind of what is needed. They’ve tried several things over the last few years on Friday to get the fans excited, and nothing has been great. As a racer, it’s good. If something happens, and you don’t have a good qualifying night, you have an opportunity to start 17th in the A. I think it will be good for the fans and racers. I think you’ll see exciting changes like this with Toby (Kruse), John (McCoy) and Brian (Stickel) at Knoxville.
Got a question for Brian? Send it to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Brian" in your subject line.
Brown's Bits
Brian opened up the 2009 season with a win at the Springfield Speedway in Springfield, Missouri. It was Brian’s first triumph ever in the month of March. Josh Fisher was second in the event, ahead of Derek Hagar, Toby Brown and Sean McClelland.
About Casey’s General Stores
Casey’s General Stores is a Fortune-500 company (NASDAQ CASY) operating nearly 1700 convenience stores in 11 states through the Midwest. Known for its “Homemade-To-Go” pizza, sandwiches, donuts and bakery items, Casey’s strives to consistently deliver quality gas, fresh kitchen-prepared food, clean environments and friendly service at every retail location. Casey’s is currently the 12th largest c-store chain and sixth largest pizza chain in the United States.
About FVP
We are very excited to introduce our new line of automotive chemicals, oils and fluids to our product offering. These new products will be available at many retailers across the country. We continue to offer a full line of high quality oil, air, cabin air and fuel filters, plus a complete line of high quality batteries for multiple applications including cars, trucks, SUV’s, commercial and other specialty vehicles. All products are made to OE manufacturer fitment specifications. FVP products are engineered to provide our customers with quality products that are equal or superior in performance to the major national brands at a competitive price. To learn more about our FVP products or to find out where you can have FVP products installed in your vehicle, visit us at www.FVPparts.com! FVP…The Confident Solution
SPLASH
In addition to our line of seasonal safety products, we are very excited to introduce a full line of SPLASH Wiper Blades. Our SafeView Performance Blades fit 95% of the vehicles on the road with quick and easy installation for everyone. The AccuVision Beam Blade offers memory curve steel, which provides uniform pressure for a clear wipe, without the streaks. Look for these great new SPLASH products! Whether it’s keeping your windshield clean or free of ice, protecting your RV, boat or pool from freezing in the winter, or your sidewalk safe to walk on, SPLASH Products are what you need! Check out our new SPLASH website at www.SPLASHWash.com! SPLASH…SEE SAFELY!
Marketing Partner of the Week – Champion Racing Lubricants (Champion Racing 20W50 Motor Oil)
Visit Champion’s new web page at www.ChampionsUseChampion.com! Champion Racing 20W50 Motor Oil is the one that started it all by beating the competition in providing more horsepower, torque, and anti-wear additives than many of the more well known brands of racing oil. Champion Racing 20W50's premium ZDDP anti-wear protection is among the highest in the industry. Champion's exclusive shear stabilizer delivers better film strength and piston ring seal at peak temperatures. Champion Racing 20W50 also delivers more foot-pounds of torque with higher compression than any competitor's brands.
Benefits include:
• Provides exceptional low coefficient of friction
• Offers film strength and viscosity stability of thicker mono-grades at higher temperatures
• Provides upper cylinder anti-wear protection
• Increases high-temp oil pressure and compression
• Formulated for flat tappet, roll over cams and bearings in turbo and super-charged racing engines
• Lowers engine temperature
• Compatible with petroleum and other synthetics
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – K&N Filters
Brian says – “We’re proud to run with K&N. They have a carbon-fiber air box. The key to horsepower is air. When you’re choosing the filter to save the bearing and keep the dirt out, it’s K&N.”
Brian is a proud partner with K&N Filters. K&N Engineering, of Riverside, California, is the inventor and leading innovator of reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications. From humble beginnings as a family run business over 35 years ago, K&N Engineering, now a truly global company with offices in the U.K. and the Netherlands, continues to exist as a family owned business with an enthusiast mindset and a direct connection with motor sports that carries over throughout all levels of management and manufacturing. Today, K&N exists as both the sales and brand leader for performance filters, and maintains a stocking catalogue of over 3,500 part numbers, including an extensive line of both factory replacement drop-in filters, FIPK (Fuel Injection Performance Kit) applications, and its line of innovative Performance Gold oil filters. Visit them at www.KNFilters.com!
Brian Brown Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps / impact4800.com, Champion Brands, SPLASH, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, www.RateWin.com, Arctic Cat, K&N Filters, Hostiowa.net, FSR Race Products, TI64, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Awesome Racewear, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, CP Pistons, Carrillo Rods, Engler Machine, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, AkzoNobel Sikkens, Jack Links, Rockstar, Deli Express, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance Products, Santomauro Racing Products, Cometic Gaskets, Kaeding Performance, Donovan, Magtech, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler, Racing Optics, Don's Truck Wash, Gardner Farms, Hoosier Tires, GoPro, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Peterson Fluid System, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, and WSIB Insurance for all their support!
- Admin Account on Mar 19, 2012
- Article Date: 3/19/2012 by Bill Wright