(Bill W) July 20, 2009 – Brian Brown overcame adversity to work his way from the tail to eighth last Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway. The Grain Valley, Missouri driver maintained his second place standing in the point race, with five events remaining. He’ll compete again this Saturday night at Knoxville in the Brian Brown Racing SuperClean #21.
Brian registered the third quick time of the night amidst the 30-car field. “It was a good lap we laid down and we’ll need to do it for the Nationals, but with Knoxville’s crazy format for this year, it doesn’t do us any good to qualify well,” he shares. “Some of these guys have the sandbagging down, but it’s just not in my nature to do it. I have confidence that officials at Knoxville will see the light and get some points back into qualifying next year. Without them, it’s become a joke.”
Brian started outside row three in the heat race and finished third after some good racing action. “We had a good race there with Chad Meyer for third,” he says. “We felt good going into the A.”
Before a lap could be completed in the main event, Brian’s night was turned upside down. “I’m still not even sure what happened today,” he explains. “I just saw a car crashing (Meyer) in front of us. (Jesse) Giannetto checked up, and I got into him. Then Meyer cleaned our top wing off. Sooner or later, the quick guys are going to be caught up in that stuff with such a big invert, and that’s a shame. When you’re mired back in the pack, things can happen that are out of your control. It can be won from back there. Johnny Herrera won from tenth. But things like this are going to happen too.”
Brian had plenty of help in the work area, and was able to restart the event at the tail. “We were lucky that it was just the wing, and we didn’t tear our Maxim chassis up,” he says. “There were a lot of guys that helped us besides our own crew to get us back out on the racetrack. We had guys from Schneiderman’s crew and Brahmer’s crew too. I’m probably forgetting someone. Lee Nelson (Ostrich Racing Engines) was even in there with a hammer getting the post set in there. That shows you what a great guy he is. A lot of engine builders would have been getting a hot dog at that point. Thank goodness it was an open red, or I don’t know that we would have gotten back out there.”
It took Brian awhile to get going, but once he did, he began to pick off competitors. “It took a couple of laps to make sure nothing was going to fall off,” he says. “I don’t think I passed a car the first five laps. Once I figured out how I needed to run it, we were able to come up through there a little bit and finish eighth. It wasn’t good as far as points, but it could have been worse.”
The 2007 Knoxville track champion will enter this weekend second in the standings with five point races remaining.
Website
For up to date information on Brian Brown, visit www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
T-shirts
T-shirts are available and can be ordered at Brian’s website (www.BrianBrownRacing.com), or catch us at the races!
Brian's Q&A
Gerald Edwards from Olathe, KS asks: I’ve heard drivers talk about how the new flat wing changed a lot for them. What changes have you experienced?
Brian answers: When you are behind cars, it makes it tougher. Our cars are so air dependent. In clean air you are good…usually two or three tenths better. So the biggest difference comes when you are behind other cars. You aren’t getting the down-force you used to.
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 Brown won the Knoxville Raceway track championship in 2007. He had to work through three B features along the way, but he ended up with five wins (23%), eleven top fives (50%) and 14 top tens (64%) in 22 feature events along the way. He won three features in a row, spanning from June 23 to July 7. His final point total was 360 more than second place driver Dusty Zomer.
[b SuperClean]
SuperClean is the “super product” for your home, auto, outdoor and marine cleaning jobs. Whether it is grease, oil, wax, tar or dirt that you need to clean from concrete, wheels or just about anything else, SuperClean is the product for you! To learn more about SuperClean, visit www.SuperClean.com!
[u SuperClean Products include:]
[b Tire Gloss]
Get a showroom shine every time! Rejuvenate your tires with SuperClean Tire Gloss. Our unique formula clings to tires, giving them a long-lasting luster while protecting against dirt, dust and road grime.
[b Accuvision]
When wet weather hits, rest assured that SuperClean AccuVision will help you drive safely by keeping your windshield clear and the road in sight! Our advanced technology improves visibility by repelling rain, sleet, and snow without any rubbing, buffing or waxing. Use it on any glass surface for a long-lasting, high-quality treatment.
[b Tough Task Cleaner-Degreaser]
If you have tough, caked-on grease, then SuperClean Tough Task Cleaner-Degreaser is the multipurpose cleaner you need. This concentrated, industrial strength formula quickly removes grease, oil, wax, tar, and dirt on contact leaving your surface as clean as new.
[b All Wheel Cleaner]
If you love your car more than you love your…well you know, then SuperClean All Wheel Cleaner is for you. This custom-blend formula instantly releases road grime and brake dust, leaving wheels clean to the original finish.
[b Car Wash
Use SuperClean Car Wash for the shine your car deserves.]
See Heather at a grandstand entrance near you or visit the team’s trailer to get your free sample! SuperClean is available at Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone, Casey’s, Menard's, Mills Fleet Farm, O'Reilly Auto Parts, NAPA, Pep Boys, Wal-Mart, and many other fine retailers, to find a retailer near you, visit www.SuperClean.com/where.php.
[b Marketing Partner of the Week – Ditzfeld Transfer]
Ditzfeld Transfer has been with Brian since the start of his racing career, and was his first sponsor. The Sedalia based family owned trucking business has been in operation for over 45 years, and has a commitment to maintaining the highest level of service. Currently, Ditzfeld Transfer utilizes more than 50 power units and 160 trailers. To learn more about Ditzfeld Transfer, visit www.DitzfeldTransfer.com!
[b Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – Red Devil Brakes]
Visit www.RedDevilBrakes.com to check out the line of products offered. Headquartered in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, Red Devil offers a full line of products including Ultra Lite Brakes, Rotors, Billet Hats, Calipers, Pads, Heat Shields and more!
Brian's Releases are an up close look at the past, present and future of 2007 Knoxville Raceway track champion, Brian Brown. To receive Brian's weekly updates, send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "Brian" in the subject line.
Brian would like to thank SuperClean, Ditzfeld Transfer, Searsboro Telephone Company, www.FaxMeService.com, Housby Trucks, Maxim Racing, Champion Racing XP, NOS Energy Drink, Smiley’s Race Products, Impact Sign and Lighting, Arctic Cat, Michael Ross Memorial Foundation, K&N Filters, Hostiowa.net, FSR Race Products, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Awesome Racewear, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Weld Wheels, Bell Helmets, Paul's Auto Body Supply, Engler Machine, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, Rod End Supply, Winters Performance Products, ISC Racers Tape, Racing Optics, Pro Shocks, Don's Truck Wash, Gardner Farms, Hoosier Tires, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Peterson Fluid System, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, www.Impact4800.com, WSIB Insurance and Rubbin’ Repair for all their help!
- Bill Wright on Jul 20, 2009
- Article Date: 7/20/2009