(Photo courtesy of World of Outlaws)
Inside Line Promotions – JACKSON, Minn. (June 11, 2018) – Brian Brown capped the 40th annual AGCO Jackson Nationals with a podium finish on Saturday evening at Jackson Motorplex.
“First and foremost, it’s good to see the Jackson Nationals relevant as one of the premier events across the country,” he said. “The facility to the crowd to the atmosphere, I feel like it’s back.”
The marquee World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event got off to a rocky start as Mother Nature wreaked havoc last Thursday during the first preliminary night, which was postponed to Saturday afternoon.
Brown returned to the 4/10-mile oval on Friday and he put together a solid performance, qualifying fifth quickest in his group, placing third in a heat race and maneuvering from 10th to fifth place in the A Main.
“We were really, really good on the double-file restarts,” he said. “We were able to get going and make some hay. Those things either make you or break you. Our Charlie Garrett engines take off really well. When you can get going quickly it definitely helps.”
Brown closed preliminary competition on Saturday afternoon with another efficient outing. He timed in sixth quickest in his group, ended fourth in a heat race and advanced from 15th to 10th in the main event.
“I thought they did a great job putting on a day show in 80 degree weather,” he said. “It was one of the better day shows I’ve been a part of.
“We got into second in the heat race before we lost a couple of positions on a restart. I looked at it as that was a missed opportunity that cost us a chance at winning the Jackson Nationals. I let the team down by not getting in the dash on Saturday afternoon. I thought we needed to be sixth or seventh in the A Main, but the way the points fell it went in our favor.”
Brown ranked fourth in overall points out of more than 40 competitors. That locked him into Saturday’s dash.
“I felt like we might have a car that could contend for the win,” he said. “When you get in the first couple of rows you can massage your cars to get max speed. I felt like once we got ourselves in the dash and I went fourth to second I had a good opportunity to win the Jackson Nationals.”
Brown lined up on the outside of the front row for the 40-lap, $40,000-to-win main event.
“We were a little one way to start the feature,” he said. “We had an open red and over-adjusted the other way.”
Brown spent the first few laps chasing leader Jason Johnson before he dropped a spot to eventual race winner Donny Schatz. Brown then had a great battle with David Gravel for third place throughout most of the race before coming out on top.
“We had a third-place car and that’s where we finished,” he said. “Those guys put a little harder tire on than I did. I felt like I was running as good as Jason and as good as Donny, but when my car started chattering around and vibrating tires I knew in order for us to finish I needed to conserve. To finish on the podium with the Outlaws at a premier event is nothing to hang your head at.”
Last week’s action began on Tuesday at Fairbury American Legion Speedway in Fairbury, Ill., for the FVP Platinum Battery Showdown. Brown qualified fifth quickest overall to start the night. He was running second midway through a heat race when he got into the wall, resulting in a DNF. That relegated him to the Last Chance Showdown and a seventh-place result missed a transfer by only one spot.
“We started strong and were running good in the heat race,” he said. “The Outlaws push you to the limit. Sometimes as drivers you cross that line. I crossed the line and got in the fence trying to be faster. It took us out of contention for the rest of the night.”
Brown is slated to compete next this Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, where he has won during each of his five visits this season.
QUICK RESULTS –
June 5 – Fairbury American Legion Speedway in Fairbury, Ill. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: DNF (2); B Main: 7 (1).
June 8 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. – Qualifying: 5; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 5 (10).
June 9 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. (afternoon) – Qualifying: 6; Heat race: 4 (3); Feature: 10 (15).
June 9 – Jackson Motorplex in Jackson, Minn. (evening) – Dash: 2 (4); Feature: 3 (2).
SEASON STATS –
28 races, 5 wins, 13 top fives, 15 top 10s, 19 top 15s, 23 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.BrianBrownRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianBrown21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brian-Brown-Racing-200630163294222/
About Casey’s General Stores –
Casey’s General Stores is a Fortune-500 company (NASDAQ CASY) operating 2,000 convenience stores in 15 states throughout the Midwest. Casey’s strives to consistently deliver quality gasoline, freshly-prepared foods, clean environments and friendly service at every retail location. Casey’s is currently the fourth largest convenience store chain, and the fifth largest pizza chain in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Caseys.com.
About FVP –
Built on a commitment to quality and delivered with unmatched service, FVP is the confident solution for all of your OEM needs. FVP products are engineered to provide customers with OE quality products that are equal or superior in performance to the major national brands at a competitive price. FVP is proud to carry a full line of high quality oil, air, cabin air and fuel filters, powerful batteries for multiple applications including cars, trucks, SUV’s, commercial, boats and other specialty vehicles as well as automotive chemicals and oil, antifreeze, DEF, hub assemblies, radiators and condensers. To learn more about FVP or to find out where you can have FVP products installed in your vehicle, visit http://www.FVPparts.com! FVP … Verified. Proven.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – www.HostIowa.net
HostIowa.net is an Iowa-based company providing secure web, email, database and WordPress hosting since 1998. For more information, visit http://www.HostIowa.net.
“We’ve been involved with HostIowa.net since 2005,” Brown said. “They do a great job of not only building and hosting our website, but Knoxville Raceway’s as well. They’re a big part of our sport.”
Brown would also like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Impact Signs, Awnings, Wraps, Champion Brands, MC Power, Weld Wheels, Rams Racing, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Fischer Body Shop, Smiley’s Racing Products, MSD Ignition, Housby, Next LED Sports, Hope for the Warriors, Factory Kahne Shocks, C & M Lawn & Landscape, Arctic Cat, Lincoln Electric, K&N Filters, FSR Race Products, TI64, ATL Tanks, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, Hinchman Uniforms, Clem’s Helmets, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, AkzoNobel, Kenny’s Components, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance, Cometic Gaskets, Donovan, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Racing Optics, 5-hour ENERGY, Hoosier Tires, NGK Spark Plugs, XYZ Machining, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, 6B Apparel, Garrett Racing Engines and Fortress Wealth Management for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Jun 11, 2018
- Article Date: 6/11/2018 by Inside Line Promotions