(Bill W) June 14, 2011 – Expectations were high heading into World of Outlaws weekend at the Knoxville Raceway, but rain and two nasty qualifying laps on Saturday dampened that. Brian Brown had hoped to donate a larger chunk to the Skip Jackson fund, having donated his entire winnings on Saturday. As it turned out, he was able to contribute $800 for his 18th place finish. This weekend finds him in Granite City, back at Knoxville, and possibly in Wichita.
After Friday’s rainout at Knoxville, Brian had an adventure in qualifying, and would up 30th quick in the 37-car field. “You’re trying to lay down the best lap you can,” he says. “The track had already slowed down quite a bit when we got out there (23rd). They had laid a bunch of dirt down on the inside berm in turn four. We had a good turn in one and two, and we had to get low in three and four. We hit the dirt and bent the left front radius rod, draglink and front axle. The second lap, I was just along for the ride and all over the place.”
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver knows the importance of two good laps with the WoO. “You can’t put yourself that deep and expect to be up front,” says Brian. “I’ve said it many times, but you can’t beat these guys like this. Throughout the night, you have to put yourself in contention to win it and not do anything stupid. You can’t make two bad qualifying laps and get away with it.”
The qualifying efforts put him deep in the heat (starting eighth), and he couldn’t make the top five to qualify for the feature. “We had a good start the first time, but they called it back,” says Brian. “The second time, we had an average start with some good cars in front of us. You’ve got to get going, and you’ve got to be fast. We were good, just not good enough.”
Things went differently in the B main for the FVP #21 team. Starting tenth behind a number of heavy hitters, Brian turned a good start into a top four finish and a trip to the main event. “We got a really good start,” he says. “Wherever you were coming out of turn two was about where you were going to finish on Saturday. I think we came out of there in fourth or fifth. We were able to get by Steve (Kinser) after that. We got in behind Davey (Heskin), but the closer I got, the tighter the car was, so I rolled back and kept a safe distance. As long as we finished top four, we were in.”
Running third on the last lap, the yellow lights went on. “We were trying to make some good laps, and coming for the checkers the yellow came out,” says Brian. “You never want to see that. Steve Kinser and Mark Dobmeier were behind us looking for one more spot. On the restart, Steve was able to take off when he wanted and got by us. From there, I had to pretty much block Mark off the last two laps. Fortunately, he got in with a provisional anyway.”
Starting, as Brian put it, “in Pella”, he would finish 18th. “I had my car tighter than I wanted,” he says. “It was too tight to run the top. I could have pushed the issue like some of the guys that turned over, but at that point, there was no sense doing something more stupid. It was disappointing after our drive at Lakeside. As a racer, you have to keep an even keel and be ready for the next one. I wish we could have raced Sunday, but we’ll be back this week.”
Brian bought a number of items at the auction benefiting Skip Jackson a the Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon. The auction itself reaped over $36,000. “It was awesome that everyone could come out and support Skip,” he says. “We wanted to give him our earnings for Saturday night, I was just disappointed it wasn’t $10,000. Still, $800 was more than what we came with. I’m glad the auction was a big success, and I hope the money can let him concentrate on getting better and getting back out here racing with us.”
Friday night the Monster Energy™ Sprint Car Series hits Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois and Brian will be there. Saturday will be a regular show at Knoxville, and the team may run Sunday’s NCRA show in Wichita.
Follow Brian and FVP Racing on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube!
The FVP marketing team has launched a Twitter page, a Facebook page (including Brian’s GoPro In-car camera videos and FVP Racing Report), and a Youtube page (make sure to subscribe to all!) to keep up to date with Brian and FVP racing! You can become a fan and follow along by clicking on the links below:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/fvpracing
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2rakgn
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=fvpracing
Web site
For up to date information on Brian Brown, visit www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
T-shirts
To purchase Brian’s new t-shirts, visit www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
Brian's Q&A
Wade Palmer from Harrisburg, PA asks: What’s your opinion of the double-file restarts?
Brian answers: I think it’s a dream for the fans. For a driver…you may get a different answer every time they come off the track. Owners don’t like it much, because you can wreck some equipment. As a driver, it can really benefit you, or it can be a curse. I think overall, it’s a home run because of the fans.
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’s best finish at Tri-City Speedway was back in 2005 when he finished second there. With 30 cars present for the October 2 special, Jerrod Hull took the $3,000 prize. Brian was second, ahead of Tim Montgomery, Curt Trainer and Bobby Hawks.
FVP
We 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. Visit us on the web at www.FVPparts.com!
SPLASH
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!
Marketing Partner of the Week – Ditzfeld Transfer
Brian says – “Ditzfeld Transfer is a family deal. Ronnie and his sons were our very first sponsor. They haul our motors, and if I would need anything hauled across the country, I would call them first.”
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!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – XYZ Machining
Brian says – “Tim Norman and his wife do a great job there. We use their mounts and posts. They make a great product.”
XYZ manufactures aluminum and titanium racing components as well as custom products for other industries. Their company pays close attention to the three things important to customers: on-time delivery, quality work, and excellent customer service. Visit them on the web at www.XYZMachining.com!
Brian would like to thank FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, Impact Sign and Lighting, Champion Brands, SPLASH, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, My State Insurance Rates, 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, A1 Mortgage, Rockwell Security, Paul's Auto Body Supply, Engler Machine, Vortex Wings, Ostrich Racing Engines, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance Products, Santomauro Racing Products, Cometic Gaskets, Kaeding Performance, Donovan, Magtech, ISC Racers Tape, Racing Optics, Pro Shocks, Don's Truck Wash, Gardner Farms, Hoosier Tires, GoPro, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Peterson Fluid System, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, www.Impact4800.com and WSIB Insurance for all their he
Photo - Brian at Knoxville (Brandon Anderson Photo)
- Admin Account on Jun 14, 2011
- Article Date: 6/14/2011 by Bill Wright