(Bill W) August 15, 2011 – Brian Brown scored a career-best seventh place finish in Saturday night’s 51st Annual Goodyear Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa. The FVP #21 team performed flawlessly all week to put themselves in position to finish up front on the biggest stage in sprint car racing.. The performed well, and they looked well, as they also brought in the “Best Appearing Crew” Award for the week.
Slated to start outside row three, the team tweaked some things after Saturday’s warm-up period. “When we went out to hot lap, I think we were seventh quick, overall,” says Brian. “It felt like our car wasn’t as good as it could be on the bottom, so I decided I’d tighten it up a bit. We just got ourselves too tight with the fuel load for the first 15 laps.”
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver battled the car early on in the 50-lap main event. “We gave up too much track position, and with the caliber of drivers you have there, you can’t do that,” says Brian. “My goal was to stay somewhere in the top five the first half, and then really get after it the second half. That wasn’t meant to be.”
But, after dropping back, Brian brought the FVP #21 roaring back into the top ten. “I think the first lap of the second half of the race we were back in thirteenth or fourteenth,” he says. “The last 20 laps or so we really took off. I think if we would have had a yellow, we may have had a shot at a top five, but that never developed. We were seventh and that’s something to build on for next year.”
The seventh place finish at the Nationals was worth a cool $19,000. “I’m really proud of my guys,” says Brian of his team. “They worked really hard all week long. They did a great job and there were no mistakes.”
Still, the goal is to win it. Winner Donny Schatz and Shane Stewart seem to be on top fo the game right now. “I’m a firm believer that you don’t get many chances to win the Knoxville Nationals…unless you’re Donny Schatz,” says Brian. “What he and Shane Stewart have done the last few years is really phenomenal when you look at it. People say it’s hard to pass, but those guys get it done. Donny doesn’t get near the credit he deserves, and neither does Shane. I think the two guys on top of this sport right now finished one-two Saturday night.”
The team pocketed another $1,000 for the “Best Appearing Crew” Award. “Ever since I’ve been coming to Knoxville, I’ve seen them give that Award,” says Brian. “Awesome Racewear does a great job with my uniform and the crew uniforms. It’s an absolute honor to get that Award, and we’d like to thank Knoxville Raceway for putting up the money for it.”
On Friday night, Brian was able to participate in the new “Race of Champions”. He had a lot of fun with the event and finished eleventh. “We actually took our primary motor out for that race,” he says. “We were hoping to run a little better. Everything we seemed to do with it seemed to make it worse. I think the format of the race was really good. Billy (Alley) didn’t do us any favors, but we could have started third or fourth, and we wouldn’t have been any good. They need to continue with it, because I thought it was a great event and a lot more exciting than the Scramble format.”
Everything seems to lead to the Nationals, but the FVP #21 has plenty of business still to take care of. “We’re not sure of where we’ll be racing this week, other than we’ll be at Sedalia on Sunday,” says Brian. “If people go to our Facebook page, we’ll be updating where else we’ll be at.”
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
Jeff Dunn asks: With the Nationals behind you, what are your goals for the rest of the season?
Brian answers: We just want to pick up as many wins as we can. I think we only have six right now, which is down from where our team would like to be. We’ve been really fast about everywhere. I’d like to hit about fifteen wins if we can. The second half of the season starts now. We’re motivated to get going and finish the season strong.
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
Saturday marked Brian’s career-best finish in the Nationals with a seventh place finish. In his other three appearances, he finished 13th (from 23rd) in 2006, 23rd in 2009 and 14th in 2010.
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 – Searsboro Telephone Company’s www.FaxeMeService.Com
Brian says, “Don Long is an avid sprint car fan, and has been a part of the team for a few years now. We’re just really happy to have him here.”
Receive faxes through your e-mail when you’re away from the fax machine! Visit www.FaxMeService.com for easy sign-up options! It’s the simplicity of a fax through the convenience of e-mail. It’s easy to use, with no setup and a low fee!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – WSIB Insurance
Brian says – “Insurance is one of those things you don’t put a lot of thought into until something happens. WSIB Insurance covers our truck and trailer, and all of our equipment. They are very reasonable on price. If you are unlucky enough to have an incident, it’s nice to know you have good coverage. They are active in NASCAR and IRL and are making inroads into the grass roots racing.”
WSIB Motorsports Insurance is committed to being the most trusted motorsports nsurance authority. Their exclusive products allow them to innovate for the specific needs of their clients and provide high touch service and knowledge. Their insurance markets are known for their financial strength and stability. Their commitment to the motorsports industry allows them to provide cutting edge policy wording, competitive pricing and responsive claims handling. WSIB can access and provide solutions for most insurance coverage. Contact them with any of your insurance needs, and visit them on the web at www.WSIBInsurance.com.
Brian would like to thank 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, 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, and WSIB Insurance for all their help!
- Admin Account on Aug 15, 2011
- Article Date: 8/15/2011 by Bill Wright