(Bill W) August 29, 2011 – Brian Brown gave Mark Dobmeier a run for his money on Saturday night at Knoxville. Before a late nose wing problem, it looked like he may be able to grab the lead on a late restart, but it wasn’t to be, and he settled for third. The FVP #21 was strong all night long, and it was the first night for new crew chief, Bryan Sundby as well.
It was Brian’s first action at Knoxville since his seventh place finish at the Nationals. “It’s always good to get back to Knoxville,” he says. “Really, you are preparing for the next Knoxville Nationals as soon as the last one is over. Every time you go there, you are putting things in your data bank towards the next Nationals.”
The new addition to the team is a welcome one. “We have Bryan Sundby on board now as crew chief,” says Brian. “He’s a huge pickup for our team in terms of experience, and knowledge. Chad Cypert and he have been working really well together, along with our other guys. It’s going to be a really good thing. If one night is any indication, we’re going to be tough to contend with from here on out.”
Brian started the night out well, qualifying third quick in the 27-car field. “We qualified well,” he says. “Usually with us, it has been feast or famine, but Bryan had the car great. We rolled right around there. I wish this was two weeks before the Nationals instead of after, but we’ve got a lot of time to work on next August.”
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver was quick in the heat race too. “We needed to go from sixth to fifth in the heat, but we were able to go all the way up to second,” he says. “I believe we were the fastest car time-wise in the heat races.”
Brian was able to focus on the next task at hand, which was the feature. “It was nice to concentrate on what we had to do in the feature and lean on Bryan a little bit,” he says. “It was calming for me. Normally, I have done most of the setup stuff myself, so it was nice to have another set of hands.”
Starting inside row three, Brian was quickly in contention in the main event. “We kind of settled into third while Ryan (Anderson) and Mark (Dobmeier) were racing pretty hard,” he says. “I was content to be there the first half of the race and stay within striking distance.”
A caution helped Brian get to the runner-up spot behind Dobmeier. “There was a yellow when I was able to get into second,” he says. “I felt there was a time when it was slipping away from me. (Dobmeier) was running pretty well, and I was going as hard as I could go.”
Another slowdown helped give Brian one last shot at the win. “Luckily, the yellow came out with three to go,” he says. “I played through my head what was going to happen, and it happened exactly the way I thought. He slid across one and two, and across three and four. I was on top of him.”
Just when he was ready to strike, the nose wing collapsed. “As he went across the top one of the straps on the nose wing broke,” says Brian. “I don’t know if it was a clod or what. Despite that, I got a good run off of four and had a good run on him. I didn’t slide him in one and two the way I would normally do it with the nose wing the way it was. I didn’t feel I’d be able to turn the way I wanted, and that was the case.”
Brian held his own and finished third. “At that point, I knew it was over,” he says of the failed slide attempt. “I was just trying to hold onto second. We were in the slickest part of the track the last two laps and unfortunately, Kevin (Swindell) got us at the end. (The nose wing) could have happened the first lap, and we could have struggled the whole race, so I was happy with where we finished.”
The FVP #21 team is deciding where to race this weekend. The only definite is the Lake Ozark Speedway Nationals finale on Sunday. “We’ve got a couple of options this week, so we are deciding on that,” says Brian. “Tune in to our Facebook and we’ll keep it updated with where we’re going. I’m excited about racing right now as I’ve been in a long time.”
New T-shirt Designs Available!
Catch Brian at Lake Ozark Speedway where the t-shirt trailer will be, or visit www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
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
Bob Purdue asks: What effect has the increase in the weight limit for 410’s had on you this year?
Brian answers: Really no effect in our case. Our car has always been a little heavier anyway. Totally out of fuel, our car has always been around 1,410 or 1,412 pounds. Our “Big Max” Maxim weighs a little more with a little more tubing. The biggest problem comes for guys like Joey Saldana and Brad Sweet. Most guys are in our boat, so I don’t think it has had that much of an effect on most drivers.
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 has won at Lake Ozark Speedway six times in thirteen features run in his career there. He has also recorded eight top fives, and twelve top tens there. He won the 3rd Annual LOS Nationals in 2006 ahead of Jesse Hockett, Bobby Hawks, Robbie Standridge and Foster Landon.
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 – 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 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, 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, 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!
Brian races with Jessica Zemken at Knoxville (Danny Howk Photo)
- Admin Account on Aug 30, 2011
- Article Date: 8/30/2011 by Bill Wright