From Bill W
November 25, 2009 – Over the weekend, Brian Brown was named Knoxville Raceway’s 410 “Owner of the Year” for 2009. The award came in the Grain Valley, Missouri owner/driver’s first full season of the double duty. He was racing at the Western World Championship in Tucson, Arizona, so he wasn’t able to accept his award personally, but he is nonetheless proud.
Flying the FVP colors at Tucson’s USA Raceway, Brian took a liking to the ½ mile oval immediately. Unfortunately, he landed one spot out of a transfer spot on his prelim night. “From the time I saw the track, I thought it would fit my driving style,” he says. “We drew a tough heat, and Friday was actually heavier than Thursday was. Jerry Coons Jr., Tim Kaeding and Stephen Allard were lining up there in front of us. I didn’t get a good start and we finished fifth. In the B, we were in a transfer (third), and the right rear packed full of mud and we had a tough vibration. (Eric) Baldaccini was able to get by us. It wasn’t the opening night we were hoping for.”
Undeterred, Brian set out on Saturday night to try to climb the alphabet. He would make a tremendous charge through the B (17th to 4th), but fall one spot short after transferring through the C. “We were able to get through the C o.k. on Saturday, and started in back of the B,” he says. “The car was unbelievably fast. We cut through there to fourth before there was a caution with five to go. We were running the bottom, and most of the guys were on top. The crews communicated with the guys in front of us, and they moved down after the caution. I was able to slide in front of Brady Bacon for third on the last lap, be he got back under us and did a good job to get the last transfer. We were on the cusp again, and it was kind of the way our season went in a lot of ways.”
Brian’s season saw a number of accomplishments, including six big wins. It did fall a little short of his high expectations. “My goal every year is to win twenty races,” he says. “To fall as short of it as we did in 2009 is disappointing. We had some bumps along the way that we normally don’t have.”
A pair of early season crashes killed two good chassis. “We were leading at LaMonte (LA Raceway) and got in a big crash (April 4),” says Brian. “We were running well at Jackson too, and destroyed another car (May 15). Maxim makes great cars, but they all have a certain feel to them. It takes a few races to get that feel. Those wrecks set us back a ways early in the season in that respect.”
So, after winning his first night out in March at the Springfield Raceway, his next victory didn’t come until June 6 in 410 action at Knoxville. The 2007 track champion stayed in the championship race all season long, grabbing three wins along the way at the historic half-mile. A couple of nights slowed things down. “With the new point structure at Knoxville, if you fall out of a race, you’re behind the 8-ball,” says Brian. “We had the ignition problems (May 15) where we couldn’t start the feature, and we were leading on Twin Features night by a half-lap when we hurt our motor. Guys like Johnny Herrera and the team that they assembled aren’t going to hand you anything. My hat goes off to them.”
Brian finished 60 points behind champion Johnny Herrera. “If we could have gotten through Twin Features clean, I think we would have had a good chance at it,” he says of the title. “That’s not the way it works. You have to put a whole year together. Only losing by 60, that really shows the strength of our team. Chad (Morgan), Derek (Beckman), Glenn Wignall, Chad Ely was with us, and Grandpa (George Lasoski) led the charge.”
Being named “Owner of the Year” was a nice surprise for Brian, and may give him some bragging rights close to home. “Not many have won a championship (2007) and ‘Owner of the Year’ at Knoxville,” he says. “That may be one I have on my uncle (Danny Lasoski) finally. The awards may have my name on them, but without the rest of the team, none of it would happen. They are the backbone of the team, and the ones that make me look good through their dedication.”
The Brian Brown Racing FVP/SuperClean #21 team will head into the offseason working hard in preparation for 2010. “There’s a good chance that ASCS will open in Tucson in February, and that may likely be where we will start too,” says Brian. “I wish we could go race tomorrow, but that’s not going to happen. We need to spend a lot of time in the shop getting things ready, because we have a lot of improving to do to get things where we want them. We have to look at what we did well, and what we need to improve on. We need to prepare better to accomplish our goals.”
Follow Brian and FVP Racing on Twitter and Facebook!
The FVP marketing team has launched both a Twitter page, and a Facebook page 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
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
Seth DeWitt asks: Are you looking to have a similar schedule in 2009 as last year?
Brian answers: We’re probably going to run about the same deal. We have to see what the schedules look like. Right now, I would say we’ll run Knoxville again, but we’ll see what comes up in the next couple months with rules and things like that. If the purse and point fund stays the same, we’ll probably be back. We’ll run around 75 shows and FVP and SuperClean will be back with us, so that’s exciting too.
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
In 55 sprint features this season, Brian accumulated six wins (11%), 29 top fives (53%) and 36 top tens (65%). His wins came in the postponed Turkey Classic at the Springfield (MO) Raceway in March, three in 410 competition at the Knoxville Raceway, in ASCS-Midwest racing at Nebraska Raceway Park in July, and at Sedalia’s (MO) State Fair Speedway in August.
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!
SuperClean Products include:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Factory Value Parts
Factory Value Parts specializes in the battery that you need. They know it has to be tough, and priced right. They have a line of high-performance batteries for SUVs, trucks, cars and other specialty vehicles that give you quality without breaking the bank. To find a dealer near you, visit them on the web at www.fvparts.com/locator.php!
Marketing Partner of the Week – FaxMeService.com
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 – K&N Filters
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 SuperClean, Ditzfeld Transfer, Searsboro Telephone Company, www.FaxMeService.com, Housby Trucks, Maxim Racing, Champion Racing XP, NOS Energy Drink, My State Insurance Rates, 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!