From Bill W, image courtesy of Carey Akin
Brian Brown and the FVP #21 racing team were excited to greet the World of Outlaws at the Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas last Friday night. Excitement turned into disappointment after a scintillating start for the Grain Valley, Missouri driver. He will put the 360 back in for the Lucas Oil ASCS National opener this Friday and Saturday night at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway near Mesquite.
Coming out late in the WoO 30-car field, Brian laid down the tenth best time of the night. “We were tickled to qualify as well as we did, and ahead of some good cars,” he says. “Those guys (WoO) have been on Goodyear tires for a month and a half, and we really haven’t known what to expect. To put ourselves in position to have a good finish was what we needed to do.”
Starting on the pole in his heat, Brian would finish second and earn a trip to the dash. “We had a good race with Jac (Haudenschild) there and ran second,” he says. “The last three or four laps of the race, we had a bad vibration in the driveline. I wasn’t sure what it was, and we didn’t have time to change the U-joint and driveline before the dash.”
The problem proved terminal. Unfortunately, the draw had put Brian on the pole of the dash, and in prime position to vie for his second win in a row in Texas. “We pushed out on the pole of the dash,” he relates. “As soon as we went out, we dropped a cylinder on the first lap. From there we just made one lap at the back of the feature and that was the night.”
Finishing at the tail of the field was a disappointment, but Brian knows the car was fast and feels better about his next 410 outing. “To be fast like that and competitive with the Outlaws is a good start to the season,” he says. “I knew we could do that, but it was just an unknown with the tires. We kind of went in blind. It worked out for us. You have to have a perfect night car-wise and luck-wise to compete with them (Outlaws). It just wasn’t meant to be.”
This weekend’s event in Devil’s Bowl should be a good test. “We’re excited to get back to the Devil’s Bowl,” says Brian. “It’s been feast or famine for us there. We’ve been good the last couple of times we’ve been there, we just haven’t had the results. At the end of the year last year, we were fast in the heat, and crashed out. The last race, we were third, and ran out of fuel.”
Track conditions always come into play at Devil’s Bowl. “The track is usually wet one night and dry the next,” says Brian. “It’s always a tough field of cars, but the FVP #21 has been good every time we’ve rolled off the trailer this year, and this weekend will be no different.”
Follow Brian and FVP Racing on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube!
The FVP marketing team has launched a Twitter page, a Facebook page, 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
Catch Brian at the track for the new t-shirt, and it will also be up on the website soon!
Brian’s Q&A
Marv Howard asks: How important is it that Chad Morgan has been with you for such a long time now when it comes to race night?
Brian answers: Chad is very important to the team, and kind of the backbone. He’s done a great job. I’ve given him leeway to organize and keep up on a lot of the work that I used to do. It gives me the opportunity to work more on the business side of things, and the driving at the racetrack. Every year we come back, we’ve known each other better, and what needs to be done. It works well, and we’re growing together. Adding Kelby Hopkins to the mix has just given us one more boost.
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 has had good runs at Devil’s Bowl Speedway when the mechanical gremlins have stayed away. He was a top ten runner in his first six features at the famous ½ mile in 2004-2006. In fact, four of those runs were in the top five, including a second place run behind Gary Wright. In that ASCS in October of 2005, Kevin Ramey was third, ahead of Wayne Johnson and Gregg Bakker.
FVP
FVP 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.FVPparts.com!
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!
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 – Arctic Cat
For over 40 years, World Class Snowmobiles™ have been wearing the Arctic Cat name. Arctic Cat is equally proud to make Arctic Cat ATVs, too. They represent dedication and commitment to advanced manufacturing techniques, engineering innovation and industry leadership. Arctic Cat Inc., based in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, designs, engineers, manufactures and markets snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) under the Arctic Cat brand name, as well as related parts, garments and accessories. The Company markets its products through a network of independent dealers located throughout the contiguous United States and Canada, and through distributors representing dealers in Alaska, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and other international markets. The Arctic Cat brand name is among the most widely recognized and respected names in the snowmobile and ATV industry.
Brian would like to thank FVP, SuperClean, Splash, Ditzfeld Transfer, Searsboro Telephone Company, www.FaxMeService.com, Housby Trucks, Maxim Racing, Champion Brands, My State Insurance Rates, Smiley’s Race Products, Impact Sign and Lighting, Arctic Cat, K&N Filters, Hostiowa.net, FSR Race Products, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Awesome Racewear, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Weld Wheels, Bell Helmets, CP Pistons, Carrillo Rods, A1 Mortgage, Rockwell Security, Paul’s Auto Body Supply, Engler Machine, Vortex Wings, Ostrich Racing Engines, 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, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Peterson Fluid System, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, www.Impact4800.com and WSIB Insurance for all their help!