By Bill W, Dave Hill photo
September 7, 2010 – Brian Brown and the FVP #21 race team had their “Labor” pay off last Holiday weekend as they were awarded with the 410 Knoxville Championship Cup at the Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. To top the night off, they got the feature win as well. They also were in Victory Lane on Friday night at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska and finished off the weekend with a charge to third in the Lake Ozark Speedway 360 Nationals in Missouri.
Brian entered Saturday night at Knoxville with an 81-point lead. The week before, when he was taken out on the first lap of the feature, reminded the team that anything can happen. “It was a long week after rebuilding the car,” says Brian. “Chad (Morgan), Kelby (Hopkins) and all the guys did a great job, as always. I really don’t like points racing until November when you get your check. Eighty points seems like a lot, but it really isn’t. You don’t try to think about it, but you can’t help it either.”
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver put himself in position to not be denied his goal. “We were able to get through qualifying (6th) and the heat (2nd) unscathed,” says Brian. “That put us on the pole of the A with the invert being six. We just knew that we’d be in good shape unless something bad happened.”
Brian chased early leader Skip Jackson. “Skip was able to get out to the lead and he set a good pace,” he says. “I felt the car would get better the longer the run we had. It seemed like when we got to some good traffic, the yellow would come out.”
Finally, after a number of restarts, Brian made the winning move. “He was doing a good job on the restarts, and I couldn’t get a good enough run to slide in front of him in one and two,” he says. “The one time I did, the yellow came out. I think when I got beside him…that may have changed his thinking on the next restart. He went through the middle, and I rode around the top. I got a good run off of two, and I was able to slide in front in three and four.”
The 410 title is special because it is Brian’s first as a car owner. “We had won with the Doogs (2007), but to go back and win it with this team was special,” he says. “We built this team with FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, Maxim and all of our great partners. We couldn’t do it without FVP and all of our partners. It gives you a real feeling of accomplishment with all the hard work that the team puts in. They work hard all winter long, and at Knoxville we always have Glenn (Wignall), Derek (Beckman) and Jacob (Engel).”
The previous night at I-80 went well. “It’s no secret that I-80 has been one of my favorite tracks over the years,” says Brian. “We’ve had some good success there. Usually it gets up on the fence and you have to get after it. Friday was no different. We started seventh in the heat, and we were actually in contention with Lee Grosz on the last lap for the win, but ended up second.”
The redraw put Brian outside of row two for the feature. “We were able to get into second there early behind Chad (Humston),” says Brian. “Chad, Mark (Burch) and Marvin (Brees) have a really strong team. Going into their territory is always tough, and they’ve been fast all year at Knoxville too. But we were able to get by him.”
There was a late scare. “We had a caution with about twelve laps to go, and Chad gave us a slider,” says Brian. “We were able to turn back underneath him. In the end, we were able to win by about a straightaway. It was a good way to get the weekend rolling.”
Sunday’s LOS Nationals saw a format where Brian drew last (9th) in his heat. He had to win the heat just to make the dash, and only the top three transferred to the feature. “It really has been one of the silliest formats for a big event that you see,” he says. “I think they are going to passing points next year, which is a step in the right direction. In the end, I guess it worked out.”
There was trouble that eliminated any chance at hot laps. “We broke a rocker arm warming up the engine, so we missed hot laps changing that,” says Brian. “You always want to get out there and make sure things are o.k. with the car and take a look at the track, but unfortunately, we didn’t get to do that.”
Brian got a break when another competitor couldn’t start up front in the heat. Starting eighth, he was able to take the lead late in the going and win. “It was a good feeling,” he says of his run. “I think it shows where we are at as a team with the motor change and everything thrown in. We tried some things in the Dash (running 5th), but I think it took us backwards, so we went back to where we were before for the A.”
Starting inside row three, it didn’t take long to get to third. Unfortunately, the track yielded a one-groove racetrack early on. “I really wish it hadn’t have taken rubber, because I felt confident we could have won it,” says Brian. “Jerrod Hull and Tim Crawley were in position when the rubber came, and you have to give them credit. Two out of three isn’t bad.”
This weekend, Brian will be following the ASCS-Midwest series as they tackle the Central Missouri Speedway on Friday and the Junction Motor Speedway on Saturday. Sunday will be the $5,000 to win Eagle Cup. “We’ve got three big races this weekend,” says Brian. “We’re close to home on Friday at Warrensburg, head to another one of my favorites, McCool Junction (NE) on Saturday, and end up at Eagle Raceway (NE), which is always a fun track to run at too.”
Saturday’s Video from Knoxville Posted
Watch Brian’s exciting run on Saturday now at Knoxville’s website. Just scroll to the top of the page to see the 410 highlights…
http://www.knoxvilleraceway.com/Videos.aspx
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!
New T-shirts
Brian’s new t-shirts are here! You can choose from two styles!
Brian’s Q&A
Lionel Armstrong asks: Congratulations on your championship. Are you prouder to win it as an owner or a driver?
Brian answers: I felt a lot prouder this year, because I think our team is very strong, and they are a lot of fun to be around. Everyone on the team did their job the best they could to accomplish it. I may be more proud of us winning the championship for the guys on the team who haven’t won one before. That’s something they’ll always remember.
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 won the championship with consistency. Counting features during the Knoxville Nationals, he started 19 A mains, recorded four wins, 12 top fives and 15 top tens. His wins came on May 8, May 29, June 26 and September 4. In the Season Opener, he suffered a DNF, but closed the season strong with a win on Season Championship Night.
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!
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 from SuperClean are what you need! Click on the “Splash Products” link at www.SuperClean.com!
Marketing Partner of the Week – Housby Trucks
Brian says, “Jack, Kelly and Kevin Housby have been great to me since I was in the Casey’s car. They have provided our truck, and they do great service on trucks in the Des Moines area.”
Since 1969, Housby has been known for the quality of new and used trucks they sell and their excellent customer service. What started out primarily as a Mack Truck dealership has grown into a conglomerate of vertically integrated businesses that share synergy by bringing multiple services to their customers. Businesses include Housby Mack, Inc., Housby Mixer Group, Housby Truck Lube, Vocon Remarketing, Second Generation and Housby Motorsports. Visit www.Housby.com for more information!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – Peterson Fluid Systems
Brian says – “They’ve been a part of our team since 2007. We run all their fuel filters and shut-off valves. We trust them to do a good job, and they keep the particles out of the nozzles. We don’t have those issues, and they are a big part of the team.”
Peterson Fluid Systems provides a wide range of pumps, tanks, drives, filters and engine accessories. They pride themselves in their customer service. Visit them on the web at www.PetrsonFluidSys.com today!
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, 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, 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!