From Bill W
October 4, 2010 – Somehow the Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas had escaped Brian Brown’s racing calendar up until last weekend. He made a good impression at “The Ditch” by leading some of the prelim at the “Rock ‘N Roll 50” Friday night before mechanical difficulties sidelined him. He bounced back with a second place finish in the 50-lap finale on Saturday. The Grain Valley, Missouri driver is weighing his options for racing this weekend.
Brian’s first trip to the famed ¼ mile oval was met with a bad draw. He was able to overcome that by driving from fifth to second in his heat race. “We were fortunate to be in the fifth heat,” he says. “The earlier ones had a narrow track. The heat before ours, Tony Bruce and Danny Wood were able to come from the back, so we knew it could be done. I had heard a lot of horror stories about ‘The Ditch’ being a one-lane track, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was racy all weekend.”
The Knoxville track champ’s luck turned when he drew the pole for the preliminary feature. “We knew going in, we wanted to be in the top four and get locked in,” says Brian. “We were decent the first couple of laps, but then we blew the bump rubber off of the left rear. The car started acting weird off the left rear shock.”
Brian was the early leader, but it wouldn’t last long with the way the car was handling. “I think we led the first 10-12 laps, but we weren’t great,” he says. “We got in an accident with Josh (Fisher) there, and that wasn’t good for either of us. We shouldn’t have been in that spot anyway. We should have been better from the get go. We left disappointed. When you have the chance we did with the ASCS guys, you need to put the nail in the coffin.”
The finale on Saturday paid the big bucks, and Brian would start outside row three in the heat. “We drew worse (than Friday), and knew we had Zach Chappell and Matt Covington in the heat,” he says. “We definitely had to get going. I also knew that our starting spot was good if we wanted to be in the redraw for the top two heat spots.”
Brian and the FVP #21 team got the job done by charging to second. “We were able to have a good race with Zach for a couple of laps and get by him for second,” he says. “We were able to run Matt down, and we were in striking distance by the end. I felt good going into the feature.”
A draw of three him in the second row, and in position to win the coveted custom Gibson guitar that goes to the winner. “We fell in line there for awhile,” says Brian. “I knew 50 laps was a long race. We had a caution about four laps in. Everyone was on the bottom, so I put it up on the fence, and we were able to sneak around Tony Bruce and get back in line (in second).”
With defending champion Tim Crawley out front, the task to pass him would prove to be a tall one. Brian settled for a very respectable second place finish. “We had another caution, and I tried the same move on Crawley,” he says. “I just never could get to him to clear him. Looking back, I didn’t want to do anything stupid at that point, but maybe I should have taken the chance. But finishing second was solid, and that makes us look forward to the big races coming up, especially Little Rock.”
In the end, Brian enjoyed his trip to “The Ditch” and built some confidence heading into some big races coming up. “Tony Bruce did a great job with the promotion and he had a great crowd,” he says. “My only shot to beat Crawley was if he had some bad luck. I give their team all the credit, and they were able to take the guitar home.”
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
Brian’s new t-shirts are here! You can choose from two styles!
Brian’s Q&A
Chris Michaels asks: What track does “The Ditch” remind you most of?
Brian answers: It’s along the lines of a Jacksonville/Little Rock. All year long, we’ve tried to better our results on the short tracks, especially the driver. Every time we’re going to the smaller tracks, I’m getting more and more comfortable. That’s going to help us at a place like Little Rock. There will be a similar group of drivers there in October, plus a few, and we hope we’re ready.
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 won under five different sanctions already in 2010. His wins have come with the ASCS-Gulf South, ASCS-Midwest, the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series and in both the 410 and 360 classes at the Knoxville Raceway.
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 – 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 couple of 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 – Impact Sign & Lighting
Brian says – “David and Julie Gibson have a great family there. They also make sure our FVP #21 looks great with the graphics they provide. We’re proud to represent them.”
The goal at Impact Sign and Lighting is to make selecting the right sign and lighting for your business a simple process for you. Impact can design, create, and install virtually any type of sign on awnings, poles, buildings and much more including racecars, of course! They will work with you from conception to completion and make sure you are completely satisfied. We’ll give you personalized service, expert consultation, quick turnarounds, and reasonable pricing. Impact Sign and Lighting are responsible for the graphics on the SuperClean #21. The new website will be up soon at www.Impact4800.com!
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!