By Bill W
May 31, 2011 – I-80 Speedway has been very good to Brian Brown, and he scored his second victory of the year there last Thursday night. The 4/10-mile oval near Greenwood, Nebraska was hosting the ASCS-Midwest series. After a second place finish in McCool Junction, Nebraska, the FVP #21 team headed to a wild finish to the Memorial Day weekend in Jetmore, Kansas. He’ll take on the World of Outlaws this weekend in a pair of shows in the “Sunflower State”.
Brian’s heat was stacked at I-80 on Thursday, but he won from row two. “Going to I-80 is something we look forward to doing, no matter who is there,” he says. “With Billy Alley on the front with Logan Forler, we knew we had to get going. We also had Danny (Lasoski), (Jack) Dover and (Chad) Humston in there. We were able to get further up the track than anyone had been running, and we were able to win it. Billy Alley is always tough there, so we knew when we got by him, we were doing something right.”
Brian drew the pole for the main event, alongside Lasoski. “Lining up beside Danny, you are not only lining up beside a fast racecar, but a smart driver,” he says. “You need to get on it in that situation, and we were able to get out front. We were one of the first cars to find the rubber. From there we were able to hold everyone off.”
The best place to be on a rubber-down racetrack is out front, and Brian didn’t make any mistakes in his win. “It was a great way to get the weekend kicked off right,” he says. “Chaddy and Andy worked hard all weekend. Everyone’s thoughts on our team were on one year ago when we lost Jesse Hockett. It was good to let everyone know that we were thinking of him this weekend.”
Moving on to Junction Motor Speedway on Friday, Brian won his heat from the pole, and saw an identical front row in the feature. “That was definitely a rare coincidence,” he said of starting beside Lasoski two nights in a row. “We were able to get the lead, but honestly, he was a little better than us. Towards the end, he got better, and we got worse. If you are not spot on, you’re not going to beat him. We weren’t and we ran second.”
His third heat win in as many nights followed in the prelim to the Steve King Memorial in Jetmore, Kansas on Saturday. His draw did not go as well. “There was a two and an eight left,” says Brian of the feature draw. “We got the eight. It makes it harder, especially the way the track was at Jetmore. It was rough in one and two. From the time I pushed off, to the green flag, I packed above the cushion there. I got a good run to get around the third row. Then I got beside CJ Johnson, and he pushed up a little. I really had nowhere to go, and I slowed way down. We were back in thirteenth or fourteenth after that.”
Brian was able to recover for a sixth place finish in the opener. “We were able to get back up to sixth, but we weren’t nearly as good as we were the previous two nights,” he says. “We knew we had to step up our game on Sunday.”
Saturday’s finale was a challenge for drivers, but Brian remained perfect, winning his heat for the fourth straight night. “The 50 m.p.h. winds made for tough conditions,” he says. “Turns one and two stuck you down, and three and four tried to send you off the track. It was a driver’s track, and I think it showed by the caliber of drivers that were running up front.”
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver started outside row one and took off to lead the first twenty circuits. “We were able to get the lead, and lead comfortably most of the race,” says Brian. “Three and four…you really had to slow down so much not to miss it. Derek Drown got a good run-off there, and got into the back of us.”
Several donuts later, Brian was still under power, as was Drown. “That got us into the infield just a bit, and I turned around three or four times, but kept it going,” he explains. “I thought we were done, but I saw the yellow come out for the guy running fifth (Taylor Velasquez), who stopped. I thought things were going to work out by going back to the last completed lap in the ASCS rule book.”
Instead, officials ruled the lap complete when they threw the yellow. Video shows at least Brian’s car not making it past the flagstand to complete the lap. “The officials didn’t see it that way,” he says. “ASCS gets things right 9 out of 10 times, and I still feel they got that one wrong. It is what it is…they can’t go back and change it now.”
Brian thought he could change the officials’ minds out on the track. It was a losing proposition, but worth a try in his mind at the time. “I need to apologize to the fans for riding around out there, and wasting their time,” he says. “I thought I could get the officials to take a closer look at the situation that way, but it wasn’t going to change.”
In part of the delay, Brian showed his frustration with Brady Bacon, whom he thought had spun him out and got his spot back up front. “I figured it was Brady, because I figured he was the fastest car behind me,” he admits. “I thought he spun me out, so I showed him I wasn’t happy by driving beside him. I made sure I went and apologized to him afterwards after I found out.”
Brian knows he had a fast car all weekend. “Unfortunately, we had the fastest car there, but it didn’t play out that way,” he says of Sunday. “Maybe we can go to Jetmore one of these years and do it all again.”
He’ll return to Kansas Friday and Saturday to battle the Outlaws. On Friday, he’ll go to the Belleville High Banks in Belleville, and on Saturday it’s on to the Lakeside Speedway near Kansas City.
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
Rick Coleman asks: Is there anything you wouldn’t normally bring on the trailer when you hit five nights in a row?
Brian answers: The biggest thing is to have enough spares. It’s kind of like the Knoxville Nationals. You take way more than you need. You want to make sure if something happens, you’re not scrambling. We had a second car (Justyn Cox) as well. As soon as you knock a couple of front axles out, you want to be prepared. The guys on both teams work really hard and pitch in. The key is preparation.
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 on the High Banks of Belleville on July 26, 2007 with the NCRA. He topped JD Johnson, Garry Lee Maier, Mike Peters and Derek Drown.
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 – Impact Sign & Lighting
Brian says – “David and Julie Goodson have a great family there. They also make sure our FVP #21 and our trailer 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!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – Pro Shocks
Brian says – “Pro Shocks have been on my car for a long, long, time. They have some new gas shocks that we tried on Saturday, and we like them real, real well.”
Since 1983, Pro Shocks has been the world’s leader in shock technology and innovation. Using a unique blend of engineering, on track testing and technical experience, Pro Shocks stands heads above the competition in Quality and Performance. Visit them today at www.ProShocks.com!
Brian would like to thank FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, Impact Sign and Lighting, Champion Brands, SPLASH, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, My State Insurance Rates, 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, www.Impact4800.com and WSIB Insurance for all their he