By Bill W
April 9, 2012 – Brian Brown and the Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 sprint car team captured the win on Saturday night at the I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska. The win was the Grain Valley, Missouri driver’s 11th in 17 tries at the 4/10-mile banked oval. This weekend, he’ll be running close to home at the Valley Speedway on Friday and at the I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri with the World of Outlaws on Saturday.
Saturday night started with a drive from seventh to second in the heat. “I felt like we had a good car in the heat,” says Brian. “I don’t know if we were better than Jack, but at that point, there was no sense in pushing the issue. We got in the redraw and that was the key.”
The redraw saw Brian start inside row two in the main event. “It is kind of a chess game,” he says. “I feel like at that place, we are really racing the track at that point. We have a package that really rolls around there depending on the track conditions. We feel we have a chance to win every time if we hit it.”
An early battle for the lead ensued. “I really didn’t think it would take rubber on Saturday night, but it did,” says Brian. “Clint Garner and I raced side by side for the lead there for four or five laps. The fans should have really enjoyed that. I was on the bottom, and he was on the top. He cleared me, and I was content to ride behind him. Our car felt good.”
Brian found his opportunity in traffic. “We got to some heavy lapped traffic on lap ten or twelve,” he says. “Some of the cars were holding us up there, and I knew Danny (Lasoski) and some of the others were coming. I decided I needed to make a move there. I was able to get two or three cars when I got the lead and I ran as hard as I could through three and four to try to get some track between myself and the others.”
Another caution would set up a last shot for Lasoski. “There was a little trouble in lapped traffic,” says Brian. “That’s an area I need to work on. On the last restart, I had to rethink Danny. It’s tough to outthink your mentor. I hazed my tires pretty good coming down the front straight. He came across and he just couldn’t clear us. I knew from there we were in good shape.”
The hard work of his crew and partners paid off for his first win of the season. “It was good to get the first win of the year for Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, Impact, Champion Brands, Maxim and everyone that helps us,” says Brian. “Chad Morgan, Andy Anderson and Mark Clemons worked hard all weekend long. They hung with me after Friday night, and that was great.”
In Friday’s prelim, things started in similar fashion when Brian ran from sixth to second in his heat race. He started sixth in the feature. “We got a pretty good start the first time,” says Brian. “We were able to get into the lead, but the yellow came out. The second time, it took us a lap and a half to get out front. I felt like we had a fast car on Friday. I was running through the middle of three and four the first few laps. I didn’t want to use the tires up, so I moved it up top.”
Rubber developed in the middle of the track, and Brian was a sitting duck. “A few laps later, Robby Wolfgang found the lane with the rubber and went right by us,” he says. “He did a good job to find it, and on the restart, I didn’t feel we really had anything for him on the open track. It felt the way the race was going, it was going to be tough to pass him without getting in traffic.”
Brian tried the top again to retake the lead on a restart, but it was futile. “We had a restart there, and I was kind of impatient,” he says. “I wanted to make something work on the top in one and two. I got to the middle of one and two and I was in the dust. Off turn two, Danny (Lasoski) got by me and I was side by side with Gregg Bakker. In turn three, I tried to get back in line and made contact with Jody Rosenboom. It cut the left rear. It was my fault. We were back out for a while, but those guys were racing hard back there and we pulled it in.”
The ASCS-Warrior region will be at the Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, Missouri Friday before the Pevely WoO show on Saturday. “We’re really excited to race at home,” says Brian. “We have good partners that will be able to be there. We want to do well there, and we get to go to Pevely where we’ve had some success as well.”
Web site info
For up to date information on Brian Brown Racing visit www.BrianBrownRacing.com
Casey’s: www.caseys.com
FVP: www.fvpparts.com
Brian’s Q&A
Sam Rogan asks: What are your favorite sports teams?
Brian answers: It’s pretty simple. We’re from Kansas City. The past few seasons have been tough for us with the sports, but we are obviously for the Chiefs, the Royals and the Missouri Tigers. We had a disappointing NCAA tournament, the Chiefs always seem to be on the cusp, and the Royals are always two or three years away. The Royals took two of three from the Angels this weekend, so things are looking up.
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 at Grain Valley on September 2, 2007 in Winged Outlaw Warriors competition. Brian passed Jay Russell on lap two and went on to win ahead of Josh Fisher, Russell, Jesse Hockett and Larry Pinegar II.
About Casey’s General Stores
Casey’s General Stores is a Fortune-500 company (NASDAQ CASY) operating nearly 1700 convenience stores in 11 states through the Midwest. Known for its “Homemade-To-Go” pizza, sandwiches, donuts and bakery items, Casey’s strives to consistently deliver quality gas, fresh kitchen-prepared food, clean environments and friendly service at every retail location. Casey’s is currently the 12th largest c-store chain and sixth largest pizza chain in the United States.
About FVP
We are very excited to introduce our new line of automotive chemicals, oils and fluids to our product offering. These new products will be available at many retailers across the country. We continue to 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. To learn more about our FVP products or to find out where you can have FVP products installed in your vehicle, visit us at www.FVPparts.com! FVP…The Confident Solution
SPLASH
In addition to our line of seasonal safety products, we are very excited to introduce a full line of SPLASH Wiper Blades. Our SafeView Performance Blades fit 95% of the vehicles on the road with quick and easy installation for everyone. The AccuVision Beam Blade offers memory curve steel, which provides uniform pressure for a clear wipe, without the streaks. Look for these great new SPLASH products! 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! SPLASH…SEE SAFELY!
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 few 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 – Fuel-Safe Tanks
Brian says, “Since day one, we’ve run Fuel-Safe Tanks. They build the lightest, most durable, safest tanks on the market. That’s why we choose them.”
From the high banks of Daytona to the low groove at Knoxville, Laguna Seca’s corkscrew to Baja’s torturing elements Fuel Safe has provided the safest, most dependable fuel cells and accessories for championship winning teams and drivers around the world. Fuel Safe’s ongoing commitment to quality and service is number one. Our ongoing research and development pays off as we discover new and improved ways to make our products stronger, lighter and safer. At Fuel Safe we are continually striving to compliment our product line with courteous and knowledgeable customer service personnel to better serve your racing needs. Regardless of your type of racing, whether it is road, circle, off road, vintage, dirt or drag we will provide you with the best fuel cell for your application. Fuel Safe is the official fuel cell of PRI; American Sprint Car Series NW Region; O’Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions. Visit them on the web at www.FuelSafe.com!
Brian Brown Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps / impact4800.com, Champion Brands, SPLASH, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, www.RateWin.com, 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, Engler Machine, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, AkzoNobel Sikkens, Jack Links, Rockstar, Deli Express, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance Products, Santomauro Racing Products, Cometic Gaskets, Kaeding Performance, Donovan, Magtech, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler, Racing Optics, Don’s Truck Wash, Gardner Farms, Hoosier Tires, GoPro, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Peterson Fluid System, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, and WSIB Insurance for all their support!