By Bill W
December 2, 2013 – 2013 started with a bang for Brian Brown and the Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 sprint car team. A win on their first night out in Tucson, Arizona led to a west coast trip that would yield another one in California. The momentum carried back to several strong runs with the World of Outlaws and the wins kept coming through the month of June.
You started things off as well as you could with an ASCS National win in Tucson.
Every offseason, you feel like you need to work as hard as you possibly can to come into the season strong. Chad Morgan and Travis Marsch worked their tails off all winter long, and we hit the ground running the first night at Tucson. We were able to win from eleventh or twelfth. That was a good way to start.
Even early on, you showed strength with the World of Outlaws, but as a whole the California trip didn’t go as you planned with them.
We went to Vegas with the Outlaws and broke a shock going for the lead. We ran third with them in Tucson. The whole California deal was kind of a struggle after that though. A lot of it was on me. I wasn’t as good as I needed to be on the bullrings. I think our best run with the Outlaws in California was eighth at Merced. That’s something we’re trying to work on this winter.
You did pick up a 360 win on an off-night at King’s Speedway in Hanford.
The win at Hanford was good. Anytime you can win out there, it’s a good win. Some of the best drivers in the country are out there, whether it’s the King of the West Series, the Civil War Series or a weekly show. To beat those guys at Hanford in the Rebel Series was really cool. I think we’re going to hit that west coast swing again in 2014, and we’re looking to get better. We’ll be a little better equipped.
I know you were ready to get back to the Midwest after a long trip, and you picked up a win with ASCS at Valley Speedway.
It’s always good to get back on your home soil, especially in Grain Valley and get a win in front of the hometown crowd. We have a lot of our great partners really close also: Impact4800.com, Ditzfeld Transfer, Champion Oil and Weld Wheels. They are big supporters and it’s always good to win those for them.
A rainout at Knoxville gave you the chance to race two nights with the WoO at Eldora Speedway in Ohio and you fared really well there in May.
Our goal five or six years ago when we built this team was to be competitive anywhere we went in the country. I think slowly but surely, we’re getting there. Knoxville was rained out and we headed to Eldora. We were able to finish fifth the first night, and lead until a late double-file restart the second night. We ended up second, but I think it was a good indication of where our program was at. On the big tracks like Knoxville and Eldora, horsepower is the key. We have the “Ace in the Hole” in Charlie Garrett Engines. There’s a reason he’s the two-time World of Outlaws championship engine builder. We’re very lucky to have him.
You went on a string of five straight second place finishes at that point.
That first Outlaw win eluded us. We had nineteen second place finishes and I think four or five of those were with the Outlaws. I think it just makes us stronger. I think once we get that one, we’ll reel a bunch off. There’s a lot that go into it, and go through your head in those races. We just need to get in a position to put the nail in the coffin when we have the opportunity.
How does finishing second so many times weigh on your psyche?
A lot of guys would enjoy finishing second five times in a row, but for us, it was definitely tough. I think at the time, we were just off a little. We weren’t the fastest cars at those races. It makes you work harder, and I think we did. We were able to find a few issues that made us stronger the rest of the year.
You rebounded with a 360 win at Knoxville, and you added a 410 win there on June 1.
Moyle Racing Engines builds a very strong reliable 360 motor for us, and we were able to win at Knoxville with that. I think he’s an up and coming engine builder that is coming into his own. He’s got the track record at Knoxville, and we’ve been able to win several races with him too. Don Long from Searsboro Telephone Company provides our 360 racing engines. More importantly, Don has become a really, really good friend of mine, and to have him come with the team to the races and events is awesome. We’re proud to have him on our side.
For the second year in a row, you were able to win the Jackson Spring Nationals in Minnesota.
Jackson has been good to us the last couple of years. Folkens Brothers Trucking has made the Jackson Spring Nationals a real event. We were able to win it the second year in a row. We have a lot of great fans up there that support us through thick and thin. To go up there and win in front of them was a highlight of 2013.
You also picked up two wins during JSTS Speedweek.
They have done a great job with that Speedweek. They’ve made it so a guy can go up there and run for four days and make a little money. It was good to get the win at Sioux Center and at Fairmont for the second year in a row. I think the fun part about our schedule is we can be running with the Outlaws one week at Eldora and with the JSTS in Fairmont, Minnesota the next week.
I know having the freedom to run different places is an advantage.
We’re extremely fortunate to have Midwest based companies in FVP and Casey’s General Stores that allow us to run that kind of “true Outlaw” schedule. I think we have established ourselves as a threat every time we unload no matter where we go and that’s what our goal was as a team from day one.
(Next week we look at races leading up to and including the Knoxville Nationals.)
Follow Brian on the Web, Twitter and Facebook!
Follow Brian at his website located at www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
Also keep up with FVP, Casey’s and Brian on Facebook and Twitter at the following links…
Twitter Links – @BrianBrown21, @FVPRacing, @CaseysGenStores
Facebook Links
Brian Brown Racing – www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-
Casey’s General Stores – www.facebook.com/pages/Caseys-
FVP Racing – http://www.facebook.com/
Other Web site info
Casey’s: www.caseys.com
FVP: www.fvpparts.com
Brown’s Bits
In 80 races this season, Brian registered a personal record sixteen wins (20%). He also registered 40 podium finishes (50%) including nineteen second place finishes, 47 top fives (59%) and 59 top tens (74%).
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 – Impact Signs Awnings Wraps / impact4800.com
Brian says – “David and Julie Goodson have a great family there. They also make sure 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 Brian Brown Racing #21. Visit them on the web at www.Impact4800.com!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – All Pro Cylinder Heads
All Pro Heads is the Industry Leader in Small Block Chevy Aluminum Cylinder Heads, (as well as the new Generation 3 and Mopar W9RP) ,catering to the hard core racer always looking for the perfect design for a specific application. Whether it’s Sprints, Super Late Models, Drag Racing, Off-Road, Marine or Road Racing, you can count on All Pro. Visit them on the web at www.AllProHeads.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, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, CP Pistons, Carrillo Rods, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, AkzoNobel Sikkens, AllDayParts.com, Tru Square, Jack Links, 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 Fuel Injection, Racing Optics, Mothers Wax, Don’s Truck Wash, Gardner Farms, Hoosier Tires, GoPro, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Peterson Fluid System, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, ADD, 6B Apparel, Zips Energy Seeds, Bosch, NGK, Garrett Racing Engines, MSD and WSIB Insurance for all their support!