By Bill W
August 4, 2014 – Brian Brown and the Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 team achieved one of their long-term goals in racing by capturing Saturday night’s 24th Annual 360 Nationals at the Knoxville Raceway in Iowa. Another lies before them this week when the team’s qualifying night arrives Thursday for the 54th Annual FVP Knoxville Natonals presented by Casey’s General Stores. Tonight, the Grain Valley, Missouri driver hopes to be a repeat winner in the 19th Annual Front Row Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa.
An issue in the past was no issue for you when you registered quick time on your qualifying night at the 360 Nationals Friday.
Qualifying has been our Achilles’ heel at the 360 Nationals. We were really nervous about that. We were able to lay a pretty good lap down. Going out early helped. To us, that was the hardest part. To get that 200 points is valuable.
Quick time saw you starting sixth in your heat. You did what you have done all year long, and won it.
We had a really good start. We were able to get to third in the first corner. We were able to get the lead on the second lap and win it. The car, at that point, was flawless. It was pretty easy to drive and we could go anywhere we wanted.
At that point, you had a perfect score going, and were starting eighth in the feature.
We had some pretty good starts. When we did get going, we got to fifth by turn two. We were able to roll the bottom pretty nice when most guys weren’t. We were able to drive by (Josh) Higday and Bronson (Maeschen) there, and set our sights on Sammy (Swindell) and (Mark) Dobmeier.
The red flag came out at about the midway point and you made some changes.
I felt we were ready to pounce and win the race when the red came out. The long red gave the leaders a chance to work on their cars, and we made a gear change to make ours better. I think we went the wrong way with that. Sammy went to the bottom and kind of took the line I’d been running. We stayed with him for a bit, but the last couple laps he got away from us and we were third. It was a very solid night, and that put us in a good spot.
I’d say. You were high point man and starting on the pole for Saturday night. What were your thoughts heading into Saturday.
Going in, I was worried about the guys around us. I knew Joe (Beaver) would be tough, and Sammy and Sam (Hafertepe) behind us. The car in clean air was flawless. Our Maxim chassis and Charlie Garrett engine was great. On every restart, Chad (Morgan) was letting me know I had a comfortable lead. I just wanted to get through those first couple laps after the yellow running well.
The race was great behind you, but no one was close. You were able to win your first one going away.
We were able to get to traffic late in the race. I felt good, but you don’t know if you’re leading by two seconds, twelve seconds, or two-tenths of a second. You have to go hard and run good laps. We were able to achieve one of our long-term goals in racing and it felt really good. To do that for the whole team, Casey’s General Stores, FVP and Don Long at Searsboro Telephone Company, who has been wanting to win this one longer than I have, and all of our partners…it was a good night and a good way to kick off Southern Iowa Sprintweek.
Seventy-one cars were at Knoxville last night for the Capitani Classic. You drew the 35 pill for qualifying.
It’s without a doubt the toughest one-day format in sprint car racing. The draw had me concerned, but we were in better shape than the forty behind us. Our goal was to get in the top fifteen or eighteen. We thought we could get in the first four rows that way. We were tenth quick, and no one was faster after us, so we were feeling good.
That put you back in row three with the heat invert of six. You had to finish in the top three to make the feature, and you were able to do it.
There were no slouches. You had feature winners all the way through it. Rico (Abreu), Lynton (Jeffrey), Don Droud, Kerry Madsen and (Craig) Dollansky. There were no weak links. You have to get your car right, and scratch and claw. We were able to get to third, and that was all we needed to do.
You destroyed your Nationals car last Saturday (July 26), but it seems like this car is just as fast. You seemed to settle in right away starting eighth in the feature.
This car was the one we won three races in a row earlier in the year, and it’s a little different than the one we crashed. This was a good test session for us moving into the Nationals. The first ten laps, I was trying to get my own air and see what I needed to do to get around the place. I wanted to stay in position. We were wanting to stay in the hunt at that point, and as the race went on, the fuel load came off and I felt we were better.
You seemed to take off from there, and without the yellow, you seemed to be the favorite to win.
Once we cleared (Justin) Henderson and Kerry, and we ran down (Davey) Heskin. Ian (Madsen) was coming back to us and traffic was in place. I really felt like we were going to win that race. Then the yellow came out. I was able to get by Davey to second, but I wasn’t able to get by Ian.
Still, it was a great run.
In that type of field, eighth to second is nothing to be ashamed of. We have a car we feel we can contend with. We’re ready for Thursday. We’ve had three hundred and sixty some days to get ready, and it all starts by having a good run on Thursday and putting ourselves in good position for Saturday.
You’re looking for your second Front Row Challenge win in a row tonight. Will you take the challenge if offered?
I’m looking forward to the track being wide enough to race for $30,000 from the back. There’s nothing more I’d like than to take $30,000 from (promoter) Terry (McCarl) tonight. If it’s wide enough, we’ll go for it!
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-Brown-Racing/200630163294222
Casey’s General Stores – www.facebook.com/pages/Caseys-General-Stores/112073528804354
FVP Racing – http://www.facebook.com/FVPRacing?ref=ts&fref=ts
Other Web site info
Casey’s: www.caseys.com
FVP: www.fvpparts.com
Brown’s Bits
Brian has made six of the last seven Knoxville Nationals finals and the last five in a row. After a hard-charger effort saw him go from 23rd to 13th in 2007, he has finished 23rd, 14th, 7th, 2nd and 2nd the last five years. He has led 40 feature laps.
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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
Marketing Partner of the Week – MC Power
With clients around the Midwest, MC Power has the experience and expertise to deliver cost-saving construction (general contracting, tenant finish/improvement, remodeling, metal building repair, roof leak repairs, concrete, carpentry, painting, drywall, plumbing, etc.), electrical (electrical design-build, electrical assessment, new construction and retrofit, ground testing, power analysis, energy back-up, power generation systems, sign repair, pole light repair, data wiring, panels, outlets, switches, etc.), solar energy (facility assessment, energy assessment, system evaluation, system engineering, financial/proforma development, solar-thermal systems, system installation, roof evaluations, ground or roof mounts, monitoring, maintenance, products & services warranty management, rebate management, etc.) and LED lighting systems (facility assessment, energy assessment, system evaluation, product evaluation, new construction or retrofit, maintenance, products & services warranty management, rebate management, etc.) for virtually any commercial or industrial application. Visit them on the web at www.MCPower.com!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – AkzoNobel Sikkens
Sikkens is the premium brand of AkzoNobel, one of the world’s leading suppliers of paints and services for vehicle repair. Our partnership with McLaren brings together two world-class companies with equal desires to innovate and develop new coatings for the demanding world of Formula 1. Sikkens Creating Together: Celebrating one of our many successful partnerships. Visit them online at www.akzonobel.com!
Brian Brown Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, MC Power, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps / impact4800.com, Champion Brands, DNA Energy, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Enco Tools, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, www.RateWin.com, Arctic Cat, K&N, www.hostiowa.net, FSR Race Products, TI64, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, Hinchman, CP Pistons, Carrillo Rods, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, AkzoNobel, Kenny’s Components, www.AllDayParts.com, Tru Square, Jack Links, Deli Express, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance, Cometic Gaskets, Shell Shock, Donovan, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Racing Optics, Mothers Wax, Hoosier Tires, Klein RV, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, 6B Apparel, Bosch, Garrett Racing Engines, MSD, Moyle Racing Engines, Fortress Wealth Management, Legacy, Flexzilla and WSIB Insurance for all their support!