By Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA, August 13, 2024) A track record trophy dash purse of more than $4000.00 awaits the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car drivers this Saturday night, August 17th, at the Brother Brett Classic at Perris Auto Speedway. As this piece went to press, the exact figure was $4,037.00. That total could rise before race night. In addition, the winner of the 30-lap main event will pocket $4,500.00. Spectator gates for the thrilling night of racing and clean family fun will open at 5:00 p.m. and the first race will take Steve Russell’s green flag at 7:00.
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Saturday’s race salutes Brett Taylor, who passed away at the age of 66 on March 18th of this year. Affectionately known to everyone in racing as “Brother Brett,” he knew everybody, and everybody knew him. His friendly, funny personality endeared him to everyone he ever encountered, whether at a racetrack, with the local high school football team, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, or the Ventura County or L.A. County Fire Departments. Simply put, he was a loved individual.
“The racing world sorely misses Brett,” longtime friend and Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian said. “He did not have a mean bone in his body, and he had a heart of gold. He had a friendly greeting for everyone, whether they knew him or not. He would come to the racetrack, and the first thing he would ask was what he could do to help. Brett lit up a room when he entered. If you were having a bad day and Brett would show up, he put a smile on your face. He was just an amazing man. We hope to see a lot of his racing friends on Saturday night.”
“So far, more than $4,000.00 has been donated for Saturday night’s Brother Brett Trophy Dash,” Kazarian continued. “That much money is pretty much unheard of for a trophy dash. Heading into Sunday night, the purse stood at $500.00. Then our Chris Holt put a note on Facebook saying the race could use some help. In a span of about 24 hours, Brett’s racing friends jumped in and donated over $3,500.00 extra for the dash so it stands at a little over $4,000.00 right now. It could grow to even more by Saturday. It is not just about the money, though. Winning a race dedicated to the driver’s friend will carry a lot of weight. ”
The Brother Brett Trophy Dash is not the typical trophy dash. And we are not just talking about the money. A long-time staple in auto racing, the trophy dash, which has become nearly extinct, matched the fastest four cars from qualifying for three or four laps. As racecars became more expensive, car owners and drivers were concerned that the reward was not worth the risk, and trophy dashes have disappeared from much of the racing landscape.
Besides the money, the format for Saturday’s dash is different. It is a Speedway Motorcycle Racing format. The fastest four drivers from qualifying will contest four three-lap races. They will line up in the traditional two rows. However, the positions will rotate for each of the races. Thus, each driver will start in every starting spot one time. The winner of each of the races will receive three points. Second will get two points, third will get one, and the car that finishes last will get a zero. At the end of the fourth race, the points will be tallied, and the driver with the highest total will receive the lion’s share of the money. If there is a tie for first, the drivers will come back to settle it with a two-lap runoff. If there is a tie for second or third, the drivers involved will split the combined payouts of those two spots.
“The crowd loves this format,” Kazarian said. “It goes by really fast and is very exciting and interesting. It has become a tradition to have it once a year for quite some time now. This year it falls on the Brother Brett Classic Night.”
The Brother Brett Trophy Dash is not the only place where extra money is up for grabs. On Monday, Kazarian took a call from Brett’s longtime friend, “Big Mike” Grosswendt of All Coast Construction. He is donating $1,000.00 to the winner of Saturday’s main event.
“Mike Grosswendt used to pick up Brett and bring him to the races at Perris,” Kazarian stated with a smile. “They were great friends. Mike has been a tremendous supporter of sprint car racing over the years. He got ahold of me on Monday and said he wanted to donate $1,000.00 to the winner of the Brother Brett Classic main event. That, along with the winner’s share of the main event purse and the $500.00 Avanti Windows and Doors bonus that goes to the winner at every USAC/CRA race, means the winner of Saturday’s 30-lapper will receive $4,500.00. The winner will get much more if he or she does well in the dash, too.”
In addition to the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars in the Brother Brett Classic, the GAS Chassis Young Gun Sprints, PAS Senior Sprints, and the PASSCAR Super Stocks and Street Stocks will be on hand Saturday. Adult tickets are $30.00. For seniors 65 and over, it is $25.00. Kids six to twelve get in for only five dollars, and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking.
Advance tickets for all Perris Auto Speedway shows are available 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to buy tickets in advance, there will be plenty available at the ticket window every race night.
The PAS is conveniently located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds, home of the Southern California Fair, in nearby Riverside County. Take the 215 freeway. Exit at the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is 18700 Lake Perris Drive, and the zip code is 92571.
To keep up with everything happening at The PAS, please visit the track’s social media efforts on Facebook and Instagram and visit the website at perrisautospeedway.com.