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Brian Brown – Knoxville Win, Second With Lakeside WoO!
(Bill W) June 6, 2011 – It's hard to envision a better weekend than the one Brian Brown had last Friday and Saturday, but he'll do his best to top it this weekend when the World of Outlaws visit Knoxville Raceway. A win at Knoxville in the 360 class on Friday, was followed by a second place showing with the WoO at Lakeside Speedway near Kansas City, Kansas last Saturday.
The Brian Brown Racing FVP #21 qualified sixteenth quick with the 360's on Friday at Knoxville, but it would work out for him in the end despite a feature inversion of eight. "A lot of times in sprint car racing, it's luck more than being good," says Brian. "The reason we ran is we want to do it three or four times before the 360 Nationals. That gives us the best opportunity to win it. Qualifying is a big part of it, and we're not going to be able to time in 16th at that time of year."
An impressive heat win was followed by a lot of luck, resulting in a front row starting spot for the main event. "I think our car was about as good as it gets in the heat," says Brian. "We got lucky enough in the draw to start on the front row for the feature. I think there were eight cars who timed better that missed the heat transfer."
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver took command from outside row one early on. "Starting next to Jack (Dover) in a 15-lap race, you really want to get to turn one first," he says. "You want to get out there and get rolling. We got through traffic pretty decent."
Clint Garner was surging forward and gaining on Brian in the final stages before caution set up a green, white, checker finish. "I ran the bottom the first eight laps or so, and I didn't feel great," he says. "I felt decent on top, but on the yellow, Andy (Anderson) told me to move down a bit, because Clint Garner was coming. When a guy like Clint starts eighth and he's second in the first couple of laps, you start to think about him. There's a reason he's a two-time champion at Knoxville, and we had to stay up on the wheel."
The team towed close to home for Saturday's battle with the WoO at Lakeside. Brian timed in seventh, started outside row one in his heat, and finished second. "I've learned that you don't have to set quick time and win the heat," he says. "It's great if you can, but you have to put yourself in position to get in the dash. You have to make sure you make it through the heat and finish in the top two if you can."
A dash inversion of six put him up front again and he won that event. He felt the love from the home fans. "We were able to win the dash pretty handily and there was a lot of excitement looking towards the feature," says Brian. "I would say there were eight or nine thousand people there, and we don't get a chance to race in front of our hometown fans very much. It was an awesome experience to feel that excitement in the air with a chance to pick up our first Outlaw feature win."
Brian shot out to an early lead utilizing the bottom of the track. "The bottom was a good place to start, and the yellow came out later," he says. "I was able to get another good start and run my own race. You run your pace, but you need to pick it up several pegs when you are running with the Outlaws. We're getting better at the 30-lap runs with them, but we have plenty of room to improve our pace."
He would lead the first 21 laps before a caution would set up another double-file restart. "We were in heavy traffic," says Brian. "Steve (Kinser) closed up on us a couple of times, but when the caution came out on lap 22, we had a good half straightaway on him. I felt like the car was good. I rode around thinking about where I would restart."
Hindsight is always 20/20. "I chose the bottom, but looking back, maybe I should have went with the top," says Brian. "The bottom was just so good to us the whole race. I felt maybe Steve got on the gas a little early, and I went a little earlier than I wanted to."
Getting beat by the best in the business does make the pill a little easier to swallow and Brian finished a solid second to "The King". "He was able to get by us, and it didn't work out," he says. "The guy has won 600 features and is a 20-time Outlaw champion. It's an honor just to run with him. He's out there racing at 57 with two rods in his hand and 37 stitches. I think that says a whole lot about who he is and what he stands for."
The FVP team is on a roll, having scored a pair of wins in as many weeks, and has a lot of confidence heading into Friday and Saturday with the Outlaws at Knoxville. "It was great to get out on that stage and prove we can run with these guys," says Brian. "It was more special because we had FVP, Impact Sign & Lighting and Champion representatives there who don't get to see their team run as much as we'd like. Our team is jelling, and that process takes time. It seems we're all getting along and heading in the same direction. We're getting better as the nights go on."
Brian will also participate in the auction on Saturday, June 11, that will benefit fellow sprint car pilot, Skip Jackson and his sons. "We're donating a number of things to the Auction," says Brian. "Our thoughts and prayers are with him. Hopefully, they'll be able to take care of everything and get him healed."
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
Wade Palmer from Harrisburg, PA asks: How much have you raced in Pennsylvania? What did you think of it?
Brian answers: I was able to run Williams Grove when we were with the Casey's General Stores car in 2004. Believe it or not, we were second quick my first time there, and we made it through the heat and the dash. I spun out in the A, so it was kind of bittersweet. To see the atmosphere the PA Posse fans bring was cool to see. We actually had two top seven finishes at Grandview and Hagerstown, so it's a place we had success at. It's a place I'd like to get back to when it works for our schedule. They have great fans who are loyal and want their local guys to do well. That's cool.
Got a question for Brian? Send it to us at [email protected], and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Brian" in your subject line.
Brown's Bits
Brian's second place finish with the WoO at Lakeside tied his all-time best finish with the series. On June 4, 2010 he finished second at the Knoxville Raceway. Brian trailed Jac Haudenschild to the line. Tyler Walker was third, ahead of Lucas Wolfe and Kerry Madsen.
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 – Champion Racing Lubricants (Champion Racing 20W50 Motor Oil)
Visit Champion's new web page at www.ChampionsUseChampion.com! Champion Racing 20W50 Motor Oil is the one that started it all by beating the competition in providing more horsepower, torque, and anti-wear additives than many of the more well known brands of racing oil. Champion Racing 20W50's premium ZDDP anti-wear protection is among the highest in the industry. Champion's exclusive shear stabilizer delivers better film strength and piston ring seal at peak temperatures. Champion Racing 20W50 also delivers more foot-pounds of torque with higher compression than any competitor's brands.
Benefits include:
? Provides exceptional low coefficient of friction
? Offers film strength and viscosity stability of thicker mono-grades at higher temperatures
? Provides upper cylinder anti-wear protection
? Increases high-temp oil pressure and compression
? Formulated for flat tappet, roll over cams and bearings in turbo and super-charged racing engines
? Lowers engine temperature
? Compatible with petroleum and other synthetics
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – Don's Truck Wash
Brian says – "I've know Don a long time, and whenever we're in Sedalia, we like to go down to Don's and get the truck and trailer washed."
Don's Truck Towing and Truck Wash, specializes in heavy-duty towing and recovery. They have more than 31 years of experience, and their highly trained professionals can handle any situation from state-to-state towing, uprighting over-turned equipment, and off road extractions. Call them at 660 827-2970, or visit them on the web at www.DonsTruckTowing.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
 Brian in Victory Lane at Knoxville (Dave Hill Photo) Bill W MediaMonroe, IA USA[email protected]
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