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Brian Brown Racing 2013 Season in Review: Fast out of the Gate! (Part 1 of 3)
(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-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
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!
Brian in Victory Lane during JSTS Speedweek in Fairmont, Minnesota (Rob Kocak Photo)
Bill W Media
Monroe,
IA USA
Twitter: @BillWMedia
e-mail: [email protected]
If this post isn't results, stories or something c
constructive, it isn't me!
@BillWMedia
www.OpenWheel101.com
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