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Brian Brown – Jackson Action!

(Bill W) May 14, 2008 – With Mother Nature still a major factor in the Midwest, sprint car driver, Brian Brown, did find a race to run last weekend, and it was a big one. The First Annual Jackson Spring Nationals was run on Friday at the Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minnesota. Despite limited experience at the track, Brian overcame a late format change to run third in a field of 50+ 360 sprint cars.

Fortune is needed with a field that large, and Brian got a little when he signed in. "The draw went well for us and we started outside the front row of the heat," he says. "We trailed Lee Grosz most of the way, but we were able to get by him on the last lap to win it."

After registering the second most passing points in the heat races, Brian was set to start the SuperClean #21 outside row one of the dash. That plan changed dramatically. "The way I understood it in the driver's meeting, we were lining up the dash by passing points, that would have had us on the front row, and that's the way they had it on the board…but they called us back right beforehand and had us redraw, and as luck would have it, I drew a 10 out of 10," says the Grain Valley, Missouri native. "So we went from starting outside the front row to starting tenth."

Starting on the tail of a dash including the ten best drivers in the heat could be daunting, but Brian forged on. "Track position is everything at Jackson, especially that night, so that was big for us," he says of his starting spot. "The track had water on the bottom that was getting thrown up, but there were also dry spots and rough spots, so really it was a tricky track to master. We actually got up to fifth there in the dash, and I went to the bottom in turns one and two and hit the water. I went across the track and about spun out, so two cars got by me and we finished seventh."

Brian's starting spot in row four became less important, as the main event turned into a marathon. With several cautions and two long red flag stoppages, the feature lasted close to 90 minutes. The 2007 Knoxville track champion survived the carnage and came home in the show position at the end of the night, despite not being comfortable with the car. "We just weren't that great to be honest," he says. "It was an average performance at best. We had some guys fall out and end up on the hook, so when you're complaining about a third place finish after that, I guess you're doing alright."

This weekend, the focus will be on Knoxville Raceway. On Friday night, Brian will join a handful of drivers for some practice laps at the facility, before taking to the track for Slideways Karting Center/Pella Printing Night on Saturday!

Great Finish on High Vista Video!

If you would like to see a tremendous feature finish, no matter whom you are a fan of, check out Jeff Converse's footage of the Bob Ramey Memorial at Sedalia. Go to www.HighVistaVideo.com and click on the link for the WOW Bob Ramey Memorial feature!

Brian is Adopted…

…by a radio station. Brian will be joining Lou, the Round Guy and Heather on KGGO "Classic Rock that Rocks" at 94.9 on the FM dial. He will be calling in on Monday mornings during the race season to keep them apprised of their adopted driver (him). Be sure to listen in!

Website

For up to date information on Brian Brown, visit the revamped www.BrianBrownRacing.com!

T-shirts

New t-shirts are available and can be ordered at Brian's website (www.BrianBrownRacing.com), www.Racingthreads.com, or catch us at the races!

Brian's Q&A

Dave in Worthington, MN asks: When you race at a track that you haven't been to before, or aren't at very often, like Jackson, what do you do differently?

Brian answers: The biggest thing is probably comparing it to someplace else and deciding on what gear to run. Everything else is pretty much using your general setup and adjusting after hot laps. There's really no magic or special wand…experience of the driver comes into play the most, because you've got four hot laps to figure out what's going on before you have your heat race or qualifying. Probably the most important thing is getting the gear right, and maybe asking some fast guys what they are running, but that's another crapshoot in itself to figure out if they're telling you the truth!

Got a question for Brian? Send it to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for Brian" in your subject line.

Brown's Bits

This date is historic for Brian. On May 14, 2004 he drove for Tim and Gina Doogs for the first time. Even though he was still employed in the Casey's #6 on the World of Outlaws tour, he found time to come back and win in Sedalia for the Doogs. He topped Steve Gennetten, Bobby Hawks, Tommy Mikels and Randy Martin and the rest of the WOW field that night.

It's a night Brian remembers fondly. "We were getting rained out in Terre Haute, Indiana with the Outlaws and the Casey's car. I'd been sitting there all week and had had enough. I told everyone I was going home, either to race, or just to go home. It was 1:00 in the afternoon, and Sedalia is about a seven hour drive. On the way home, I called my grandpa and he didn't want to bring his car out. Then I called Gina Doogs, because I knew Jeff Mitrisin had driven it before. She told me if I could make it, she'd love to have me race. I drove about 90 m.p.h. the whole way and actually put my driving uniform on while going down I-70. Try that sometime! I got there too late for hot laps, but we did get out there and win the heat and feature. Fortunately, I was fired from the Casey's ride about a month later, and the rest is history. They are great people and it's fun to race with them. Hopefully, we will be for a long time."

SuperClean

SuperClean is the "super product" for your home, auto, outdoor and marine cleaning jobs. Whether it is grease, oil, wax, tar or dirt that you need to clean from concrete, wheels or just about anything else, SuperClean is the product for you! To learn more about SuperClean, visit www.SuperClean.com!

SuperClean Products include:

Tough Task Cleaner-Degreaser

If you have tough, caked-on grease, then SuperClean Tough Task Cleaner-Degreaser is the multipurpose cleaner you need. This concentrated, industrial strength formula quickly removes grease, oil, wax, tar, and dirt on contact leaving your surface as clean as new.

All Wheel Cleaner

If you love your car more than you love your…well you know, then SuperClean All Wheel Cleaner is for you. This custom-blend formula instantly releases road grime and brake dust, leaving wheels clean to the original finish.

Concrete Cleaner

Great house…dirty driveway? Then you need SuperClean Concrete Cleaner. This concentrated, professional strength formula cuts away grease, grime, dirt, and organic stains leaving your concrete surface as clean as the original finish.

See Heather at a grandstand entrance near you or visit the team's trailer to get your free sample! Superclean is available at Wal-Mart, Autozone, O'Reilly Auto Parts, or to find a retailer near you visit www.superclean.com.

Marketing Partner of the Week – Champion Brands

An industry leader for over 50 years, Champion Brands, LLC produces and blends more than 300 products including fuel, oil and engine additives and lubricants for the automotive, heavy truck, agricultural and specialty markets. Champion Brands, LLC understands the complexities of doing business in today's market and is always looking for new and better ways to make your company more efficient and increase your bottom line. Quality products are more than a commitment at Champion; our high standards define the way we do business.

Champion is headquartered in Clinton, Missouri and is in its third year supporting Brian Brown. Brian used 75/90 synthetic gear oil and 25/90 synthetic racing oil from Champion to win the 2007 Knoxville Raceway track championship!

Brian's Updates

Brian's Releases are an up close look at the past, present and future of 2007 Knoxville Raceway track champion, Brian Brown. To receive Brian's weekly updates, send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "Brian" in the subject line.

Brian would like to thank SuperClean, Big Ox, Ditzfeld Transfer, Boss Hogg Food Products, Maxim Racing, American Compressed Steel, Michael Ross Memorial Foundation, Champion Brands, Legend Suzuki, Housby Trucks, K&N Filters, Hostiowa.net, Yeager's Harley Davidson, Saldana Radiators, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Blue Springs Extreme Powersports, Awesome Racewear, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Shock Doctor, Weld Wheels, Fire-Down Graphics, Bell Helmets, CP Pistons, Paul's Auto Body Supply, Butler Built Seats, Rod End Supply, Winters Performance Products, ISC Racers Tape, Simpson, Racing Optics, Pro Shocks, Dake Law Office, Wes. Mo. Auto, Don's Truck Wash, Sunshack Tan, McCroskey Chevrolet, Gardner Farms and Hoosier Tires for all their help!

Brian drives to the inside of Travis Whitney at Jackson (Doug Johnson)

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