Track Schedules

Brian Brown – Dirt Racing! 

(Bill W) May 9, 2011 – Even for veteran Brian Brown, the driver of the FVP #21 sprint car, the dirt in dirt track racing can get complicated sometimes.  Racing with the World of Outlaws in Salina, Oklahoma it changed between hot laps and qualifying.  At Knoxville Raceway on Saturday, it was the water on the low side of the raceway that affected his qualifying effort.  He rebounded for a pair of solid efforts despite fighting an uphill battle after time trials. 

The race on the Salina Highbanks Tuesday, Brian would register the 14^th quick time of the night amongst a stout 27-car field.  “It’s tough to just jump in and race with the Outlaw guys,” he says.  “They can adapt to changes in the track so quickly.  I think we were eighth quick overall in hot laps.  Not thinking ahead, we kind of left the car the way it was.  That was the difference in us making the heat invert, and not making it.” 

Starting fifth in his heat, the Grain Valley, Missouri driver finished outside of a transfer, and had to qualify for the main event through the B.  “To be in contention, you have to stay up on the changes,” says Brian.  “If you miss the invert, and you are back in the third row of the heat, you are behind the 8-ball all night long.” 

Starting fourteenth in the feature, Brian worked his way to challenge for a top ten spot before a series of cautions hit.  “We were up to tenth or eleventh, and we hit a double-file restart,” he says.  “Everyone just goes for broke on those.  If you are running bad, it’s a good way to gain a couple spots.  If you are running well, it’s a good way to lose some spots too.  I had one good restart, and that one was called back for a jump.  I was just in the wrong spot at the wrong time, and when you are there, they are like sharks and they attack.” 

He would finish fifteenth and come away with a new attitude towards the double-file restarts.  “I think we’ll be a lot more aggressive the next time we see them,” says Brian.  “I think you may have to sacrifice a front axle now and then, but sometimes you need to stick your nose in there where you don’t need to.” 

A slip-up in qualifying on Saturday night in a 43-car IRA field saw Brian qualify 24^th.  “It was disappointing,” he says.  “We’ve qualified well for over a year now.  It was nothing to do with the car or the crew.  I just went down in there and hit the water and got sideways.  We qualified later (in the order), and sometimes you sit there and think too much about your line.  I got a little lower than I needed to be.” 

Brian was the last car to make the heat invert, and started on the pole in heat four.  “You have to just keep plugging along,” he says of his night.  “We were pretty decent in the heat.  I got a little complacent with a lapped car there on the last lap, and that gave (Donny) Schatz a chance to win.  That’s what he did.  To be on pace with those guys, we need to race more than once a week.” 

The second place finish set him up in the main event, starting inside row ten.  “We were tight early,” says Brian.  “It’s tough when you are mired in the back, and someone is running low, and someone is running high in front of you.  There’s really nothing you can do until someone in front of you makes a move.” 

The FVP #21 gained momentum at the halfway mark and finished strong.  “I think with eight to go, we were 14^th and we ended up seventh,” says Brian of his run.  “We just got going really well.  With five more laps, I think we could have hit the podium.  Looking at lap times afterwards, we had the third best time, and that was on lap 18.” 

A late mechanical problem as Brian crossed the finish line arose.  “We were glad to finish,” he says.  “I think we broke a U-joint or hurt a motor coming to the finish.  It was good to finish and salvage something out of the night.  We’ll take a look at it this week and hope it was just a U-joint.” 

Brian and the team are still assessing their racing options for this weekend.  Stay tuned to Brian’s schedule at www.BrianBrownRacing.com!