Track Schedules

Brian Brown – Daniel McMillin/Jesse Hockett Memorial Next!

(Bill W) September 20, 2011 – The two-day Daniel McMillin/Jesse Hockett Memorial blasts into action this Friday and Saturday night at the Lucas Oil Speedway near Wheatland, Missouri, and Brian Brown and the FVP #21 team will be ready!  Last weekend, a heat crash resulted in a long night at I-80 Speedway on Friday, before the event scheduled for Saturday was a rainout.

Things started well enough at I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska last Friday.  “I was looking forward to getting to I-80,” says Brian.  “I didn’t draw the best of numbers and that put us starting seventh in the heat.  We got a good start and got to fourth on the first lap.”

That’s when a battle with Lee Grosz turned bad.  “On the second lap, I missed the bottom a little bit in one and two, and Lee was able to get underneath me,” says Brian.  “He went through the middle of three and four and I went to the bottom.  We got together on exit, and my right rear got into his left rear.  He got into the fence and we tore it up too.  I apologize again to Lee.  We’ve been racing six or eight years, and we’ve never had any issues.”

That’s when the FVP #21 team went to work. “We were behind the 8-ball at that point,” says Brian.  “Bryan (Sundby) and Chaddy (Cypert) did a great job of getting everything together.  We had a lot of guys from other teams helping too.  I’m going to forget someone, but Rick Ideus was one, along with Bryan Gossel’s team.  Seth Bergman lent us a stack for the engine.  Everyone pitched in.”

After the crew did their job, Brian did his by transferring to the main event after starting twelfth in the B.  “We were able to get up to fourth in the B and that put us in,” says the Grain Valley, Missouri driver.  “We were able to work on the car a little bit more for the feature after that.”

Starting 22^nd, Brian started making his way to the front, but ended up twelfth after the race was cut short for a competitor’s crash and ensuing rainfall.  “With about four laps in, we were up to fourteenth,” he says.  “I got spun out there, and that put us to the back again.  I was able to come back through there up to twelfth again before we had to stop the race for Taylor’s (Velasquez) crash and the rain.”

The car was working well in the feature.  “I feel like we could have moved into the top ten with seven laps still to go,” says Brian.  “With how the night started in the heat race, it wasn’t terrible.  We’re used to running good at I-80, so it was just unfortunate the way the night went.  On top of it, the rain came on Saturday.  We had quite a few FVP representatives there, so not doing better for them, and not getting to race Saturday was disappointing too.”

Brian is looking forward to the weekend in Wheatland.  “I’m really looking forward to going back,” he says.  “The Daniel McMillin/Jesse Hockett Memorial is special to me, as it is to all of the guys that will be trying to win it.  Those guys meant a lot to our region of the country and our racing.”

The last visit to Lucas Oil Speedway was memorable as Brian won from the back of the B and the back of the feature.  “We had some adversity, losing our engine in the heat race,” he says.  “We had to scramble from the back of the B and A to win it, so that was big.  It gives us a lot of confidence heading into the race this weekend.  I’ve had this one circled on the calendar since it was scheduled.