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(Bill W) August 24, 2010 – Though he would have preferred to win one of the features at the 36th Annual Jackson Nationals, Brian Brown emerged as the champion after having the most consistent finishes of the competitors on-hand. The driver of the FVP #21 feels honored to be listed among the events champions. This weekend, he’ll hit the Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois and return to the Knoxville Raceway where two events remain for him to capture his second 410 track title.
The draw didn’t go as well as it could have, but Brian fought through it on the heavy ˝ mile. “We were pretty decent there on Friday,” he says. “The track was narrow for the heat, but we did manage to get up to fourth after starting eighth. That gave us enough passing points to start 12th in the A.”
Brian immediately made his way to the front, and in the late-going, had a shot at the win. “We had a good 17-lap run, and the car was great,” he says. “We passed Brooke Tatnell and Chad Meyer to get in the lead, but the yellow came out and they determined the lap didn’t count. It was too bad, because I felt we had the best car in traffic.”
Tatnell made a move from third to the lead, while Brian settled for second. “We restarted in second behind Chad Meyer there,” says the Grain Valley, Missouri driver. “He blocked the middle, and I tried to go around on the outside. Brooke slid in front of me there and we were back in third. By the time I got by Chad and ran Brooke down, it was too late.”
Another tough draw saw Brian start seventh in Saturday night’s heat. Despite being caught up in an accident, he would run from 7th to 3rd. “We didn’t draw well, and on the very first lap, someone spun in front of us and I had nowhere to go,” he says. “The header was caved in, and it knocked the top wing around. We were still able to come back and finish third.”
Starting outside row three for the finale, Brian surged to second, and made a bid at the lead. “We had a late restart with a handful of laps to go, and I got up beside Lee (Grosz). I just couldn’t clear him enough to slide him,” he says. “He did a good job.”
The two runner-up finishes tied Brian with Tatnell for the best combined finishes. Brian won the tie-breaker for Jackson Nationals champion by finishing second to Brooke’s third on Saturday. “Overall, it was a great weekend for the FVP #21 team,” he says. “We were able to win the overall title as the most consistent car. Of course, we would have liked to win one of the nights, but to have your name with the Jackson Nationals champions is special. It’s been around a long time, and there’s a reason for that. It’s an event. It will mean something to me for a long time.”
Brian was looking forward to returning to the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia on Sunday. He had won the State Fair race three straight times with the Winged Outlaw Warriors there. The night started with mechanical problems. “We broke a rocker arm in the heat race, so we had a motor change to make,” he says. “We were running towards the front in the feature, and got into a tractor tire that they had put between the concrete walls.”
The damage was significant and Brian would have to restart at the tail. “I didn’t even feel the hit, but it bent a wheel and some other stuff,” he says. “We were able to get that fixed, but with the track the way it was, we were only able to get back up to seventh. It was disappointing after winning that race the previous three years. It was the driver’s fault, definitely. I was just trying to make something happen.”
Brian is looking forward to Friday’s race in Granite City. “Kevin and Tammy Gundaker have done a great job with that facility,” he says. “They’ve turned a dark ˝ mile into a well-lit high-banked 3/8. I’m looking forward to getting over there and contending with the ASCS National guys.”
The 2007 Knoxville track champion has a 90-point advantage heading into the second to last night of racing on Saturday. “We need to go in there and do the best we can to set up the final night on September 4,” he says of his quest for another Knoxville title. “I’m sure Don Droud Jr. will be ready. He’s not going to go out there and play dead. We’ll have to come out with all our ducks in a row.”
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