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(Bill W) August 30, 2010 – Brian Brown’s hopes of sewing up a second Knoxville Raceway 410 championship were dashed in a first-lap feature tangle that ended his night. He’ll enter this Saturday with an 81-point lead over Don Droud Jr., and will do his best to bring home the Championship Cup. Meanwhile, other races loom, including Friday’s ASCS-Midwest run at I-80 Speedway near Greenwood, Nebraska, and Sunday’s 7th Annual Lake Ozark Speedway 360 Nationals near Eldon, Missouri.
Last Friday night, Brian took on the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series at the Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. He drew the pole of his heat and won it. "The pill draw in the ASCS races is so important,” he says. “We were able to get the jump on Kyle Hirst and roll pretty well there. We had the issue with the rocker arm the previous Sunday, and we were able to take that up to Lee Nelson (Ostrich Racing Engines) in Des Moines and he got us in and out of there and had it fixed."
The Grain Valley, Missouri driver drew a six for a starting spot in the main event. A first lap tangle eliminated several cars and put him on the front row for the restart. "It was weird to have the first lap stuff happening two nights in a row,” he says. “Friday didn't get me, but Saturday did. I got up to fourth at the flagman and I had the opportunity to roll the bottom in one and two. I saw Danny (Wood) and Matt Covington get together, and I was able to sneak through."
Brian shot out to an early lead, but a problem that had surfaced earlier continued. "We had had a problem with the throttle linkage and it was stuck wide open,” he says. “The red gave us an opportunity to see what the problem was, but we couldn't get it fixed. We restarted up front, and we ran the rest of the race with a stuck throttle."
The driver of the FVP #21 overcame the problem, but was preoccupied with it. He would be passed for the lead. "We did the best we could,” says Brian. “Before the rubber showed up, when we were out front, I still think we had the fastest car. I was really concerned with the throttle and not crashing, and honestly, I may have been more in tune with where the rubber was showing up, I may have found it."
Jerrod Hull and Hirst shot by Brian, and he tucked in behind them. "With four to go, we had a problem with the steering and the pitman arm,” he says of his retirement from the event. “We had a good run, we just didn't have the luck. It's good to know that everywhere we've been going and whoever we've been running against, we've been competitive. That's a testament to Chad (Morgan), Kelby (Hopkins) and the rest of the team."
The team registered the quick time of the night at Knoxville on Saturday to gain valuable points. "Qualifying gets you some good points, and we were able to get quick time,” says Brian. “Ever since we've used these Pro Gas shocks, they've worked really well. We've had them on since the Nationals."
An invert of eight in the feature following a second place run in the heat, put Brian outside row four for the main event. It would end before it even started. "There's really not much you can say about it,” he says of getting caught up in the mess. “You can't blame it on anyone. Seth (Brahmer) had his sideboard fly off and spun. We tried to get through there, but just had nowhere to go. We had crashes going on all night long, and I just thank the Lord no one was seriously hurt."
Brian took a hard hit. "On my end, I'm just glad to have Butlerbuilt seats and Bell Helmets,” he says. “That's the hardest hit I've taken in a long long time without turning over. Going from 130 to a sudden stop isn't much fun, and I felt it on Sunday."
A positive attitude will be carried into Knoxville’s Season Championship this Saturday. "We're in a good position, and one anyone would trade with us,” says Brian. “We just have to do the best we can. We could have been hurt a lot more, but Don struggled a bit in the A."
This weekend, three races will keep the crew busy. "I-80 has become kind of a 'home away from home',” says Brain. “We’ll pull in there with some confidence, and we'll do the best we can. Hopefully, we'll do well at Knoxville, and I look forward to Lake Ozark Speedway on Sunday. Kevin and Tammy Gundaker do a great job on the track, and I'm sure the crowd will be rowdy and look forward to seeing us there!"
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