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(Bill W) October 26, 2010 – Brian Brown is ready for the 23rd Annual Short Track Nationals at the I-30 Speedway near Little Rock, Arkansas. The Grain Valley, Missouri missed last year’s event, which was delayed a week because of weather. He and his wife Heather had scheduled their wedding for that weekend.
The 2010 Knoxville Raceway champ and the FVP #21 team are eying his last month of racing, starting with the Short Track Nationals. “Not being able to be there last year because of the wedding, I’m really looking forward to going back,” says Brian. “I don’t know what it is about the place, but we’ve always seemed to run well there. I think we’ve been in the top four three times on the final night.”
He likes his chances at Victory Lane, but with over 100 competitors vying for position on the ¼-mile oval, he knows it will be tough. “I think our chances are as good as any, but it’s a place that you have to keep your nose clean and get a little luck,” says Brian. “You need to do well in the heats and qualifiers to put yourself in position to win. We’ll try to lock ourselves in the first night like we did in 2008.”
His run that season netted a third place finish. “Looking back, I think we had the fastest car, other than Crawley, who was in his own zip code,” says Brian. “He ended up falling out, and we raced hard with Tony Bruce for second, and he ended up winning it.”
The FVP team has been working hard in preparations. “Chad (Morgan), Grandpa (George Lasoski), Kelby (Hopkins) and I have been working really hard in the shop getting ready,” says Brian. “We’re 100% prepared going in, and we’ll cut some laps on Wednesday night to make sure we’re where we need to be speed-wise for Friday.”
Brian’s best finish in the event’s finale came in 2006. After having to run one of the four B mains and finishing second, he was able to carve his way through the field to a second place finish behind Jason Johnson. “In 2006, we started towards the back and we were able to work our way up there,” he says. “It’s a small ¼ mile, but both corners are distinct. One has a high bank, and the other comes to a point and falls off. It really is a driver’s track, and a guy’s got to get up on the wheel.”
For the first time in the event’s history, television will cover the festivities. “Anytime the guys from Lucas Oil Productions come out, it adds some excitement to the air,” says Brian. “It’s a great chance to get your marketing partners out there, and it’s a big race to show them off for. We’re looking forward to that, and hopefully, we can get up where the cameras are showing the race.”
Looking ahead, Brian Brown Racing will have two cars in competition at the Western World in Tuscon and at the ASCS National event at Las Vegas. Sixteen year old Justyn Cox will pilot a second FVP entry. “We had an opportunity to put a deal together with Justyn Cox out of California,” says Brian. “He needed a car to drive, and we had one. I think he has a lot of talent and we’ll see how it goes at Tucson and Vegas. Hopefully, he can show everyone his talent, and he can get a full-time ride next year.”
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