Brian Brown – Back to the Grindstone!

Brian Brown – Back to the Grindstone!

(Bill W) May 27, 2014 – A sprint car team can never rest easy!  Even after three straight 410 wins at the Knoxville Raceway, Brian Brown and the Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 racing team find themselves searching for answers again after a sixth place run at Knoxville and a fourth place showing at I-80 Speedway.  They will work hard for the keys to victory this week at an event with the ASCS National series in Salina, Kansas on Friday and a return to Knoxville Raceway Saturday.

 

It was the week for the top eight qualifiers to draw for feature starting spots at Knoxville.  You were able to do that.

 

Our main goal was getting in the redraw Saturday.  We were able to do that with second quick.  Justin (Henderson) laid down a good lap, and it was a little slicker than normal.  The guys had the car pretty good there.  We’ll take it.

 

With only three heats this week, with an invert of six, did it feel a little easier to qualify (top six) for the feature?

 

A little bit, but we had Mark Dobmeier behind us too.  We haven’t been that great in the heat races all year long.  That’s one thing we have to get better at.  For the Nationals, you have to get through your heat.  If you qualify well, you start eighth and you have to be able to race to win it or make the top four.  That’s one thing we’ll be looking at this week…trying to get a little better in the heat.  You need to be good at the whole package in August and we need to get better at that part of it.

 

The feature redraw didn’t go well for you.

 

I knew when we drew eight, with the level of competition in front of us and behind us, it was going to be tough.  Every week, we’ve tried something a little different, and we just didn’t get it this week.  It was a struggle to say the least to run sixth.

 

The previous week, you won from eighth, so obviously you didn’t have the same car under you.

 

Best case scenario, we maybe had a fourth place car.  We were nowhere where we needed to be to run the guys up front down and challenge for the win.  That’s the good thing about our sport…it can humble you real quick.  We had won three in a row, and our confidence was as high as it’s ever been.  You get your butt kicked and you go back to the drawing board a little bit and work harder.  That’s what we’ll do for this week.

 

You went to I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska for the big show with the Nebraska 360 Sprints.

 

When we go to I-80, we feel that unless something bad happens, we have a chance to win.  Sunday was no different.  There was good money for the Charlie Clark Memorial.  I started third and Danny (Lasoski) started fourth in the heat.  We got to the lead there, and he was just better than us.  He passed us on the white flag lap, and we finished second.  Getting passed at I-80 doesn’t set well with us any time.  I don’t care if it’s hot laps or the heat race.  We had to go to work on that thing.

 

Even finishing second, you made the redraw and drew the pole for the feature.  Again, you struggled with the car.

 

There’s no if’s and’s or but’s about it, we got whipped and ended up fourth.  We weren’t where we needed to be with the car, and we got exposed.  We raced with Lee Grosz the first few laps jockeying for position.  (Jack) Dover blew the numbers off the side of the car, then Danny got by us for third.  We were abel to get by Lee again, but we had just a fourth place car.

 

I-80 is a place you have dominated in the past.

 

It didn’t set well with the whole team or myself.  As much as anything, we need to keep working at it.  Just because you won at I-80 five years ago, doesn’t mean that others haven’t gotten better.  They’ve been working on their stuff, and we need to put our nose back to the grindstone there too.

 

What does the team have planned this weekend?

 

We’ll be at Salina, Kansas with the ASCS National tour.  It’s always a pretty racy track.  We went there last year and ran halfway decent (fifth).  Saturday, we’ll be back at Knoxville.

 

I know one of your partners is heading into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Saturday at Knoxville.

 

I’m looking forward to my partner Chuck Merrill with Maxim Chassis being inducted.  He’s been an instrumental part of my career, not only with Maxim Chassis, but along with his wife Karen, they are very good friends of mine.  I’m really happy for him to be inducted.

 

I know you have an admiration for all the nominees.

 

A couple of guys that meant a lot to me growing up are Dave Blaney and Mark Kinser.  Mark’s a guy that I always idolized growing up.  He and his wife Cindy always treated me well growing up.  I haven’t seen him in six or eight years, so hopefully, I’ll get to spend some time with him.  Dave Argabright is another one that comes to mind that has done a lot for the sport and I respect a lot.

Category: Brian Brown, Driver Updates