(Bill W) March 21, 2016 – The western tour with the World of Outlaws came to a close for Brian Brown and the Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 last weekend at the FVP Western Spring Shootout in Stockton, California. Things looked good for the Grain Valley, Missouri driver on Friday night, as he led much of the feature before checkering seventh. The team returns to the Midwest this week for the $10,000 Park City Cup/Air Capital Shootout this weekend at 81 Speedway near Wichita, Kansas.
You started out the night well with fourth quick in Stockton on Friday.
I’ve said it a lot this year, but Charlie Garrett worked really hard on our engines and we’ve qualified better than we ever have. Hat’s off to my guys as well. Chad (Morgan), Michael (Williams) and Wyatt (Burks). We went out and hot-lapped and we were 25th quick. They made wholesale changes. To have three guys who haven’t worked together that long put their heads together…I was very pleased. Qualifying sets the tone for your whole night.
That put you on the pole of your heat.
Stockton hasn’t been one of my best tracks. It’s a great facility and a great track, but to go out and get fourth quick was great. We were able to get the lead in the heat and then Shane got by us. We achieved our goal, which was making the Dash.
You won that from the front row.
We were lucky enough to have a fan draw us the eight for inversion. That put us up front, and we were able to win that. The car was really good.
You definitely took off early in the feature.
The track was predominantly around the bottom. We were able to get out into the lead. As the race went on, we were really good off the turn two and turn four corners. Not to make any excuses at all, but someone hit an infield tire and it got knocked about a half-car length into turn two.
And that changed your line?
It changed my whole exit to the corner. It changed the way my car reacted. From that point on, it got worse. We got in behind traffic, and I really slowed my pace down trying to make the right decisions. I made some bad decisions, and with guys like Donny Schatz, Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart…those guys are the best of the best…anytime you hesitate, they are going to push the issue. Our car wasn’t as good as it should have been the last fifteen laps, and I definitely wasn’t as good as I needed to be.
Still, you were able to finish seventh.
We were able to lead some laps. It just didn’t work out. Those are the nights that are toughest to swallow. Going from 15th to seventh would have been a good night, but going from the lead to seventh is something else. We learned a lot going forward. The tire coming on the track…everyone else figured out how to get around it. I just need to do a better job as a driver no matter what the circumstances are.
Things didn’t go as well in time trials on Saturday. You were 17th quick.
We didn’t make it happen qualifying for the first time this year. The heats are a battle. Whether it’s a battle for the Dash, or any position. We were back battling for sixth, seventh and eighth. Any of those cars could have won the heat. It was tough. We were happy just to make the show (sixth).
Did you change the car for the feature?
There have been a lot of things we wanted to try on the trip like the wide tire. We really haven’t. We’ve been in position for solid finishes, and we didn’t want to mess that up. This was a circumstance where we could try four or five things. We learned some things, made some laps, and went on down the road.
I know you look forward to the nights when FVP is sponsoring the race.
We always want to do the best we can when the FVP folks are there. We had a solid night on Friday, and we were behind the 8-ball on Saturday and couldn’t dig ourselves out. That being said, it was great to have over two hundred FVP customers and employees there. The World of Outlaws do a tremendous job of hosting those people. There were “meet and greets” and some trailer tours. It was a great event again.
You have to be excited to be racing closer to home this Friday and Saturday.
We’re looking forward to getting home and getting to Wichita this weekend. We’ve been on the west coast the last few years and haven’t been able to get back for it. It’s turned into a big event. It started at $3,000 to win, then moved to $5,000 and $7,500. Now it’s $10,000 and two nights. There will be a lot of tough drivers there and we’ll need to have our elbows up.
Follow Brian on the Web, Twitter and Facebook!
Follow Brian at his website located at www.BrianBrownRacing.com!
Also keep up with FVP, Casey’s and Brian on Facebook and Twitter at the following links…
Twitter Links – @BrianBrown21, @FVPRacing, @CaseysGenStores
Facebook Links
Brian Brown Racing – www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Brown-Racing/200630163294222
Casey’s General Stores – www.facebook.com/pages/Caseys-General-Stores/112073528804354
FVP Racing - http://www.facebook.com/FVPRacing?ref=ts&fref=ts
Other Web site info
Casey's: www.caseys.com
FVP: www.fvpparts.com
Brown’s Bits
Brian won at 81 Speedway near Wichita, Kansas with the NCRA Series on September 27, 2008. It was Season Championship Night for the series, and Brian took the lead from Jack Dover on a late race restart to take the win. Dover, Gary Taylor, AJ Selenke and Mike Peterson rounded out the top five.
About Casey’s General Stores
Casey’s General Stores is a Fortune-500 company (NASDAQ CASY) operating over 1,850 convenience stores in 14 states through the Midwest. Known for its “Homemade To-Go” pizza, sandwiches, donuts and bakery items, Casey’s strives to consistently deliver quality gas, fresh kitchen-prepared food, clean environments and friendly service at every retail location. Casey’s is currently the 5th largest c-store chain and fifth largest pizza chain in the United States.
About FVP
Built on a commitment to quality and delivered with unmatched service, FVP is the confident solution for all of your OEM needs. FVP products are engineered to provide customers with OE quality products that are equal or superior in performance to the major national brands at a competitive price. FVP is proud to carry a full line of high quality oil, air, cabin air and fuel filters, powerful batteries for multiple applications including cars, trucks, SUV’s, commercial, boats and other specialty vehicles as well as automotive chemicals and oil, antifreeze, DEF, hub assemblies, radiators and condensers. To learn more about FVP or to find out where you can have FVP products installed in your vehicle, visit FVPparts.com! FVP…The Confident Solution.
Marketing Partner of the Week – Champion Racing Lubricants (Champion Racing 20W50 Motor Oil)
Visit Champion’s new web page at www.ChampionsUseChampion.com! Champion Racing 20W50 Motor Oil is the one that started it all by beating the competition in providing more horsepower, torque, and anti-wear additives than many of the more well known brands of racing oil. Champion Racing 20W50's premium ZDDP anti-wear protection is among the highest in the industry. Champion's exclusive shear stabilizer delivers better film strength and piston ring seal at peak temperatures. Champion Racing 20W50 also delivers more foot-pounds of torque with higher compression than any competitor's brands.
Benefits include:
• Provides exceptional low coefficient of friction
• Offers film strength and viscosity stability of thicker mono-grades at higher temperatures
• Provides upper cylinder anti-wear protection
• Increases high-temp oil pressure and compression
• Formulated for flat tappet, roll over cams and bearings in turbo and super-charged racing engines
• Lowers engine temperature
• Compatible with petroleum and other synthetics
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – HostIowa.net
Brian says – “One of the most important parts in making your team look professional, is your website. I believe we have one of the most professional ones out there. Kyle McCullough at HostIowa.net has not only been able to help us, but a lot of my friends. He’s a good friend, and I appreciate what he does for us.”
If you have been searching for a reliable web solutions partner - your search is over! HostIowa.net is a homegrown, time-tested full-service web hosting and development partner. They will work with you to determine your needs and implement the right solution using services and technologies that best meet your goals. HostIowa.net is an industry leader in web hosting, web application development, and database solutions for a wide range of customers in Iowa and the United States. Contact Kyle today at www.HostIowa.net!
Brian Brown Racing would like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Searsboro Telephone Company, MC Power, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps / impact4800.com, Champion Brands, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Smiley’s Racing Products, Weld Wheels, Housby Trucks, Schure Built Suspension, Arctic Cat, Lincoln Electric, K&N, www.hostiowa.net, FSR Race Products, TI64, Fuel-Safe Tanks, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, Hinchman Uniforms, CP Pistons, Carrillo Rods, Vortex Wings, Penray, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Butler Built Seats, AkzoNobel, Kenny's Components, Tru Square, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance, Cometic Gaskets, Shell Shock, Donovan, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Racing Optics, Hoosier Tires, Klein RV, Duke’s Meats, BIGS Sunflower Seeds, NGK Spark Plugs, XYZ Machining, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, 6B Apparel, Garrett Racing Engines, MSD and Fortress Wealth Management for all their support!
Photo: The 4-wide salute on Friday sees Brian flanked by (l-r) Brad Sweet, Shane Stewart and Donny Schatz (Steve Lafond – Tear-Off Heaven Fotos)
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
Twitter: @BillWMedia
e-mail: sprntcar@hotmail.com