Brian Brown won Saturday's 410 feature at Knoxville. He's flanked by Corey Kautz the 305 winner (L) and 360 winner Justin Henderson (R) (Julie Ann Photography)
(Bill W) May 16, 2016 – It has been a while since Brian Brown has taken the checkered flag in a 410 at Knoxville, but he got it done in the Casey’s General Stores/FVP #21 last Saturday night! A late race pass of Brooke Tatnell meant win #31 for the Grain Valley, Missouri driver at Knoxville. It also was the team’s eighth straight podium finish. Their run will be challenged again this weekend, as the National Sprint League is back in action for a pair of shows. On Friday night, the Folkens Brothers Trucking Spring Nationals will open the new Jackson Motorplex before the NSL makes their first appearance of the year at Knoxville Saturday.
You were laying it down again in hot laps Saturday!
Anytime the track is that good and you’re hot lapping at 14.5 (the record in 14.407), I’d like to say the driver is doing it all, but I’m just guiding it. We have great horsepower from Charlie Garrett, Maxim Chassis, FK Shocks and Vortex Wings, and that makes it easy on me.
Did you change anything for time trials? You ended up second quick.
We took a look at whether we could do anything to get faster. You want to do that anytime you’re that close to a track record. We made some changes that kind of slowed us down, and the track slowed down a little too. We did feel like we were off, and we were still able to get second quick. So our qualifying is on point right now.
You performed well in your heat again too.
You want to do as well as you can and have the mindset to be the fastest car every time you hit the track. We were able to go from sixth to win the heat. At that point, we felt our car was as good as it’s been in two or three years there. A lot of things go on during the week where you’re making decisions for race night and things we want to get better on. Chad (Morgan) and the whole team made some really good decisions this week with our shocks and our car. That really paid off.
You lined up fifth in the feature and ran third most of the way.
It was kind of a weird feature really; we were able to get to third pretty quickly. We were able to pass Matt (Juhl) a couple of times and the cautions didn’t fall our way. He was doing a good job. Twenty laps go really quickly at Knoxville. You’re just getting in your groove, and you look up and there’s five or six laps to go. We didn’t feel good in the middle stages. We were able to get by Matt there when the caution came.
What were your thoughts on the last restart?
Lining up second with four to go…as hungry as we were for a win, I felt like we needed to do whatever it took to win. Not to crash somebody, but to go where (Brooke Tatnell) wasn’t going. I hadn’t run the top very much, and we made a good corner in one and two, and then in three and four. I think the top was just as fast, and maybe I should have been up there the whole while.
Though you were awarded a win after a DQ last year, it had been 2014 since you’d actually taken the checkers.
It seemed like an eternity. Sometimes when you win, you take it for granted. When you don’t win for two years at Knoxville, you wonder when you’re going to win again. We’ll really enjoy this for a couple of days and turn our attention to this weekend. I’m just really proud of our team. Chad Morgan, Michael Williams and Wyatt Burks bust their butt all week long to make sure every detail is perfect. It’s good to pay those guys back with a win.
It will be a big weekend at Jackson and again at Knoxville.
We’ve had some success in the past at the Folkens Brothers Trucking Spring Nationals. We’ve been able to win two or three times. The way we’re operating as a team, we feel we can go anywhere in the country and be in the hunt. The NSL at Knoxville Saturday will bring some excitement and some extra money too. I hope a lot of fans come out and support us again this Saturday at Knoxville.
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
Great Marketing Opportunities for 2016!
There are great marketing opportunities available with Brian Brown Racing for 2016 with available spots on the car including the side of the nose wing. For more information, e-mail Brian at Brian@BrianBrownRacing.com.
Brown’s Bits
Though Brian was awarded a win in 2015 due to a disqualification, his last time crossing the checkers first at Knoxville Raceway in 410 action was August 7, 2014 when he won on his Knoxville Nationals Preliminary night. After starting fifth, he would take the lead on lap 21 of 25, a win ahead of Hafertepe, Kerry Madsen, Terry McCarl and Bryan Clauson.
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 – MC Power
With clients around the Midwest, MC Power has the experience and expertise to deliver cost-saving construction (general contracting, tenant finish/improvement, remodeling, metal building repair, roof leak repairs, concrete, carpentry, painting, drywall, plumbing, etc.), electrical (electrical design-build, electrical assessment, new construction and retrofit, ground testing, power analysis, energy back-up, power generation systems, sign repair, pole light repair, data wiring, panels, outlets, switches, etc.), solar energy (facility assessment, energy assessment, system evaluation, system engineering, financial/proforma development, solar-thermal systems, system installation, roof evaluations, ground or roof mounts, monitoring, maintenance, products & services warranty management, rebate management, etc.) and LED lighting systems (facility assessment, energy assessment, system evaluation, product evaluation, new construction or retrofit, maintenance, products & services warranty management, rebate management, etc.) for virtually any commercial or industrial application. Visit them on the web at www.MCPower.com!
Associate Marketing Partner of the Week – Carrillo Rods/CP Pistons
CP Pistons and Carrillo industries have joined forces with one goal in mind: offer high quality performance products with excellent customer service. CP has built a reputation of high-end quality pistons, buil5 to perform and outlast; especially in power-sport and sport compact. They are recognized as a technological leader in piston design and development for all venues of motorsports. They focus on providing industry-leading products and performance while maintaining the highest level of customer service.
Nearing their 50th Anniversary, the name Carrillo is synonymous with connecting rods. Carrillo has won more races in virtually every format of motorsports than any rod manufacturer in the world. They carry a full line of stock replacement rods and specialize in custom applications. They focus on providing industry-leading products and performance while maintaining the highest level of customer service. All products are proudly made in USA. Visit them online at www.CP-Carrillo.com!
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, Next LED Sports, 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!