(Photo by Paul Arch)
Inside Line Promotions – OSKALOOSA, Iowa (Aug. 7, 2018) – Brian Brown has arrived at the biggest event circled on the calendar each season.
The 58th annual 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores is this Wednesday through Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, where Brown has earned eight feature victories this season – including seven in the 410ci winged sprint car division.
“Everything we do is geared toward putting ourselves in position to win the Knoxville Nationals,” he said. “We’ve led laps and had a shot to win it in the past. We know we can win races at Knoxville and we can put ourselves in position to win the Knoxville Nationals. Now it’s about putting everything together, being in the right position and capitalizing.”
Brown has a trio of career-best runner-up result finishes during sprint car racing’s Super Bowl and he’s earned a spot into the prestigious A Main in eight of the last nine years.
Brown is coming off a successful weekend at the half-mile oval, where he posted a podium finish during both the 28th annual 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank finale on Saturday and the 7th annual Weld Racing Capitani Classic presented by Great Southern Bank on Sunday.
He locked into Saturday’s 360 Knoxville Nationals A Main by virtue of producing the most points during his preliminary night last Thursday. That ranked fourth overall out of more than 90 competitors and started him on the outside of the second row for the 25-lap A Main.
“We battled between second and fourth the whole race,” he said. “The predominant line was around the top so whenever we’d close up on the next guy it was difficult to make a move because once you got out of the best lane you’d spin your tires. Both Carson Macedo and I passed Terry McCarl with about 10 laps to go and I thought I might have a shot at Carson in traffic. I found some rubber in turns three and four off the cushion a bit and then Terry found some all the way on the bottom and drove by the both of us.”
Brown finished third, which was his record ninth career top-five result during the event.
The team returned to the track on Sunday for the Capitani Classic, which welcomed more than 65 other competitors. Brown timed in fourth quickest in his group and picked up a position in a heat race to finish second. A fifth-place result in the King of the Hill lined him up on the inside of the third row for the A Main.
“The Capitani Classic is a great event honoring a great man,” he said. “It’s also a nice final tune-up for the Knoxville Nationals. A lot of the teams that will race the Nationals show up for the Capitani Classic so it’s a fun and challenging event.
“We had a fast race car in the main event, but track position was pretty pivotal. We’re there to race for the win, but we moved forward and earned a podium finish so it was a solid night.”
Brown, who garnered a third-place run during the Capitani Classic, also competed on Monday at Southern Iowa Speedway during the Sage Fruit Front Row Challenge presented by Musco Lighting. He timed in 16th quickest during qualifying, won a heat race from the third starting position and battled toward the top 10 in the A Main before exiting the track early. He was credited with a 20th-place finish.
QUICK RESULTS –
Aug. 4 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Feature: 3 (4).
Aug. 5 – Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa – Qualifying: 4; Heat race: 2 (3); Pole Shuffle: 5 (4); Feature: 3 (5).
Aug. 6 – Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa – Qualifying: 16; Heat race: 1 (3); Feature: 20 (11).
SEASON STATS –
44 races, 8 wins, 22 top fives, 24 top 10s, 32 top 15s, 37 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Wednesday through Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, for the 58th annual 5-Hour Energy Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s General Stores
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.BrianBrownRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrianBrown21
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brian-Brown-Racing-200630163294222/
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“I’ve been using All Pro since Day 1,” Brown said. “Bob and Patti are great people with the best heads on the market.”
Brown would also like to thank Casey’s General Stores, FVP, Impact Signs, Awnings, Wraps, Champion Brands, MC Power, Weld Wheels, Rams Racing, Ditzfeld Transfer, Maxim Racing, Fischer Body Shop, Smiley’s Racing Products, J.D. Welding & Machine, MSD Ignition, Housby, Next LED Sports, Hope for the Warriors, Factory Kahne Shocks, C & M Lawn & Landscape, Arctic Cat, Lincoln Electric, K&N Filters, www.HostIowa.net, FSR Racing Products, Ti64, ATL Tanks, Wolfe Eye Clinic, Bell Helmets, Hinchman Uniforms, Clem’s Helmets, Vortex Wings, Penray, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, AkzoNobel, Kenny’s Components, Snap-On Tools, Rod End Supply, KSE Racing Products, Winters Performance, Cometic Gaskets, Donovan, ISC Racers Tape, Kinsler Fuel Injection, Racing Optics, 5-hour ENERGY, Hoosier Tires, NGK Spark Plugs, XYZ Machining, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Red Devil Brakes, Schoenfeld Headers, 6B Apparel, Garrett Racing Engines and Fortress Wealth Management for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.