My racing career began two years ago at the Hagerstown Speedway on Fireworks night in July 2005.  The motor blew on the first night, but we didn’t quit!  I became interested in racing as a young teenager during the rise of NASCAR in the 1990's.  After graduating from Brunswick High School in 1993, I attended Emory & Henry College near the Bristol Motor Speedway.  My first experience seeing stock cars was walking into the Bristol Motor Speedway during Winston Cup practice on April 8, 1994.  I just remember walking in, grabbing the chain link fence in turn 4, and my jaw dropping.  I just knew I had to drive a racecar. 

My racing career is not the typical story.  I did not grow up around racing or even working on cars.  After the experience at Bristol, I was just determined to somehow get into a racecar.  My first opportunity was through a few NASCAR driving experiences such as Monster Racing at Dover Delaware (http://www.monsterracing.com).  Pulling out of the pits for the first time (after I stalled the car 3 times!), I knew this was something I had to do.  For nearly 10 years I continued these driving experiences, but I was very far from competing with my own car in an actual race.   

In 2004, after my Bristol practice experience 10 years earlier, I met a local Pure Stock driver, Steve Kent through my son Clayton.  Steve and his father were die hard Ford guys racing a Chevy Malibu.  They decided to sell the Malibu and begin building their dream Pure Stock car- a Ford Thunderbird.  During construction, Steve's dad decided to move Steve up to the Limited Late Model division and the car sat unfinished.  Steve and I struck a deal to finish the Thunderbird together and get me behind the wheel.  I will never forget the role Steve and his Dad played that allowed me to complete my dream of racing.

Through two plus seasons, my racing has seen its ups and downs.  We have gone from not qualifying for races to racing for wins.  On June 2, 2007 (DVD video stream here) we battled veterans such as Mark Jones, Mike Warrenfeltz, and Hans Stamberg for the win.  We led over 10 laps, but a late race caution found us banging wheels with Mark Jones and we came up a little bit short.  But as determined as I was to break into racing, I am that determined to get my first win and who knows, maybe one day compete in a NASCAR race! 

– Brian  8/25/2007