Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / BRIAN BROWN RACING – GRAIN VALLEY, MO – It was a finish for the ages in Knoxville Raceway’s annual 360 Knoxville Nationals, not only witnessing “Blackjack” Brian Brown conclude the event with a last lap takeover to claim his second 360 Nationals crown – his first since 2014 – but doing so by a fraction of a second, barely edging Clute, Texas’ Aaron Reutzel in a drag race to the line.
The final margin of victory was just two-hundredths of second, diamonding off the fourth corner to slingshot by the former All Star champion just before the flagstand.
For his efforts, Brown earned a $20,000 payday; $20,000 for the victory with a $500 lap bonus for leading the final circuit. Reutzel, who was ultimately conquered in a two-lap, green-white-checkered conclusion, had led every lap up until the final takeover.
An impressive conclusion was commenced by an impressive preliminary effort by Brown, launching his respective 360 Knoxville Nationals campaign with a runner-up finish in Friday’s program. The Higginsville, Missouri, native started fifth on Friday’s preliminary grid, charging forward in a hurry before waging an all-out war on leader Parker Price-Miller. Despite countless attempts, pressure, and sliders, Price-Miller prevailed, forcing Brown to take a backseat.
Brown is now a six-time winner in 2023.
“Sh–, I just wanted to win!” said Brown in Victory Lane in honor of Jason Johnson’s quote at the 2016 Knoxville Nationals. Incidentally, Johnson topped Donny Schatz that year by the same two-hundredths of a second margin. “That’s for you Jason Johnson! I’m thankful for that red. I saw Tyler Swank (Reutzel’s crew chief) kind of telling him what to do. It helped my gameplan a little bit, because I didn’t know what he was going to do. He’s a great racecar driver. I knew he was going to slide himself (in one and two) and I knew I got a run. I knew my best chance was to take the bottom of three and four. I hit it pretty good, came off of turn four on the white and was going to slide him. He went to the middle, and I thought Christmas came early. I got such a good run down the backstretch and about got by him. He slid me across and I got it turned. I was either going to come back on the trailer or hold this trophy right here! He’s a great competitor. All week long, that’s who I wanted to race for the win. He’s the best there is at Knoxville right now. He probably had the better car, we just got lucky at the end and got the win.”