IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

August 11, 2008 I Survived Bristol Speedway Editors Note: Drew Brannon made his first visit to Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend, and survived with a 10th place finish in the ASA Late Models. The teenager from Miami tells his story in the following narrative. Hope you enjoy it. By Drew Brannon Friday we were searching for the set up. We still did not get it as good as I had wanted it. Although, I felt I had a better car than they way I qualified. The track is so intense and we were noticing that our tires after 20-30 laps were coming apart which made me very concerned. We started the race 14th and quickly moved up to 11th position. I used up my tires trying to pass a slower car so around lap 30 my car started to vibrate really bad. I was determined to wait for a caution to come in for new tires. Finally at lap 62 I got the caution I needed. Unfortunately, I lost quite a few positions. I was able to get 4 new tires. My crew told me that the tires were very blistered and had holes in them. At that point I decided to go in to the survival mode. I decided the only way to get a top 10th finish and not wreck the car was to come in every 30-40 laps (or when a caution permitted) to get new tires. I saw a lot of my friends crash and was determined not to crash my car. I did my best to stay on the lead lap, but due to the tire situation it was impossible. I have never used multiple sets of tires on one race. When the race was over, it was one of the first times I was happy with a 10th place finish. I feel that I not only survived the many crashes, but gained a tremendous amount of experience as a driver. I want to thank my parents for all of the support they have given me. I feel terrible about the outrageous tire bill they have to pay. Hopefully in Milwaukee WI that for everyone's sake the tire issue will be resolved. --Advertisement-- Even though I continue to look for any sponsorship support, I want to let you all know about the Make-A-Wish-Foundation that I participate in. each time I earn money from a race, I donate a percentage to the organization. This organization helps make dreams come true for children with life threating medical conditions. Even though I need as much sponsorship, my parents have always taught me the importance to giving back. I'm glad to participate in any way possible. -Drew Brannon www.drewbrannon.com Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on The Real Racin USA Florida Fan Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!