--------------- Brown podiums at GrandNationals--------------
Waterdown karter takes
third in Junior Medium at Shannonville
SHANNONVILLE, ONTARIO – Tyler Brown had an eventful weekend at
the OKRA (Ontario Kart Racing Association) traditional Grand Nationals
at Shannonville Motorsports Park. With the success Brown has enjoyed
this year, he was hopeful of a podium finish at Shannonville,
and the Waterdown karter got his wish, twice.
In Junior Medium, which was one of the most competitive classes
to run on the weekend, Brown qualified third in a very strong
field and finished the pre-final in fourth spot. The lessons learned
in that race left him confident for the final. “I could see what
was going on and I had a plan for the final. I really thought
we had a very good shot at not only the podium, but the win.”
Brown fell back to fifth in the early going but was planning his
attack when the rains came. As Brown crossed the start/finish
line, the last lap board was displayed early due to the rain.
“I was in instant attack mode,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, so
was everyone else. I managed to make it up to third on the last
lap, but if it had gone the distance, our result could have been
better.”
With a podium already in the bag for Brown, he went to work in
Rotax Jr, where he qualified a strong second. Brown led for a
while before being shuffled to the outside of the back straight,
pushing him onto wet pavement from the prior day’s heavy rains.
That resulted in a slide back to sixth. He eventually made his
way back to fourth overall, for his second podium.
The final class was Junior Heavy and with the continuing runoff
from the heavy rains, a treacherous track would cost Brown a top
five finish. He retired early and then talked about the weekend
as a whole. “This was really, really mentally tough,” an exhausted
Brown said. “We ran strong and fast, but the strategy you need
here is different from anywhere else. Just like at the big drafting
tracks in NASCAR, you have to try to anticipate every driver’s
moves around you.”
The focus now shifts to the ASN Canada FIA National Karting Championships
in British Columbia in a few weeks. “This was a good tune up for
the Nationals in B.C. A lot of the top teams were here at Shannonville
and the whole team feels confident of our chances after performing
as well as we did here.”
The team will hit the road on August 11th and will take in the
Nationals in Chilliwack B.C. and round 5 of the Sunoco Ron Fellows
Karting Championship, before heading home 2 ½ weeks later.
Tyler Brown Fast Facts;
Tyler Brown
is a 13-year-old racer from Waterdown, Ontario, in his seventh
year of karting. In 2003, Brown was fifth in the ASN Canada
FIA Canadian Nationals and fourth in points at Mosport. He was
also fifth in Toronto Kart Club Junior Lite championship. In
2003 he had 37 race starts, amassed one win, two poles and 19
top five finishes.
In 2002 he finished sixth in the OKRA (Ontario Kart Racing Association)
regional series in Junior Light. In 2001, he was sixth at the
Mosport Grand Prix, sixth at the OKRA GrandNationals – where
he was the youngest driver in his class. In 2000 Brown was fifth
in Junior Restricted at the Waterloo Regional Kart Club.
Brown drives for 4B Racing (www.4bracing.com) and is supported
by Assante Asset Management, Team Hurricane, Adin
Group Inc, VH
Web DeZine, Arnold Engines, and Big Brother Big Sisters.
For more information on Tyler Brown, contact Russ Bond Agency
(www.russbondagency.com)
905-852-2900.
Hi-Res photos available on request.
Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency
-30-
|
