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Sponsors:
Team
MMI
About
Brian:
Brian is a 37-year-old co-owner of a boutique marketing services
firm called Contentlab in San Jose, CA. He’s also the guy that
puts together the prints ads for MMI that you see in Go Racing Magazine
– many of them based on actual customer experiences and letters
MMI receives. Brian has always been into technically and physically
demanding competitive sports. He has raced bicycles for more than 20-years.
He’s always been a fan of open-wheel auto racing and decided it
was time to get behind the wheel at 36 and try driving himself. He started
going to the indoor local karting facilities in his quest for the thrill
of speed. He then enrolled in the first ever Russell Racing 3-day Techniques
of Karting school and was hooked the first time he pressed the pedal
to the floor. Brian signed up for and planned to compete in the Russell
Arrive-and-Drive series before finding Mayer Motorsports in Livermore
– Brian grew up there and stopped by to meet with the staff and
decided that purchasing a kart was a great way to go – knowing
that the real value was going to be in support and setup – he could
concentrate on learning to drive. With the advice from MMI, he quickly
went from back of the pack to a contender after only a few races –
he’s still amazed at how fast he progressed and professes not to
be the greatest driver…and he credits his knowledge of “racing
line” and techniques from reading just about every book on racing
theory out there – to help him shorten the learning curve and be
as smart as can be without the huge amount of time it usually takes
to “get it.”
Racing
Accomplishments:
Rookie Year (2003):
Brian decided to go in with both feet and start his career in one of
the most competitive fields and series in club-level racing – the
Russell Championship Karting Series TAG class – he ran a Birel
Q chassis with a Parilla Leopard motor. He finished the six-race series
in fourth place overall and garnered a 3rd and two 4th place finishes
along the way – most of which were out of 30+ kart fields.
2004:
Brian returned to the TAG Amateur class due to the depth of competition
it offered – the class has grown once again in 2004. He plans to
race both racing series held at Infineon raceway – the Russell
Championship Karting Series in the TAG Amateur class and the Yokohama
Championship Karting Series in the TAG Masters class. So far this year,
Brian has captured a 4th place in the Russell Series and a 5th in the
Yokohama Series.
“Do
I get wrapped up in racing! Love it! The support I get from TeamMMI
would make any professional driver jealous. They are always the first
ones to say, ‘I don’t care how you finished, did you have
fun?’ And the answer is a definite yes. I have been amazed at how
fast I’ve gotten to be fast…I’m no prodigy at 37 years-old
believe me. MMI has given me a chance to be competitive – that’s
all I wanted – an affordable chassis and engine package that performs
week after week. I’m always amazed at how many people stop by the
MMI trailer for advice, encouragement and that elusive part that nobody
else seems to have at that moment it’s needed.”
What
does the future hold?
2004 is starting off on the right track and Brian hopes to finally stand
at the top of the podium. An IKF race just might be in the future –
to see if Brian can be competitive at the next level (and the fact that
he’s basically beating some of the same names that race at that
level in his club events).
Other
Hobbies:
Brian has a passion for racing anything and everything with two to four
wheels. He is definitely a jack of all trades person who loves the steep
learning curve and just getting competitive – he doesn’t need
to be the best at something and sacrifice the fun and complexity of
juggling more than one hobby. He races bicycles on the track, mountain
and road. He also races 1/10th-scale electric touring sedans and Formula
1 cars. He also enjoys endurance challenges – he’s a two-time
finisher of the infamous 200-mile Iditabike mountain bike race held
in February in frigid Alaska, he’s finished the La Ruta de los
Conquistadores coast-to-coast 3-day mountain bike race in Costa Rica
(considered the world’s toughest mountain bike race). He also recently
climbed Mt. Shasta and earned the thrill and reward of snowboarding
down from the summit..
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