Brand to race in NASCAR Truck Series Friday

BARSTOW • The antipication was noticeable as the truck was dusted, waxed and final preperations were made on Tuesday afternoon.

This truck will be racing in the spotlight.

Barstow racer Robbie Brand and his team are gearing up to race in the Lucas Oil 150 at 6 p.m. Friday at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Thirty-six trucks qualify for the event and as of Tuesday afternoon 35 had entered the race, meaning Brand’s truck would make it to the race regardless of how qualifying goes. Qualifying will be held 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

The race will include several other high-profile NASCAR drivers such as Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is considered two levels below the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
The team was finalizing work on the red and black No. 37 truck Tuesday afternoon and were expected to leave Barstow early Wednesday. Anticipation has been building at Brand’s shop on Highway 58 since the team bought the truck in May.

“It’s really exciting,” Car Chief Tim Phillips said. “This is one of the three elite NASCAR divisions.

“I never thought in my life I’d be doing something like this. It’s bizarre. I never would have thought I’d ever have the opportunity to do something like this especially growing up in Barstow.”

Team Coordinator Tony Gonzales, who painted the truck, used to watch NASCAR races all the while playing armchair mechanic and telling the TV he could do a better job. Now he gets to be on the track to prove it.
Brand has raced various motor vehicles from quads to cars throughout his life. In recent years he’s stuck to Late Models and raced at tracks from Irwindale to Las Vegas.

Friday will mark the team’s first venture with their new truck.

Brand tossed around the idea of driving a truck in the past but didn’t commit until recently. Brand finally bought the truck in May.

“I wasn’t sure because he changes his mind a lot,” Phillips said. “When it unloaded, we were happy.”

The truck was originally built in 2006 under different ownership. Phillips said it was only used sparingly before the original owners decided to sell it. Since May it’s undergone an overhaul. Many parts had to be replaced to meet with NASCAR’s rule changes since 2006.

The team was originally hoping to have the truck ready for a race in Las Vegas in September but couldn’t complete all the work. The team still attended the race as spectators and Phillips said that was when excitement set in.

While this will be Brand’s first foray into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, it likey won’t be the last. This is the second to last NASCAR race of the year, but Brand’s team is gearing up to race with the truck again in May and at a handful of other events in 2010.

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