| Drew Brannon Oh So Close At Concord | By Jack Smith
 Concord Motor Speedway can be a place for nightmares. With its long, curving super fast back straightaway, drivers are carrying a lot of speed into turn three and the the scary tight turn four. It was the scene this past Saturday for the ASA Late Model Series Southern Division 100 lap event.
"Concord is a very challenging track with that dogleg, also very fast," Drew explained.
Two early cautions were needed to settle the field down at the tough 1/2 mile.
The Brannon Racing/UB Machine Inc #08 was a tough car to drive for Drew Brannon on Saturday. The youngster from Miami, Florida was able to beat the ASA legend Butch Miller to turn one to take the early lead and would ride out front of the 26 car field the first 25 laps. He would eventually settle for second place.
Brannon said afterwards "The car was good on all those short runs, but when we would get a long run it would get really tight it was probably the tightest car I've ever had."
The car may have been tight but Drew was ready to drive it hard as he could, retaking the lead nine laps later.
On lap 34 Brannon once again lived up to the "Showtime" nickname given him by fans. "Colt and me caught up to Dustin Dunn in the #59 going into turn one,and when Colt shoved up the race track trying to get around him, I just stuck my nose underneath him, between Colt and Dustin and we just went through the dogleg three wide. I came out of the dogleg going down the hill faster than he did and beat him to turn three for the position."
Brannon led the race until lap 67, Colt James again passing the #08.
Though Drew drove hard he just couldn't quite get there. "The last 20 laps were the hardest 20 laps I have driven in my life", he stated. "From 60 to 80 I was trying to conserve a little bit to make one last run at him. I ran him down a little bit but I had nothing to get around him."
"The car was really really tight, I was cranking rear brake to it the whole race."
Drew credited Greg Urbine and the Jack Smith Motorsports team for his success in the last two races. Going into the Concord event fresh off a huge win at I-70 Speedway to become the youngest driver ever to win an ASA Late Model Series race.
The 15 year old has been living in Cleveland, Ohio and New Haven, Indiana the past four weeks and is happy to be back home for now.
Next stop for the race team is Bristol Motor Speedway August 9th. Last year the ASA Late Model Challenge division fast qualifier set the track record which still stands. Brannon will be going to the super fast Winchester Speedway to test and prepare for Bristol. As for the Bristol race in ASA Late Model Challenge Division, "I am excited, I recently tested at Gateway International. I thought I was in heaven there, but I can't wait to go to Bristol."
The Brannon race team is currently sponsored by Brannon Specialties and South Park Auto, both Miami based companies. Also sponsored by UB Machine Inc headed up Greg Urbine from New Haven, Indiana.
The youngster is having a ball with his young racing career. "The more I can do as a young adult the better, " Drew said. "The key right now is to be successful at the age I am. I loving it I wish I could race everyday of the week".
Sponsorship opportunities are available with Brannon Racing for the 2008 season. Inquires may be directed to kelliebrannon@bellsouth.net.
-KARNAC MEDIA RELEASE
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