Quick Retirement in 4-Hour
Endurance at Road America
August 20
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
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Brian returns to the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron with a chance at a podium finish in GTC, only to end in devastation just minutes remaining in the race.
Round five of the 2011 American Le Mans Series season brought Brian and co-driver, Bill Sweedler of Alext Job Racing, to the 10-turn, 2.5 mile Mosport circuit in Ontario, Canada. Brian had previous success at Mosport in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Series, sweeping the weekend in 2009. Both Brian and Bill showed quick lap times in both practices early in the weekend, holding onto 2nd quickest within the tough competition in the GTC class. In the 15-minute qualifying session on Saturday, Brian settled in the 4th quickest in the tight GTC field, only separating competitors by a couple hundredth of a second to start the Grand Prix of Mosport.
At the start of the two hour and forty-five minute race, Bill was in the driver’s seat keeping pace with competitors and even getting out in front to lead laps. Bill brought the #23 Battery Tender/Alex Job Racing Porsche to pit road for a complete pit stop and a scheduled driver change. Brian jumped into the driver’s seat with over an hour and a half time left in the race. The problem free pit stop put Brian back in the leading position for many laps. A great battle ensued with the second place car where Brian lost the lead but remain a close second behind the new leader. Holding in the top three with under twenty minutes remaining, Brian looked to score his first podium finish in the American Le Mans Series. But just five minutes remaining and a couple laps left in the race, the unthinkable happened. Fuel mileage played an important role in the Grand Prix of Mosport and the Alex Job Racing team knew fuel would be tight. Going into turn 1, Brian felt the #23 Battery Tender/AJR Porsche sputter for fuel. Switching over to the reserve fuel tank took too much time and Brian lost the second and third positions. Finishing the Grand Prix of Mosport in the 4th position was anything but satisfying. The devastation of losing a podium finish due to a gallon less of fuel wore on Brian, Bill and the Alex Job Racing team.
The frustrating loss has brought drive and determination in Brian and Alex Job Racing to capture a podium finish when Brian returns to the American Le Mans Series at Road America for the Road Race Showcase on August 20, 2011.
Road Race Showcase is a four-hour endurance race at Road America and will air live on ESPN3.com at 2:45pm CT and on ABC at 4:30pm ET.
Frustrating Weekend at Grand Prix
of Mosport
Mosport, Canada
July 22-24
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Brian returns to the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patron with a chance at a podium finish in GTC, only to end in devastation just minutes remaining in the race.
Round five of the 2011 American Le Mans Series season brought Brian and co-driver, Bill Sweedler of Alext Job Racing, to the 10-turn, 2.5 mile Mosport circuit in Ontario, Canada. Brian had previous success at Mosport in the IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Series, sweeping the weekend in 2009. Both Brian and Bill showed quick lap times in both practices early in the weekend, holding onto 2nd quickest within the tough competition in the GTC class. In the 15-minute qualifying session on Saturday, Brian settled in the 4th quickest in the tight GTC field, only separating competitors by a couple hundredth of a second to start the Grand Prix of Mosport.
At the start of the two hour and forty-five minute race, Bill was in the driver’s seat keeping pace with competitors and even getting out in front to lead laps. Bill brought the #23 Battery Tender/Alex Job Racing Porsche to pit road for a complete pit stop and a scheduled driver change. Brian jumped into the driver’s seat with over an hour and a half time left in the race. The problem free pit stop put Brian back in the leading position for many laps. A great battle ensued with the second place car where Brian lost the lead but remain a close second behind the new leader. Holding in the top three with under twenty minutes remaining, Brian looked to score his first podium finish in the American Le Mans Series. But just five minutes remaining and a couple laps left in the race, the unthinkable happened. Fuel mileage played an important role in the Grand Prix of Mosport and the Alex Job Racing team knew fuel would be tight. Going into turn 1, Brian felt the #23 Battery Tender/AJR Porsche sputter for fuel. Switching over to the reserve fuel tank took too much time and Brian lost the second and third positions. Finishing the Grand Prix of Mosport in the 4th position was anything but satisfying. The devastation of losing a podium finish due to a gallon less of fuel wore on Brian, Bill and the Alex Job Racing team.
The frustrating loss has brought drive and determination in Brian and Alex Job Racing to capture a podium finish when Brian returns to the American Le Mans Series at Road America for the Road Race Showcase on August 20, 2011.
Road Race Showcase is a four-hour endurance race at Road America and will air live on ESPN3.com at 2:45pm CT and on ABC at 4:30pm ET.
Podium Finish at Inner Mongolia Circuit
Ordos, Inner Mongolia
July 9-10, 2011
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Rounds 5 and 6 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series brought a level playing field of competition at the new track in Ordos, Inner Mongolia. None of the competitors in the 30-car field had ever stepped foot on the newest circuit to the PCCA series.
After mechanical issues plaguing rounds 3 and 4 at Zhuhai International Circuit, Brian looked to quickly familiarize himself with the new Ordos track. The two practices of the weekend proved the tough competition of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series as all the top competitors jumped quickly up the speed charts. Brian held the #89 World Stage Racing/Absolute Racing Porsche GT3 Cup car in the 5th quickest. During the qualifying session Saturday morning, Brian battled hard with competitors for speed, settling in the 7th starting position for round 5 at Ordos.
The first race of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia weekend at Ordos in round 5 of the series was a battle from the green flag. The tight course proved to be difficult for many drivers. But Brian quickly gained two positions to settle himself in the top 5. The race battle came down to the last lap. With just a few turns remaining in the race, the top two cars spin from contact allowing Brian to clinch the 3rd place finish in round 5 at Ordos International Circuit.
Starting up front for round 6 on Sunday, Brian made an effort to hold his 3rd position at the start. But the competition behind him was battling hard for positions early on. Brian's #89 World Stage Racing/Absolute Racing Porsche couldn't hold off competitors and was bumped to the 5th position with a few laps remaining in the race. Although Brian's speed was there, the battle for positions in the top 5 allowed the leaders in P1 and P2 to gain a large lead. Brian took the checker flag in the 5th position, proving his versatility of racing at the new Ordos track in the competitive Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series.
With his top 5 finishes at Ordos International Circuit, Brian remains in championship contention holding onto 4th in points in the tight battle for the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship. Rounds 7 and 8 will be held August 26-28 at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.
P5 @ Infineon!!
Infineon Raceway
June 25, 2011
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Swiss Mountaineer #89 Brian Wong 5th Place at Infineon
World Stage Racing’s NASCAR West #89 earned a well deserved 5th place at Infineon Raceway on a gorgeous Sonoma afternoon. Brian Wong drove the Swiss Mountaineer Fine Watches Toyota Camry up to 5th place from a 15th place start.
The field was led by Sprint Cup drivers Joey Logano and David Gillian (driving for Speed Wong Racing the past 2 years), followed by series champion Eric Holmes (#20) and series leader Greg Pursley (#26). Wong’s #89 Toyota was moving up on both the #26 and #20 hoping to reel them in before the final 64th lap. The eventual 5th place finish was gratifying, but the hope always remains for the goal of a win.
The race was made more exciting by the fact that none of the leaders took tires during the 2:20 hour race, limiting the pit stops to just one for fuel. Chasing each other on worn and slick tires throughout the long race entertaining and one more factor for the top drivers.
A new sponsor for this race was Swiss Mountaineer Fine Watches. The team had to guard the watch display positioned outside of the World Stage Racing hauler, as the watches were well received by the fans. Brian Wong and World Stage Racing thank and appreciate Swiss Mountaineer’s sponsorship for this race.
A well deserved finish for Wong, previously snake bit the past couple of races here at Infineon. The car ran flawlessly, a product of the shop preparation by Jerel Reeves and Kevin Myrick. Good well done. The team performed well, headed by crew chief Dave McCarty, who again has flown in from Charlotte to sit atop the pit box.
The 125 mile race on the 2.2 mile course is one of the more enjoyable courses in America. It is also one of Brian Wong’s favorite tracks and home to Wong’s earliest wins as a Legends road racer as a 15 year old. Infineon is a unique track with 160 feet in elevation changes along its 11 turns, set in Sonoma county, the gateway to wine country Napa Valley.
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PCCA Rounds 3, 4
Zhuhai, PRC
May 29-30, 2011
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Porsche Carrera Cup Asia moved to rounds 3 & 4, at the Zhuhai International Race Track, located across the bay from Hong Kong, at the resort city of Zhuhai, PRC.
Brian Wong, driving for FFF Cars, was coming off of a 3rd place podium finish in Shanghai, had his hopes dashed immediately when his car had a mechanical failure, during the qualifying session prior to Round 3. The Porsche GT3 Cup car had a fuel delivery problem which prevented the Oakley Active Wear sponsored #89 from qualifying. Wong started from the back of the field of 28 cars for the Saturday, May 29 race. Passing 21 cars in 30 minutes resulted in a frustrating 7th place finish ending round 3 for Wong.
Round 4 started with Wong in 7th position and climbing to 4th, before once again car problems slowed the car to a 6th place finish. The culprit this time was brakes. The sprint format of the 30 minute races hampers Wong, more accustomed to longer paced races.
Wong is looking forward to Rounds 5, 6 at the Ordos race track, located in Inner Mongolia. The trip is scheduled around visits to FFF cars and car owner John Fu, based in Beijing.
Wong Tests Super Exotics
Shanghai, PRC
May 14-15, 2011
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Brian Wong of World Stage Racing was the primary test driver for FFF Motorcars, at the spectacular display of super exotic cars, hosted at the Shanghai F1 Track.
The annual weekend showcases the most expensive and rarest cars in the world, owned by members of the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC). The city of Shanghai is known to be the hub of progressive, Western displays of automotive enthusiasm. The members showcase their personal investments in such super exotics as Gumpert Apollo, Zonda F’s, Zonda R’s, Koenigsegg Agera, Bugatti Veyron’s as well as the ordinary exotics such Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Maserati, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Mercedes SLR, and Audi R8.
Exclusive FFF Automobiles supercars is the exclusive dealership in China for the super exotics, Zonda, Koenigsegg and Bugatti and Gumpert. Owner John Fu has the largest super exotic car collection, arguably in the world, housed mainly in China. FFF Automobiles is the car owner of the #89 Porsche GT3 Cup car competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series. Brian Wong is FFF’s sole professional driver, and races the Porsche GT3 Cup car in the 2011 PCCA series.
Wong drove each of the super exotics, Gumpert Apollo, Zonda F, Zonda R, Koenigsegg Agera, Bugatti Veyron, all owned by John Fu. In addition to putting on the display for the fans and car enthusiasts, providing rides for VIP guests, Wong also provided technical feedback to Horacio Pagani, owner of Pagani Automobiles, manufacturer of the Zonda cars. Mr. Pagani attended the event along with engineering support, taking advantage of his cars being on the Shanghai F1 track . Wong was asked to test each Zonda, providing feedback with suggestions on tuning the car’s suspensions and drive trains.
By weekend’s end, Wong was appreciative of the hand made, high horsepower, rare ultra exotic cars. Having the opportunity to drive a dozen cars, each worth $3-6 Million Dollars and limited to a few made each year, was an opportunity that every auto enthusiast in the world has envied.
The event was well documented by the media, suppliers, enthusiast and blogs.
The crowd and cars can be further viewed here
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Tooele, Utah | April 30 - May 1, 2011
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Brian Wong landed last week in Shanghai, China, for his first races on the continent.
Brian accomplished a lot for his first effort in China, standing atop the podium in Sunday’s race. With Brian’s performance, he has become the first American driver to proudly stand upon the podium in China’s Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series.
The first race of the new season found World Stage Racing / Absolute Racing driver Brian Wong working hard to communicate with his new engineers, team and teammates, as well as learning the new track. A Friday late afternoon 60 minute track walk proved valuable in learning the nuances of this F1 Track. Race One started with Wong in 12th position and ended by finishing in P8, laying the ground work for Sunday’s Race Two
On a bright and clear, pretty day, before the start of the Formula One race that afternoon, the Porsche series showed the fans a lot of racing action. Starting in P8, Wong had to dart and miss action all over the world class 4.3m track from very aggressive drivers. By mid race, Wong had raced his way to P3 but leaders in P1 and P2 were spread out ahead, giving very little opportunity to catch up. The challenging action continued throughout the race, with several flat tires caused by debris, and crash damaged cars causing local yellows. But the top 3 positions were secure and unchanged through the rest of the race.
Despite the long trip to a foreign country, learning a beautiful new track, and working through jet lag, Brian showed he is adept at racing fast wherever he is. This was the first time in a new car under the World Stage Racing/ FFF/ Absolute Racing banner.
The Chinese press release labeled Brian Wong a ‘dark horse’, compared to series regulars and favorites. When Brian left the track on Sunday, he was third in Championship points.
Porsche Carrera Cup Asia is a one make Porsche series of professional drivers, as well as non professionals, racing in two separate categories. Wong is one of 6 professional drivers competing for the 2011 Championship. This season’s field of 24 entries marked the largest field ever for PCCA and is evidence of the growing importance of competitive driving in China.
Brian has now driven competitively internationally in Canada, Italy, Belgium, and now China. On the horizon are races in Singapore and Malaysia.
Next race is May 28th at the Zuhai International Circuit.
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World Stage Racing has sent driver Brian Wong to China to test the Oakley sponsored #89 GT3 Cup car on the Zuhai International Circuit track. Coming off of a 3rd place podium a month earlier, Brian Wong returns to China to learn another new track. In early May, Brian left his NASCAR and IMSA Porsche races on Sunday night, flew out early the next day Monday to Hong Kong so he can test the World Stage Racing #89 Porsche at the Zuhai Circuit. As all other drivers have raced the Zuhai track before it was important for Brian to get some seat time at the track. Look for World Stage Racing results for the May 28 and 29 races. Testing had to be accomplished by May 5 in order to not conflict with the May 28-29 races. The weather cooperated and several other teams also tested in preparation for the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia races #3, and #4 of the young 2011 season. Reports back from Team Marketing Manager Eric Hsueh were encouraging. Track times were competitive, the more laps Wong logged the faster his times, accomplishing the goal of becoming competitive on the track.
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May 14, 2011
Sponsor and exotic car dealer FFF in Beijing China has asked World Stage Racing’s Brian Wong to test drive 3 exotic supercars, a Zonda R, Zonda F and Apollo Gumpert at the Shanghai F1 Track. In addition to testing, Wong will be providing guests and clients ride-along’s in the cars to get the motorsports guests a hint of the thrill of racing at 275/kmh at a world famous FIA sanctioned track, where a month ago the F1 Series raced. Look for more photos and updates after the exotic car testing.
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Oakley-China
Oakley China is now a sponsor of World Stage Racing’s, Brian Wong. WSR Principal David Hung announces that Oakley China is now a sponsor, as Brian Wong helps Oakley gain market share in the growing sports market in China. Oakley is the most innovative optical company in sports, producing superior eye wear complemented with footwear and apparel. Oakley has long been a market leader with their iconic eyewear and innovative designs. Their optical lens have long been the standard of the industry. WSR and Brian Wong are proud to represent Oakley in China.
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April 17, 2011 | Shanghai, China
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World Stage Racing, LLC entered a new phase of the team’s development with its entry into the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Series. For the first time racing in China, the team placed in 3rd position, good enough to stand on the podium on Sunday.
World Stage Racing driver Brian Wong had a great showing, while up against seasoned professionals, all of whom have raced the series tracks before. The team had high expectations coming into the series and were not disappointed. Brian Wong’s quick learning curve produced an 8th place finish in Race One on Saturday, and leaped to a 3rd place standing atop the winner’s podium on Sunday.
The first race of the new season found Brian working hard to communicate with his new engineers, crew and teammates, as well as learning the new track. A Friday late afternoon 60 minute track walk proved valuable in learning the nuances of this famous F1 Track. Race One started with Wong in 12th position and ended by finishing in P8, laying the ground work for Sunday’s Race Two.
On a bright and clear, pretty day, before the start of the Formula One race that afternoon, the Porsche series showed the fans a lot of racing action. Starting in P8, Wong had to dart and miss action all over the world class 4.3m track from very aggressive drivers. By mid race, Wong had raced to P3 but leaders in P1 and P2 were spread out ahead, giving very little opportunity to catch up. The racing action continued throughout the race, with several flat tires caused by debris, and crash damaged cars causing local yellows. But the top 3 positions were secure and unchanged through the rest of the race.
World Challenge Racing has partnered with Absolute Racing, which is based in Malaysia and China, to field the #89 Porsche GT3 Cup car this season. Races #1, #2 were held at the Shanghai F1 Track, in conjunction with Formula One’s 3rd race of the F1 season. The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series is the sole support race for the F1 series in Asia.
Entering a new series is difficult, let alone one that is races literally half way around the world, presents challenges on and off the track. The tracks are all new to the Team, the cars are left in China and have to be transported en mass to comply with duty and customs regulations. All in all, a very steep learning curve in the team’s first introduction to racing in China.
Next race is May 28th at the Zuhai International Circuit.
Great Start to the Season
April 8, 2010 | Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, AZ
Brian was back in a stock car after participating in the American Le Mans Series season opener at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Brian’s first race of the stock car season brought him to the West coast at Phoenix International Raceway for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 100 under the K & N Pro Series West.
The one-day show started with first practice in the morning, followed by a final practice, qualifying, and the 100-mile race. The World Stage Racing crew members diligently worked on the #89 Quiksilver Camry, making Brian 10th fastest in the first practice. New crew chief, Dave McCarty and the rest of the crew made final adjustments to the car for the final practice. Brian, having never raced on the flat 1-mile track, quickly picked up the ins and outs of Phoenix International Raceway. Brian ended up in 8th place after the final practice. As the afternoon wore on and the temperature reached over 80 degrees, the track was slick for the scheduled mid afternoon qualifying. Posting a fast lap in qualifying, Brian occupied the 13th position for the start of the 100- mile race.
The green flag dropped as the sun set behind the grandstand at Phoenix International Raceway. Brian, starting from the 13th position, quickly gained positions on the leader, jumping up to 7th place in the first few laps. Capitalizing from a caution on lap 31, crew chief Dave McCarty called the #89 Quiksilver Camry down pit road for fuel and a track-bar adjustment to relieve the tight handling of the car through turns 1 and 2. With a fast pit stop by the World Stage Racing crew, the #89 Quiksilver Camry restarted the race in the 5th position, picking up two more spots. Charging towards the front, Brian gained another two positions taking 3rd place when the caution flag flew again half way through the race. The car in the 4th position radioed Brian’s spotter, Chris Janosko, saying that the #89 Quiksilver Camry had a left rear flat. Brian made his way back down pit road for a new tire sending tire carriers Kevin Myrick and Ed Hill, along with fuel man Jeff Hensley and catch can man Bob May, over the wall. Crew Chief Dave McCarty ordered the team to complete a four-tire stop, which is a rule infraction in the K & N Pro Series. After the completed pit stop, NASCAR ordered the #89 Quiksilver Camry to come back into the pits for a two-lap penalty. After the penalty, Brian was placed in the 29th position with two laps down from the leader. The remaining 30 laps in the race, Brian quickly made his way towards the front from the back of the field, successfully gaining one lap back under a caution and restarting in the 24th position. With just two laps left in the 100-mile race, the #7 car running in the 25th position took out the #89 Quiksilver Camry causing major damage. This lead the #89 Quiksilver Camry and Brian to the pits, resulting in 23rd place finish.
Many thanks to the World Stage Racing team members: Tim Crawford, Kevin Myrick, Jerel Reeves, Jeff Hensley, Bob May, Dave McCarty, Rick Mix, Chris Janosko, and Ed Hill for putting in many hours of hard work in preparation for Phoenix. Special thank you to David Hung, Tian Mu (Chelvis), Koji Ikeda and Roland Ng for their support. The Jimmie Johnson Foundation 100 will air on SPEED- April 22 at 6:00 pm (EST).
Racing at the Showdown
January 29 - 30, 2010
The prestigious NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown saw the familiar Southern California NASCAR Cup driver and fan favorite David Gilliland once again teamed with World Stage Racing.
David Gilliland took the familiar dream path to the Cup level only a few years ago.
Cutting his teeth locally before advancing to the Big Show, the second generation racer made it clear that he was a talented and driven competitor racing on the West Coast.
Last season David raced well at the Cup and Nationwide levels further bolstering his Cup credentials. At Phoenix and Infineon, David raced well for World Stage Racing and is continuing the friendship by racing in the prestigious Toyota All-Star Showdown. The race attracts high level drivers from all over the country, at what is known as the Daytona of Short Tracks.
As in last year, David is entering a Super Late and the NASCAR West car, trying to win the unheard of Double in winning races in both classes, at the Showdown.
The #89 car will be fielded by Junior Joiner as crew chief and the regular cast of World Stage characters. The Team is anxious to race off the rust in order to be prepared for the upcoming 2010 season. Tim Crawford leads his team of Jeff Hensley, Bob May, Kevin Myrick, Jerel Reeves, Chris Janosko and Paul Dorrity to the Showdown.
World Stage Racing regular driver Brian Wong is not racing in the Showdown, as he has commitments in the sports car field that weekend, while still being a third year student at Northeastern University in Boston. The 2010 World Stage Racing NASCAR schedule has not been finalized as of this date. The 2010 World Stage Racing sports car series is partially committed with the signing of Brian Wong by Intersport Racing for the American Le Mans Series prototype program.
World Stage Racing is proud to continue fielding cars in the Showdown and with its affiliation with David Gilliland.
Return to Favorite Track in the K&N Pro Series
Infineon Raceway | Sonoma, CA | June 25, 2011
World Stage Racing returns for the second road course race of the K&N West Series. Coming off of a strong performance at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, the Team is ready to race hard and contend for the win. Look for updates on the driver selection and team schedule.
World Stage at Iowa Speedway
September 4, 2009 | Iowa Speedway, Newton IA
Brian Wong and World Stage Racing headed out to the cornfields of the Mid West for the 12th race of the NASCAR West season at Iowa Speedway.
With great finishes at the last two NASCAR Camping World Series road course events, the World Stage Racing crew and Brian were looking forward to return to oval track racing. First there was a pit stop in Colorado for testing at Pikes Peak International Speedway, so that Brian was able to get back in the swing of racing an oval. Brian’s last time at an oval track was on the 4th of July at Toyota Speedway of Irwindale, doing very well until a late race incident with a demolition driving car. Testing ended amidst a thunder storm and the car and rig were back on the road to Iowa, meeting the team on Wednesday.
After flying into Des Moines airport, the Team made the road trip through the various cornfields to arrive in the quaint town of Newton, Iowa. Checking into the -1 star rated, Newton Inn, was an experience no one on the team will forget and was the horror of everyone’s weekend. Kevin Myrick slept in his clothes on top of the bed just to stay clean. Jeff Hensley slept with his hat on to protect his head. Nonetheless, food, and frolicking were had by all while dining at Newton’s finest establishments (check the photos). Business time came Thursday morning for the team to spend the day getting through NASCAR Tech. Iowa Speedway is a new, state of the art 7/8 Mile banked track and the officials wanted to be sure that the cars were all up to spec, and safe.
The first practice of the day came at 9 o’clock Friday morning. Brian was 3rd fastest off the trailer, giving the team a boost to get them through the rest of the day. Second practice followed not long after, with many set up changes being done to the car. The team gradually set the car up loose so when race time came at night, as the track got tighter, the car would fall into place.
Brian came in from second practice in the 11th position, with a loose car but a good start for the race. Qualifying was a completely different story, Brian was extremely loose, not allowing him to have grip in order to lay down a fast qualifying lap, placing him in the 17th starting position for the race.
The team was positive and ready for the race knowing that the track is completely different in the day than in the night. The right set up had the car perfect for the race. The Green flag dropped with the sun setting behind the grandstands. Brian had a great start, keeping his position and focusing on catching the cars in front of him. The car didn’t have the right transition from earlier in the day to night, making it hard for Brian to drive and to keep up with the fast leader David Mayhew. The race had a 10 minute intermission and the World Stage Racing crew hit their marks on change tire, adding fuel and making necessary adjustments to the track bar with the guidance of crew chief Junior Joiner. Brian and the field were back out on the track to finish the last 50 laps of the 125 lap race. The changes done to the car helped Brian but the rest of the field had also advanced during the intermission. Brian was able to finish in 14th place and to keep the Quiksilver/Northeastern University #89 out of any trouble, giving World Stage Racing another solid finish and in the NASCAR Camping World Series.
After the race, the team loaded up the trailer and everyone made the final trek to the Newton Inn for a well deserved late evening cooler of refreshments. In the parking lot, eating Big Macs, and drinking milk, the team was joined by the Berkshire race team, where everyone socialized and relaxed after a long day at the track. The photos will show quite of bit of socializing. The next day, half of the Team stayed for the NASCAR Truck race to root on our driver, Matt Crafton.
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Return to Home Track Racing
May 3, 2009
World Stage Racing made its debut at its home track, local Saturday night racing, for 2009.
Our 5th full season at Irwindale.
It was a time to dust off our equipment, the cobwebs on the SuperLate cars and to see old friends. Quite a bit of changes through the years, from Brian at age 13 and his know nothing father attempting to race a Legend, through today, a full race team, shop in several series in the NASCAR West, East and Porsche series, and more top drivers than we have cars.
Another debut for World Stage Racing, introducing a new driver to NASCAR. Well known, successful sports car driver, Patrick Long- the only American Porsche Factory driver, wondered what it was like to drive a full bodied stock car. Patrick got his answer at the end of the 2008 season, by racing a Late Model at a northern California track. World Stage Racing was proud to introduce Patrick to stock cars at that race and to inaugurate him into racing at America’s best short track this weekend.
This race also marked the first time Brian Wong was in a car after breaking his leg, ribs and being roughed up in January’s Toyota Showdown race. Brian upset his family by leaving his brother Kevin’s college graduation early, to fly back for this race. Brian flew into Boston the night before, and literally after Kevin received his diploma, and Brian got up to catch a cab to the airport. Less than 24 hours in Boston left Brian a little jet lagged. Brian hopes to follow in Kevin’s footsteps, and proudly congratulates Kevin on his graduation from Northeastern University in Boston.
Irwindale held twin 50 lap races for the SuperLate field. Brian was shaking down a brand new car, the latest #89 SuperLate. Patrick drove the SWR #21, itself a winner of several SuperLate races the past couple of years.
Race #1 of the evening found Brian and Patrick getting their bearings straight and learning their new rides. Thankfully no major problems, no accidents and no big news. Patrick finished 11th and Brian finished 13th. Changes were diagnosed and set ups changed for race #2.
Race #2. This race was the race that Patrick and Brian wanted to race hard in. The cars were practiced in Race 1, decisions made and set up changes made. Both cars were much faster, getting closer to being dialed in. Brian was in 5th place, Patrick in 6th with 1 lap to go. A spin by another car caused both SWR cars to swerve to avoid the accident, Patrick sneaking in for 4th and Brian crossing the line at 6th.
Overall, it was a nice return to Irwindale. Patrick got needed seat time in a stock car to further his exploration of NASCAR. Brian got to shake down a new Jeff Schrader Race Car Factory car. Both are looking forward to a return to local Saturday night racing at Irwindale.
Patrick and Brian thank their team, led by Tim Crawford managing the happy racers.