BRAND PULLING DOUBLE DUTY AT ZMAX

“Bad Brad” Brand is hoping familiarity works in his favor this weekend, two times over, as he competes in both Pro Modified and Extreme 10.5 (XTF) during the ADRL’s Dragstock IX.

Brand, who crew chiefs for R2B2 Racing’s Leah Pruett in the NHRA Pro Mod series and occasionally races there himself, is driving R2B2’s twin-turbocharged ’53 Corvette in Pro Mod at Dragstock, as well as his own twin-turboed 2007 Mustang in the XTF class.

That NHRA experience may pay off for Brand at zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC.

“We’ve come up here a couple of times to test; in fact, one of the first times I ever drove for R2B2 was up here in testing. I’ve tested both the Corvette and the Firebird here,” Brand said. “Then at the NHRA race here a few months ago (April), I was tuning Leah and she went to the final and I actually drove the Vette to the semis, so we’ve been on this track many a time; I probably have at least 50 or 60 runs on this track.”

Also in April, Brand made his 2012 ADRL debut at Bristol Dragway with his XTF Mustang and drove it to a runner-up finish against Alan Pittman. He showed up again a couple of months later with both cars at Richmond, VA, where he won the Extreme 10.5 class in dominating fashion, but struggled somewhat with the Corvette.

“I didn’t really have much time in the Vette when we got there after we’d changed a whole bunch of stuff, so I’m hoping to do a lot better with it here, that’s for sure. Hopefully we can show (R2B2 owner) Roger (Burgess) we actually can get something done with the Vette in the ADRL,” Brand said.

“And even though I’ve never driven a 10.5 car before on this track, it’s real smooth and very consistent down track, so just knowing the track I think it’s gonna’ go real good. I hope so, anyway.”

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