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GRAND-AM: Frisselle Thursday Homestead Blog
Written by: SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com   
10/08/2009
Homestead, FL
 
Welcome to the first Homestead event blog from SunTrust Racing's Brian Frisselle.

Greetings from Homestead-Miami Speedway after what has to have been one of the hottest days around here in a while. It’s a far cry from the weather I left behind in Colorado, that’s for sure. Should make things really interesting here over the next two days. Then again, the last time we raced in stifling heat and humidity, it was the Fourth of July at Daytona and we won the race.
After a busy Thursday with pre-race testing, Brian Frisselle is ready for the challenges ahead of the SunTrust Racing team. (Grand-Am) » More Photos

It’s great to be here for our last race of the season and our SunTrust team right in the middle of the championship fight. When I drove through the tunnel this morning, it occurred to me that this is the very track where I saw my first Grand-Am race live. It was 2004 and my brother Burt was co-driving a Michael Shank Racing car with Oswaldo Negri. It was one of the wildest things I’d ever seen, an incredible race. And Burt and Oz finished on the podium.

Lo and behold, here I am, back at Homestead, fighting for the championship with one of the best teams in the series, year-in and year-out. I’ve really been looking forward to this weekend since we packed up and left Utah three weeks ago. There’s something about being in contention for the championship that makes you want to get right back into that racecar.

I’ve focused a lot on my physical fitness over the last couple of weeks, getting ready for this weekend. I’ve really felt like I absolutely didn’t want to leave anything on the table after this race. I didn’t want to leave anything unchecked or undone. I wanted to make sure that I could get the best out of myself this weekend, which is arguably the most important weekend in my racing career. I bumped up my cardio regimen and I also spent a lot of time in the gym. I tried to work on my neck and my traps for this race because this racetrack is really hard on your neck.

At the same time, I’ve tried not to put too much pressure on myself. I’ve had a lot of help in that area from my family. And I also have had a lot of fun rooting for my Broncos. I went to the game Sunday when they beat the Cowboys, so that was great. I’ve spent time with my family and my dogs. All of that stuff helps me keep my life in perspective and just makes for a better frame of mind when I head back to the racetrack.

I do really have fun with these guys and enjoy my time with everybody on the team when I am at work at the track, but I am my own biggest critic so I always want to do the best job for the team, so while it’s fun, there’s a measure of expectations you feel you have to live up to every time you strap yourself into the car.

My dad’s been really good at putting it all in perspective. He told me all I can control is my own performance, so all I have to do is go out there and do my best. The results will be what they will be, but as long as I get out of the car and say that I gave it my best shot, that I did my part this week, then I’ve done my job. Mom’s kept her eye on my a little more these last few weeks, too. She knows how seriously
I take everything, so she just tries to keep me loose and keeps me from thinking about it too much.

When I got here to the track, Wayne was really quick to tell me I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing. He said I don’t need to do more than I’ve been doing. What it comes down to is qualifying well, starting off well in the race and then handing the car off to Max in a good position.

After 2½ hours of practice today, I think we have a good car. I think I have a shot at the pole. Every driver wants to have a shot at the pole whenever they show up at the track. I think I have that shot with this car. It’s going to be tough in the race because the tires seem to be falling off big-time. I’d say after about 20 laps in, you’re fighting massive oversteer.
If all goes well, Max Angelelli and Brian will be celebrating once more on Saturday at Homestead. (Grand-Am) » More Photos

I like a loose car, but not that loose of a car. I’ve talked to some of the other drivers and it seems to be the same for everybody. It’s going to be a matter of who manages their track position and their tires and all that, that’s who is going to win the race.

It’s definitely neat to be here this weekend, back at this track for this championship weekend after it all started for my family here in the Grand-Am series. I have a feeling of accomplishment already, but I also know that we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us and the biggest challenge is still ahead.

Tomorrow’s a big day, and the day after that will be the biggest one of all.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, SPEED, FOX, or NewsCorp.

Brian Frisselle, the 25-year-old second-generation driver out of Aspen, Colo., is wrapping up his fifth season of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series competition and his first as co-driver with Max “The Ax” Angelelli on the perennial title-contending SunTrust Racing team.

Frisselle wasted little time acclimating to his new team as he made a habit of qualifying the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara of Wayne Taylor Racing at the front of the pack, and scored his third and fourth career Rolex Series wins alongside Angelelli this season at Daytona and Montreal.

The SunTrust team entered this weekend in a three-way battle for the Rolex Series championship at the season finale in Homestead, Fla., where, if successful, Frisselle and Angelelli will bring home SunTrust second title in the last five season in America’s most hotly competitive road racing series.

Visit SunTrustRacing.com and WayneTaylorRacing.com for more information about the longest-standing team and sponsor alliance in Rolex Series history, and visit FriselleRacing.com for more information about Brian, his brother and fellow Rolex Series competitor Burt, and his father, Brad, an American road racing legend in his own right.
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