FLORIDA RACING DUO TACKLE KENTUCKY AND TENNESSEE DIRT
By Jane Smith
Recently car owner Jay Carbary, well known in Florida for his asphalt modifieds, and Perry Brown, Jay’s driver, took on a new adventure and did some dirt racing not in Florida but in Kentucky and Tennessee.
First they went to Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Kentucky where Perry drove in their weekly modified series just to get his feet wet before moving on to Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, Tennessee for the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series where Perry finished 13th.
Both Jay and Perry were guests on realracinusa.com recently with hosted by Jack Smith, Rick Anges and ‘Stagin’ Stevie LeTempt.
“Perry has run dirt before running in the Winter Nationals at East Bay for the last few years. We made friends with alot of the guys and decided to go visit Shon Flanary who also runs the Winter Nationals. It was a new experience for us and we have been planning it for a long time and loaded up and went last weekend,” said car owner Jay Carbury.
“We needed to get our feet wet first before the big show on Saturday night at Tazewell Speedway so we joined in the weekly modified show at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Kentucky.
“We were very pleased with the results on Friday night although we did not expect alot but having a fun trip. Now Perry and I can say we have been to Tazewell Speedway, the l/3 clay oval in Kentucky.”
When Perry and Jay arrived at Tazewell, the first thing they noticed was the 28 degree banking. New Smyrna Speedway in Samsula has 18 degree banking so 10 more degrees is alot. In fact, there is only 2 degrees difference between the banking at Tazewell and Bristol. Standing on the edge of the track, you realize you would break your neck if you fell down the track.
“Tazewell was the biggest thrill of the trip for me,” said Perry. “It was alot different than what I am use to. New Smyrna is a decent track but Tazewell is a much higher banked track. They run much bigger cubic inch motors there than we do in Florida.”
“Ponderosa Speedway was more like East Bay so motor was not as important as it was at Tazewell. It was definitely a learning curve for Jay and me both. We felt we were in the ballpark but stuck on third. I did find with the high banking that I was doing more gear shifting than normal at Tazewell.”
When asked how the attendance was at both dirt tracks by Jack Smith, Perry had this to say, “To me the attendance was more like Citrus County Speedway and the old Sunshine Speedway. Full stands almost standing room only at both tracks. These tracks are out where there is only local sports or racing so they get good crowds for their events.”
About two years ago Jay and Perry started teaming up together with Jay’s asphalt modified. Jay needed someone to try out his modified and Perry was the one and it has been magic ever since. Perry had his best season ever in Jay’s Gulfcoast Modified last year when he and Lee Collins were fighting door handle to door handle each race.
Perry does not have alot of dirt experience behind him but ran his first dirt race in a SARA Modified under Rick Day. Since then, he has dabbled in dirt racing here and there. Perry also owns his own Super Late Model which he runs in the Sunbelt Super Late Model series in Florida. Jay is always with him and helping him with that car. For now their goal is to have fun and that is exactly what they are doing.
“If you have ever been to a Florida vs Florida State game, that is what it was like racing in Tennessee and Kentucky,” said Jay. “Half the drivers will go to Kentucky for a race just like half will go to Tennessee for a race. Everyone at both tracks were very cordial to us. We didn’t expect alot but went to learn, to have fun, and just to see what we could do. It was just something different to do since we have been to all but maybe two tracks in Florida.”
“Perry puts out a great effort no matter what we are doing and we wanted to go to these tracks because of the great history that is behind them.”
Asked what is the difference between being mid-pack and an up front runner in a race, Perry had this to say, “That is a really tough call. Money does factor in for sure. I always have run good in my modifieds but when I got the Super Late, it was quite different. I had alot of very bad runs but a good car. But those guys who run up front will always run up front because that is what they do. The mid-pack guys have the same desire as the front runners but could use more money. Super Late Model racing definitely takes alot of money.”
“It is hard to compete with a team that has a full-time crew chief and someone who can work on the car all week. I have also found you can be alittle off on dirt but not asphalt. There is just no way to make that up on asphalt.”
The next racing event for Jay and Perry will be September 1 at USA International in Lakeland and the final leg of the Triple Crown. Perry will be behind the wheel of the No. 22 Super Late Model.
“I missed the second leg because I had a motor problem from the first leg. I was black flagged in the first leg for smoking. We thought it was just the oil line but turned out to be a cracked piston and had to miss the second race. But we will debut our new Ford which we built especially for USA and New Smyrna.”
Jay and Perry also plan on doing a little more dirt track racing and will have a new modified for the Snowball Derby in December at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida.
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