Brooke Tatnell Revamped.

To coincide with the revamped Brooke Tatnell website I figured it was best to touch on the past and inform on the future. Some people say reflecting on the past is not a good thing to do, but after completing our fourth season down under with Krikke Motorsports this year is defiantly a good one to reflect on.

26 starts    9 wins    7 seconds   3 thirds    2 fourths   1 sixth   2 sevenths    1 tenth     1 fifteenth

World Series Champion-                  Speed Week Champion-                   Warrnambool Classic Winner

I would love more than anything to have typed in massive letters Australian Champion but the simple facts are in the final we weren’t the best team on the final night. We were good all weekend and proved that by winning the prelim night after starting behind Brazier and Farrell in the main and won it comfortably. On the final night we started third again after about 10 laps moved into second and was sitting with Braz as we entered lapped traffic before the yellow came out. With the way we run our car around Perth yellows hurt us as it usually takes us a few laps to get going, but that  is the gamble we always take. After the yellow Farrell passed us after I tried the bottom to get a run on Brazier in one - two & this would be very costly for us. Until that time I hadn’t abused our tyres but then I got to racing too hard with Farrell and got our tyres too hot. Ryan was holding us up and I felt we just had to give it all we had, but the yellows would come out again. Good night Irene.

Greenie showed us the bottom and we were OK down there but no faster as we had killed the tyres and the  yellows made it worse so we tried the top again and Greenie passed us. Looking back now I think that if the yellow hadn’t come out when Greenie passed us the first time he may have had a chance at winning it but then again no-one will ever know just how hard Brazier was pushing it as he may have had some in reserve but then again he may have been balls out. Knowing Garry for as long as I have we will never know the truth because his answer would be “my dad had the car great and know one could touch us.” Congratulations to the Brazier Family you were the best team on the night. Look, I’m sure if you asked Garry the question on which driver he hates being beaten by more then anyone my name would be on top of the list and vice versa. With that being said we both hold each other in high respect.

To end the controversy  of why I didn’t stop on the front stretch for the trophy presentation it’s very simple. As I drove up to give Garry the thumbs up on a good job the officials said over the two way     “W2 go straight back to the scale and machinery shed.”  Done, that simple and to this day if the commentators stated that there was a fourth place trophy it’s news to me. There was no tissues needed like some suggested or that I was peeved because Braz won. When Max Dumesny first told me it’s just another race, I told him that’s because he’s won it and at the time I hadn’t. After winning it, is it just another race? No way, it means as much to me as the Knoxville Nationals. After the year that we’ve had this year with results that no team can match across the country, plus the fact that the last race that my dad saw was us winning our third straight Australian Championship and when I walked back to the truck whilst the car was in the impound area my beautiful wife and Bugs (Emma) was standing there yelling Daddy go go, I love you. Would you be peeved???  I don’t think so, you win some and lose some and this one we lost. I was disappointed but there’s always next year.

I will say it again I drive for the best team in the country and have a fantastic relationship with everyone at Krikke Motorsports. Thanks guys especially ’Lil Pete, Shane’o and Ryan for all the hard work put in throughout the year. 

Now the future. We will be out there promoting TITAN USA as our new season starts. We arrived back in the states two weeks ago and have been going through what we have and how things are run at TITAN as each team is run a little different. I must admit it was a bit over whelming the first week as I basically only had four days with Glenno to do a run through before he left for Australia. Glenno made the decision to take some time off racing this year as he wants to spend time with family in Australia and feels burnt out but Glenno knows he has a place to return if he wishes and he was a big help this week. Eric will remain with the team and I am looking forward to working with him and we will hopefully putting another crew member in place in the next week or two. During the year when the schedule get busy we will add a third team member to help with the work load and with any luck that may be David Craft who I worked with last year and enjoyed racing with as long as he brings a belt so we don’t have to see his Grand Canyon. Bingo is also set to return for a brief tour during the summer.

The guys have four cars ready to go and six motors in the shop so we have the equipment at our disposal but it will still take me just a little time to figure out the motors and for me to get comfortable with the cars as each driver likes different things like the way motors throttle, car wheel base and this will be the first time I will be running with the new flat wing rule. I think the flat wing will be the biggest adjustment we will face as it does change the way you have to setup the racecar and drive it. After the first few races I think we will have a decent handle on the cars then we will have to run through the motors to get a feel of which motors are better suited to which tracks. With that being said Glenno did give us a run down on his thoughts of what ran better were. Let me tell you I am really looking forward to this year and building a strong future here at TITAN USA beyond this year. I know that we will be a strong team and we will be on the podium soon.

We are in the final stages of putting together a schedule so for now we are posting our first draft which is only tentative but we will keep you updated as we move through the season. I want to thank everyone at Titan Garages, TITAN USA and especially Reeve for this great opportunity. Most importantly I need to thank Amy and Emma for allowing me to “LIVE MY DREAM” as it takes a strong family unit and their support to do what we do in racing. Most people could never imagine what they have to go through for my racing which includes dragging them half way around the world only to return to our home in Minnesota for a week and then to up route the family to move to Brownsburg, IN. For the start we will float back and forth before basing out of Brownsburg.

GAS IT UP! See you at the track soon!

BT