Day Motor Sports Driver Profile: Brandon Hood setting the pace in Outlaw Streets
McGREGOR, Texas — It’s a division not unlike any other, filled with talented drivers and fast cars. Yet when you take a closer look at the rather unique Outlaw Street Stocks that run weekly at Heart O’ Texas Speedway, you’ll find several skilled veterans with solid resumes.
For 34-year-old racer Brandon Hood, this division is an ideal place to have fun and win races. He’s won seven features, earned 11 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 15 starts this year, and shows no signs of slowing down. The 20-year veteran of the ovals is always a strong contender.
“I actually used to run between 60 and 70 nights a year,” Hood said. “So we’re not doing much these days compared to back then. But as the kids grew up and got involved in sports, I decided to slow down on the racing. My priorities have changed some, you might say.
“So now, when we do get to race, I try to really focus and make sure the car is just right. Since we don’t race as often, we want to do well when we are there. This year, the car has been strong every time out.”
Hood has driven just about every type of race car there is out there, and won a few races in all of them.
“I’ve been doing this stuff since 2001,” he explained. “I started off in Junior Mini Stocks, and we did that for two or three years. We won a bunch of races there, then moved to a Southern SportMod. We did that for a couple of years and won a few races, then took a three-year break from 2007 through 2009.
“We got back into it 2010, and started running Street Stocks and IMCA Stock Cars. We ran those for a while, then we bought a Modified in 2015. I hit that division pretty hard; we started out in a 2001 chassis and were a legitimate contender. Yet I wanted more.”
You see, when a man really loves competing in any given division, he often goes all-in.
“With the help of my Grandpa, I went out and got a newer car. We started learning a lot and winning races. After that, we went and built a new Stock Car, and were running both that and the Modified for a little while. We even hopped in a Late Model for a little bit, and crashed it a couple of times.
“We figured out real quick you need a substantial amount of money to be able to play with those guys. We got rid of the Late Model and the Stock Car, then dove into this Street Stock deal because it was local. We could do it on any given Friday night, and stay close to home. We’ve been here ever since.”
In Central Texas, whether he’s at HOT or travels to Paige to run Cotton Bowl, competition is intense.
“We have a ton of heavy hitters in this class,” Hood said. “We have experienced, fast guys like Benji Kirkpatrick, Tommy Honey, Wade White, and Trey Votaw, who’s back running with us again. They’re all very fast. It’s just a ton of fun, I really enjoy it.
“We all go out there and give it our best to put on a show.”
When Hood puts on his safety suit and gets ready to race, he has a pair of rock-solid machines.
“I actually have two cars here in our shop,” he explained. “The white car is the one I ran up until last year most of the time, it’s a BBD Chassis from Demetrius Carter. He built both of my cars.
“Jack Jenkins and Terry Butler at Cen-Tex Performance build my engines, and I have Earl Baxter and Jacob Pirkle building my shocks. These quality cars and reliable motors have been a potent combination for us.”
Votaw is a top-notch racer in his own right, and has big respect for his weekly rival on the high banks.
“Brandon has driven just about every kind of car out there,” he said of his rival. “He’s always there for anybody that needs help on their cars. He’s a very knowledgeable guy when it comes to racing, and is always happy to share it. He’s a great guy and good friend of mine.”
Along with his years of experience and top-notch race cars, Hood has several key partners on his side.
“I need to thank all of the fine folks who support our efforts, including my wife and kids; Jack Jenkins, Terry Butler, Matt Hood, Scott Stroble, Kc Fielding, Brent Mayfield, Kenny Merritt, Jeff Blackwood, Aaron Byrd, Benji Booth, Kyle Lands, TCT Truck and Trailer Repair; BBD Racing Chassis; Sykora Truck and Trailer Repair; and AA Rebel Enterprises. I couldn’t do this without them.”
As weekly racing season starts to wind down and thoughts turn to Fall, Hood has some plans.
“We usually go run all the big shows that we can, wherever our car fits into the rules,” he concluded. “We won the big OktoberFAST program at Cotton Bowl Speedway last year, and we were passing for the lead at 105 Motor Speedway last year and got taken out.
“I’ve actually won the big Fall show in Waco the last three years in a row. It’s always run to compete in the Fall when it’s a little cooler. We’ll just keep at it this year and try to enjoy the success as it comes.”
RaceON.com Staff Writer
Photo by Stacy Kolar/Southern Sass Photography
