Day Motor Sports Driver Profile: Brandon Spreen diving into busy year of oval racing
BOERNE, Texas — It’s one thing to prepare, maintain and actively campaign a race car for your hobby. The time, effort and planning needed to be successful at it has been well-documented for decades. Yet for some young drivers, learning the ropes in two, or even three divisions at once, broadens their smile.
For 26-year-old versatile wheel-man Brandon Spreen, competing in three different classes (two on dirt and one on asphalt) in the same season is no big deal. The regional Dwarf car master and 2023 Street Stock champion at Cotton Bowl will make it a trifecta in 2024, adding a class at Houston to the mix.
Fresh off a win at Cotton Bowl on March 30, he’s diving into a full plate that’ll see him run wide open.
“I started my season down at HMP in the Outlaw Stock division,” Spreen explained. “We had a pretty solid run there, we ran second most of the race and ended up third. Then we picked up the Street Stock win at Cotton Bowl, which was nice. We’ve run the Dwarf a few times, but just haven’t had the luck.
“I’ve had quite a few good runs in the Dwarfs; not as many wins as I’d like but we’ve done well. We’re focused on multiple cars this year; with the Outlaw Stock for asphalt, along with the Dwarf and the Street Stock on dirt. It’s be a handful, but I’m getting seat time and really learning from the experience.”
Now in his 17th year on the ovals, Spreen paid his dues as he progressed through a big learning curve.
“I started out when I was eight years old in a Bandolero at Houston Motorsports Park,” he said. “I ran a full season of those, then I moved up to Eco Stocks, which were called Front Runners at the time. I ran that class for a year at Thunderhill Raceway, back when Mary Ann and H.E. Naumann ran the place.
“I ran a season in the Front Runners, then moved up to Street Stocks when I was 12 or 13 years old. This was all on asphalt, and I raced primarily on pavement until about 2019. I had never actually driven a dirt car before then. I have a lot more experience on asphalt, but we’ve got the dirt figured out now.”
When Spreen competes in the Street Stock division at Cotton Bowl, he knows it’s no cakewalk.
“The level of competition in that class is pretty high,” he said. “You have Darrell Rhodes, who is always fast and a factor in the win. Brandon Hood, who runs in Waco mostly, comes down to Cotton Bowl and is always fast, and there are several others. It takes a perfect night to win in that division.”
When Spreen puts on his safety suit and gets ready to race, he climbs into a well-prepared machine.
“The Street Stock is a metric chassis with a stock, 4-link suspension,” he explained. “It’s powered by a 350 small block with loads of power, so it’s a blast to drive. The car is owned by Robert and Bianca Danielson. They do all of the upkeep on it, I just show up and drive. I’m very blessed to drive their car.
“Obviously, the Street Stock drives completely different than my Dwarf car. The whole weight transfer process is slowed down and much more pronounced in the big car; the flex and body roll is different than the little cars, for sure. But when you nail the setup, and when that power kicks in, it’s a blast.”
Along with his experience, immense natural talent and top-notch cars, Spreen also has strong support.
“I want to thank a lot of great folks for all they do, including Spreen Engines and Performance; Bodies by DSM; Swenson Shocks and Chassis; Robert and Bianca Danielson of R&B Racing; All In Designs; Hill Country Fireplaces and AAA Foundation Repair. I couldn’t do this without them.”
With summer just around the corner and racing now in full swing, Spreen knows what he wants to do.
“We won’t be chasing points titles in any of the cars this year,” he added. “We’ll just be going after wins in all three cars, trying to learn as much as possible along the way. I know running in three different cars is a challenge, but at the same time, I can grow as a driver as I learn them.
“To broaden my skills, to gain on the consistency thing and try to score more feature wins, that’s the goal. I know we’ll be super busy out there, but I’m having fun doing it and having some success. I’m fortunate to have these cars to drive, and such dedicated sponsors to represent. It’ll be a crazy season.”
By Phil Whipple, RaceON.com Staff Writer
Photo by Rachel Plant/Cotton Bowl Speedway
