An Anson County race car driver finished 13th in his ARCA Racing Series debut this weekend at Salem Speedway.
Brandon Lynn, 20, of Burnsville was one in a four-driver line-up for Lira Motorsports on Saturday at the 200-lap ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at Salem Speedway in Salem, Indiana. He started and finished 13th, according to the Facebook page for Lira Motorsports.
Lynn was in the No. 36 car, a Ford Fusion. He had to get used to driving it before the race. “Moving into this new car, getting the handle on a totally different car as well as a new track,” he said. “What I raced before, it’s called a Super Late Model, which is a about 2700 lb. car with about 600 horsepower, and moving up to a 3400 lb. car with 750 horsepower, is a big difference, the overall driving style of one car to the other. Pretty much just two totally different animals.”
Lynn was pleased with Saturday’s race results. “I thought we had a great weekend,” he said via email. “The car was really fast. Everyone worked hard to make this car race. We had a good car on the long run but we needed a caution with about 50 to go. I couldn’t have asked for anymore. I have to thank everyone on the lira motorsports team, (all sponsors), as well as my family and friends for coming to support me.”
Polkton business Cribs Creek Outfitters, owned by Lynn and his father, is his primary sponsor. His other sponsors are Momo, TraqGear, and Ford Performance.
Lynn eventually wants to become a professional driver. “Hopefully racing will take off,” he said. “I want to drive full-time.” In 10 years, he sees himself racing at the NASCAR level. “Carrying out my dreams, you know, hopefully one day being a professional race car driver.”
Racing is a “family passion,” and he has relatives who have raced, he said, adding that he began racing when he was very young. His driving hero is Jeff Gordon.
The young racer moved from upstate New York to the Charlotte region about 18 years ago due to family work reasons. “We live over in Burnsville because we like the area and we wanted something away from Charlotte,” he said. He graduated from Weddington High School and is currently a junior at UNC-Charlotte studying business management.
Balancing school, work, racing, and his personal and family life keeps Lynn busy. “It’s tough, but you know, you just gotta keep your eye on the goals,” he said. He thanked his family and friends for their support, as well as his girlfriend and her family, who are race fans and travel to see him compete.
He has two sisters, aged 19 and 12; the older sister also graduated from Weddington High School and the younger sister attends Anson Middle School. The family business, Cribs Creek Outfitters, offers guided hunts.
Lynn plans to race in the Kansas ARCA 150 on Oct. 15 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. CDT. It will air on Fox Sports 2.
