Brooks Strength

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Photo: Tyler Rinkin

BROOKS STRENGTH

A LONG ROAD TO A SHOCKING VICTORY

By Doug Kennedy

DESPITE HIS MEMORABLE moniker, Brooks Strength is far from famous, even in diehard dirt track circles. That may be changing for the 34 year old. In late March at the King of America X at Humboldt Speedway, Strength not only scored his first USMTS win but the $20,000 that came with it.

The flag-to-flag win in the 60-lapper was very satisfying as he had failed to qualify three weeks earlier for either main event of the Texas Spring Nationals that were held at RPM Speedway in Crandall, Texas. He is a solid contender for this year’s Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year title.

A fellow driver who has helped move Strength’s career along is WoO Late Model driver Cade Dillard, who is also Brooks’ car builder and very close friend.

karts and four-cylinders, correct?

BS: Racing has always been a part of my family. My dad raced and my grandpa raced. When I was 12 years old, my dad’s friend loaned us a go-kart and I started racing it. With my dad’s background in racing and setting up cars it was no time before I began winning… I raced modifieds for few years back in 20032007 and decided to move up to a late model. Now all of this was local racing around the state of Mississippi. I raced Late Models for a few years and drove for a few different people and one day just decided it was way too much work and decided to sell out.

DE: So, you walked away. What drew you back?

BS: I went a year or two without racing and got with another guy and put a Street Stock team together. We raced nine races that year and won eight of them. The next year (2015) I was approached by Mr. Pat Sauls to drive for him and compete in the Mississippi Street Stock Series, and I did. This is where I met Cade Dillard. He started doing my shocks. I knew of him but never talked to him. Ever since that year, I think we’ve talked everyday. We had a great year, won a lot of races, and ended up winning the points that year. After that hard year of points racing, I decided to take another break. I got another kart in 2016 and raced a few times and actually won a race in Daytona, which was big for me. In 2018 I went to the track and talked to a long time buddy, John Keith. I asked to hot lap his car and he let me. To this day I don’t know if that was a mistake or not because I was hooked again. Today that business is called Statement Racecars owned by him and his son, Ben. Through 2019 we set out to prove a point and that we did. We won a lot of races that year and came up just one spot short of the biggest race of the year and got wrecked coming to the checkered running 2nd. After going to the Dome in St Louis watching the mods and as expensive as street stock racing is today I had a

Photo: Tyler Rinkin

wild hair to go back to modified racing. I posted my street stock for sale and told Cade as soon as it sells I want to build a mod. It sold within two weeks and I gave him a deposit. So here we are today.

DE: Is your current racing program, family owned or do you drive for someone else?

BS: My car is currently family owned, but we have some great sponsors. My dad said after this year he’s out, so my plans for next year are still unknown.

DE: What is your racing schedule for 2021? Are you doing USMTS fulltime?

BS: It’s funny how this all started last year when everything rained out and I asked Cade was anyone racing mods and as a joke he sent me to a USMTS race in Wisconsin. I thought “$#@!, Wisconsin?” But, after the shock set in, I said you know what, I have the equipment to win so why not give it a shot. I left for Wisconsin. I ended up running fourth in that race, so I continued following them through the year as much as I could. After talking to my wife and family through the winter, I decided to give it a shot and run for points and Rookie of the Year.

DE: How do you feel about USMTS Mods?

BS: Ever since I started racing Mods I looked up to just making a USMTS race. With the small budget we had, I knew I didn’t have the equipment to compete and wasn’t sure if I had the skill but it’s always been a big dream of mine. The competition in this series is unreal. All the crew and drivers are all down to earth people just having a good time. You don’t have that tension or stress feel that you get going to a Lucas Oil or WoO show. Even though a lot of these guys run this series to make a living, it just feels different.

DE: Let’s get to the good stuff. Tell me about winning $20,000.

BS: Man, I don’t even know where to start. I don’t think I slept the night before. Cade and I talked on the phone for hours brainstorming on what minor adjustment we needed to get just that little bit more. So, when I pulled that three out I was like man I get another shot at it tonight and its one of those Crown Jewels you dream of making much

THE FAMILY BUSINESS

“We have a family owned roofing and siding business my dad started in 1979. In 2004, I got into the business installing and did that until 2015. One day, I told my dad I was done installing and wanted to be in the office. He made me work for that position and didn’t just give it to me right out of high school and I thank him for that all the time because it made me understand the business that much more. We are a small local company but stay very busy.”

Photo: Tyler Rinkin

less be sitting in the second row to start. Saturday was a long day and my crew chief and I went back and forth on how to groove the tire because we felt like that was one place we missed on Friday night. We came to an agreement and before that race I told him “That’s a $20,000 tire so be careful with it. When we rolled on the track for warm up laps I throttled up and thought man this thing is good. When the green dropped the pole sitter pushed in turn one and I took the lead… It felt like forever and when I saw those halfway flags. I just continued racing and I just got into groove where almost I had tunnel vision and all I could see was my marks to hit and being smooth on the throttle. When I saw the five to go I’m not sure I took a breath until the checkered. When I came out of turn four and saw the checkered flying I just started crying. I couldn’t believe it honestly. I pulled down to get my picture taken and they told me to stay in the car for a minute and it was like my entire racing career had flashbacks, all the ups and downs, all the aggravation, all the challenges, everything I’ve worked for finally paid off.

DE: It was obviously emotional when you got out of the car.

BS: When I got out the car, it was like I was in a daze. I’d been preparing for what to say when I finally got that win but it all went blank. Josh (my crew chief) was on Facetime call with Cade and he handed me the phone and I was balling. I just lost it. I cried like a baby and I couldn’t wait to get home to my wife, kids, mom, dad, friends, other family and

Photo: Tyler Rinkin

444 – WHAT’S IN A #

“It was always hard to pick out a number so my favorite driver as a kid was Mike Boland and his number was 222 so that was my first number in karts. Years later, my dad surprised me with a race ready modified and the number on it was 444. My mom joked ‘hey, it’s a grown up 222. Leave it!” So, we did.” supporters. We finally did it. One of the coolest parts of winning King of America was the amount of people who congratulated me. I had people who I haven’t heard from message or Facebook me. I had drivers who I don’t hang out a lot with on the series stop at my pit just to shake my hand and say good job. I had people I buy parts from me or call or text me. I had people who have watched me on the track since day one call out the blue. I just felt so good that they knew what this accomplishment meant to me, my team, and my family.

DE: Is there anybody you really like to race against?

BS: Really everyone on the series is fun to race against. They all push it to the limit and race you just on the verge of too hard. Mistakes happen when you are pushing your car to the very limit but not that often with these guys. January of last year when I had the mod ordered I was watching Rodney Sanders dominate on TV and I told my dad “That’s the guy I want to outrun”. So, for him to finish second at KOA made it that much more awesome. Nothing personal against Rodney, I just consider him one of the best in a mod, so for guys who like competition like myself, he’s a good target.

Photo: Buck Monson

THE DILLARD DIFFERENCE

Late Model driver Cade Dillard of Robeline, Louisiana, has been and continues to be a strong point in the development of Brooks Strength’s racing career. “He is one of the main reasons I’m successful in my career. From the day we first talked we became friends and he grew to become one of my best friends,” said Strength. “We always joke with one another saying we tell each other every single thing about our cars. We know every secret about each others’ cars. For him to have that trust in me is awesome. And for him to believe in me means more than he will ever know. He is one of the most awesome, humble guys I’ve ever met.

In the year in a half since Dillard started building the MB by CDR car, he is now working on car number 18. “It never ends with my business,” said Dillard. “I build the cars for Brooks. We have been friends for a number of years. He was one of the first guys to get a car from me. We talk everyday and he has really become a very close friend of mine. Actually, he’s been very good for my business because he helps a lot with my customers as well. He has been sort of a guinea pig for me. I’m not running the mods as much so he helps me in that area of keeping me up with modified program. As a racer, he’s very dedicated. He spends as much time in the shop as anyone. He definitely wants to win and does whatever it takes to do that.”

Dillard is now in his third year of racing with the WoO Late Models. During that time, he has won three times.

Photo: Josh James