DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL -- Three wins highlight the 2009 season for Brandon Odom. All of those wins came at Five Flags (FL) Speedway in The Tom Thumb Pro Late Model Series. While Brandon has marked strong performances and good finishes in The South Alabama Speedway Viper Series, he had yet to put a check in his win column at the 4/10 mile speedway. A new car that proved to be fast bolstered hopes to change that in The Alabama 200.
Odom was back behind the wheel of his Royce Johnston Motorsports Chevrolet for the 200-lap event. One of his three wins this season was earned in the RJM #16 car, and Brandon was ecstatic about his most recent version of the #16 car.
"I think we had a car to win," said Odom of his Alabama 200 outing. "We ran in the top five pretty much the whole race and I was just sitting there riding and trying to save my tires until the track bar bolt broke. It's very disappointing to have something like that happen when you have such a good car."
The mechanical issue Odom spoke of turned up when he spun his car to avoid a crash on the front straightaway. Odom was done for the day, with his Alabama 200 victory hopes dashed.
Although 2009 slipped by without a South Alabama Speedway win, Odom was still very up-beat about his new car.
"I was excited to race [the new car]," exclaimed Odom. "We worked really hard on it for a few months and had a great qualifying run. I thought we had a good shot to bring home our first win at SAS."
Odom is happy about a successful 2009 season, but, when asked how frustrating it was to run so well at SAS and still be winless there, he admitted that it was tough.
"It was pretty frustrating that we didn't bring home a win [at South Alabama Speedway]," admitted Odom. "Finishing 2nd or 3rd is not what you want to do every time but I was up against big competition. I do think my winless streak at SAS will change next year. I hope to at least pick up a couple of wins."
While Brandon looks forward to the 2010 Viper Series, he still has some big racing on his 2009 season schedule. Most notably, he will be piloting the RJM Folorala Auto Sales Chevy in the prestigious Snowflake 100 at Five Flags (FL) Speedway.
Looking ahead to 2010, Odom will pick up right where he left off, driving both the RJM and Brandon Odom Racing cars in The Viper Series, Tom Thumb Pro Late Model Series, and Midwest Cooling Tower Service Pro Late Model Series at Mobile (AL) International Speedway.
Plans to debut a Super Late Model are also in the works for 2010.
