Daytona: Brett Hudson preview

Brett Hudson Looking To Make Most Of Daytona Opportunity

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 8, 2011) - - In 2002, Kelly Clarkson became the very first American Idol by stretching her vocal cords with her smashing debut hit, "A Moment Like This." While Owensboro, Kentucky native Brett Hudson may not fit into her particular music genre; Hudson though admits that his "Moment Like This" will come this Saturday afternoon when the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards takes the green flag in the 2011 season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Hudson, 23 will attempt to make his 22nd career ARCA start at "The World Center of Racing" but his first ever at a superspeedway. In fact, the famed street-stock driver hasn't participated in an ARCA race over a mile-long since 2008. So, when the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona revs up this Saturday on SPEED, Hudson will be looking to make up for lost time.

With the help of veteran ARCA crew chief John Hayden, car chief Jared Bartlett, Joey Arrington and Tony Cola from Arrington Engines, Gene Patient of Gene Patient Fabrication and a host of volunteers, Hudson's dream of competing on a restrictor plate track will come to life. The Brett Hudson Motorsports (BHM) team returns to the 2.5-mile monster on a waive of momentum after solid testing results last month proved that the team's No. 94 Hudson Performance Drivelines Dodge Charger will be competitive.

While Hudson would like to think he has a shot at winning the biggest race of the season, the Bluegrass native is staying realistic and is just hoping to leave the track with a strong finish and security that he still can pedal to the front.

"This is a dream come true," said Hudson, who carries a career-best finish of fourth at Salem (Ind.) Speedway in 2007. "We've been trying hard for so many years to make this dream a reality and with the help of so many people; we're finally going to be able to make it happen."

With the recent re-pavement of the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Hudson won't know what to expect compared to the old bumpy and decisive DIS, but he admits he has more than just the anticipation of new asphalt to worry about.

"I really don't have a whole lot of drafting experience, so I'm optimistic to see how much everyone is going to work with me during the race," Hudson explained. "The good thing is that our team has a lot of experience and I'll have a great set of eyes from above in the spotter's stand, so hopefully when it's time to go, I'll be ready and have a buddy or two."

He continued, "Our biggest goal right now is to qualify strong, keep our No. 94 Hudson Performance Drivelines Dodge Charger on the yellow line and have a shot when that white flag is drawn."

When asked what his 2011 racing season will consist of, Hudson replied with, "hopefully more than the past couple of years. It's hard not to be able to race on a more consistent basis, but this is a family-owned team, so with sponsorship still being tough these days, we're watching and saving our pennies. Hopefully if we leave Daytona clean, we'll go to Talladega in April. If not, we'll just see where we land."

-source: brett hudon motorsports