This week I want to introduce you to Brian Metcalf. I first met Brian at Mid-Ohio during impound after the first qualifying session. Brian is a guy who’s just your bud from the get go. Focused, determined, fun, happy, just a great guy. Even better, he’s a fierce competitor. We’ve become friends over this past year and I’m excited for you all to get to know him a little better.
Hi Brian, tell us a little about yourself, what makes you tick and how you joined this crazy circus:
Hey all! I am G. Brian Metcalf a self-professed “old guy” Who joined the racing world way too late. I grew up in the beautiful finger lakes region of upstate NY, just minutes from Watkins Glen International. I work for Corning Incorporated, the people that brought you Gorilla Glass.
My first memory of motorsports is when I was very little we would be at the lake trying to watch the Indy 500 on an old black and white TV that only got three channels. My Dad would be at the TV moving the antennas around to make the snowy picture and garbled audio get to where we could make out what was going on. We would sit there transfixed on the cars going so fast it was like a dream.
I started late by today’s standards, I was 23. It was the early 1980’s, we had our first child Amy Lynn. She was a beautiful little girl, but she was very sick, and she died a day after she was born. Amy fought so hard to stay with us, but she eventually became my little guardian angel. Later that spring I went to a car show and met my mentor Ernie Walden he introduced me to autocrossing and being a SCCA tech inspector. That is when Amy Lynn Racing was conceived. Ernie took me under his wing and taught me a lot about car control and setup. I autocrossed for quite a few years, winning my class quite a few times. In the meantime, I held many positions in the Glen region of SCCA eventually becoming the NEDIV chief of Tech.
I am starting that stage in my racing career, I will be mentoring a friend of mine Amos, in Amy Lynn Racing’s second B-Spec MINI Cooper. We will be racing in the North East Division for 2018 preparing for the 2019 SCCA Runoffs at VIR.
Ernie taught me a lot about car control and setup. I autocrossed for quite a few years,winning my class quite a few times.
In the meantime, I held many positions in the Glen region of SCCA eventually becoming the NEDIV chief of Tech.
In 1992 I took my first SCCA driver’s school, my friend Arnie who I had crewed for offered me a seat in his Lynx Formula Vee.
I remember I was so nervous, I was driving very conservative trying to get through my school. I was the fastest FV in the school. Arnie was giving me little tweaks to my driving, and I was improving. Then in a debrief session the lead instructor gave me the worst advice I could havebeen given at that time, he told me if I ever wanted to get signed off I had to drive faster. The next morning, I attacked the track I was driving well beyond my abilities and it bit me hard.
I braked too late in the ninety, missed my apex, jumped the turtles and was in the wet grass heading to the tire wall. After the dust cleared I had wrecked my friend’s car and took a ride to the hospital on a backboard. I finished out that school and was told I needed another school to get my novice permit.
The next year I took my second school had mechanical issues and had a hard time during that school. I became very disheartened with the SCCA after a formula ford driver put his hands on me during impound.
I decided, I needed to take time off. At this time, I started racing at a local dirt track to get more seat time. I learned so much about car set up and how to drive during those years. I started in the Pro Truck class and eventually was able to get some seat time in a big block modified.
In 1997 I acquired an INEX Legends car and started back autocrossing it. At the end of the summer I called the Chemung Speedrome and asked if there was a race I could enter that wouldn’t take any points away from their weekly racers. They entered me in the INEX national qualifying race in the master’s class as I was older than most of their weekly racers. I started the race mid pack until the “big one” happened. There were 8 drivers entered in the master’s class and 30 in the pro class. I out lasted everyone else in the master’s class and qualified for the INEX national championship race in Las Vegas. I had no sponsors and no way to get my car to Vegas, so I missed the race.
What advice would you give people that want to make that transition from Go Karting of Autocrossing to Road Racing?
Make sure you can make the transition, Racing takes quite a bit of commitment not only from you but your family and loved ones. I can never repay Nancy for all her love, support and her believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
What’s the best advice you ever got? The worst?
Best advice:
Never take yourself too seriously. Our type of racing is supposed to be fun!
Never give up on your dream. I never did, and Nancy was the only one that believed in me!
Surround yourself with the right people, People that are willing to help you and believe in you.
It doesn’t matter what you are racing, find a class that you are interested in and Have FUN!
Do your best, improve every time out, podiums will come.
Worst advice:
You need to be 100% focused on speed!
There are no friends in racing.
What was your best day in racing?First and foremost, when I joined the B-Spec family.
1. Getting My third-place podium finish at Mid-Ohio. The first podium I really had to work for.
2. My first lap on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
3. Watching Nancy going totally insane when I qualified ninth at the Runoffs
Amy Lynn Racing LLC has invested in a second car for the 2018 season and beyond. I am looking forward to giving my friend Amos the same opportunity I was given back in 1992. I have a medical challenge that is being addressed and then we will be racing in the North East Division to prepare for the 2019 SCCA Runoffs.
Special thanks to:
My much better half Nancy. I cannot begin to say how much she means to me.
Amos, thank you for bailing me out when my clutch exploded.
Geneva Foreign and Sport, thank you for opening your doors in my time of need and what you continue to do to help Amy Lynn Racing.
Michael Puskar Sr., your Carbotech brakes are awesome. I always looked forward to our chats.
David Daughtery, your advice and support all season showed me what a true champion you are.
Rob Piekarczyk, I will never forget how excited you were for me that I got a podium finish at Mid-O.
Steve Dunlap, Thank you for all your help at Indy.
Rob and Doris Bax, thank you for helping at the Runoffs, and being our great friends.
Fritz, thank you for showing me the respect and confidence when you chose me to be your drafting partner, and introducing me to the next Orange B-Spec driver……. Will.
Everyone in the B-Spec family, thank you for being such an amazing group of people.
Most of the Runoffs B-Spec competitors came over to Brian and Nancy’s garage for a pizza party. Nancy made us all B-Spec souvenir glasses – I still have mine on my desk!
In the picture below, we’re all doing the Metcalf in honor of Brian’s two-wheeled adventures in the Mini!
Brian will be back out in the bright Orange, White and Silver Mini later in the year – I can’t wait to see the new paint scheme (Will’s favorite colors!!) – Fritz