October 27, 2023

 CHAMPION PROFILE - Brian Jennen

BRIAN JENNEN • 2023 Qlispe Raceway Sportsman Champ

Talk about a busy guy, that’s Cheney’s Brian Jennen who racked up lots of time at the drag strip and on the road getting to go race.

Close to home, Jennen drove to the Sportsman championship at Qlispe Raceway Park – formerly Spokane Raceway/County Raceway — where he earned a win, 300 to 212 points over Jeff McGee.

But down at the Walla Walla Drag Strip, an eighth-mile track in wine country, Jennen won a pair of titles in Pro and Sportsman. But that’s a story, perhaps, for another day?

“I have switched cars a couple times and work hard to do good in each one,” Jennen said of the racing program at Walla Walla. Those titles came with old fashioned drag racing skills. “All in the Monza off the footbrake,” Jennen said.

Of the successes Jennen had in Spokane in 2023, he’s very much proud of the win he scored during the Jody Peterson Memorial Footbrake Race at Qlispe.

Footbrake events are throwback racing from another era Jennen explained.

“No trans brakes or electronics, hold the brake, stall up and go,” Jennen explained in a text message. “Old school and Jody was one of the best.” Another good memory is Jennen actually got to win some of the $10,000 he helped raise for the race.

Racing is admittedly Jennen’s life, outside of work where his day job is that of a commercial roofer and sider. “I work for Flynn BEC Spokane as a foreman. I do larger jobs, such as the siding on the Amazon building in Geiger area.”

“As for racing, I am kind of an addict,” Jennen said. “It’s all I do, I think about it, I practice, I strive to do the best I can, and remain humble and teach everyone I meet what I have learned,” he added.

He calls his girlfriend, my enabler. “Jolene has been the backbone and has backed all my crazy ideas, which usually turns out cool,” Jennen said.

“The best thing about being involved with the racing community is the amazing people I have met and am proud to call my racing family,” Jennen said, paying tribute to folks he sees on a regular basis on weekends.

The offseason will not offer much rest for Jennen as he will be turning one of the all-time classic muscle cars — a 1970 Pontiac GTO — into his 2024 bracket car. “I hope my next bracket car will be the last,” he said.

The Chevy Monza that he used to collect the championships at both Qlispe and Walla Walla will be driven by Jolene he said.

When not roofing or racing, Jennen still gets grease under his fingernails operating Jennen Motorsports where he builds the popular LS engines.

QLISPE RACEWAY PARK
2023 SPORTSMAN POINT LEADERS

Pos Driver Points
1................. Brian Jennen......... 301
2................. Jeff McGee........... 212
3................. Steve Cooper........ 207
4................. Mike Soderquist... 154
5................. John Diener.......... 132

Jennen in Action on the track

The Jennen crew at Walla Walla included Devin Clark with dog, Mocha, Brian's girlfriend Jolene with grandson Levi and Jennen.

Paul Delaney has been writing about Motorsports in the Pacific Northwest since 1976. He welcomes learning about your racing accomplishments.

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