A lot has changed since we last interviewed Brian Wolf for Tuesday Toolbox back in 2009, following his first Overall win at the Snowshoe GNCC. Since then, Brian has not only moved into the Premier ranks of XC1 (a debatable topic in 2009), but also managed to tack on another $10K to his bank account with the second consecutive Overall win at Snowshoe in 2010. Wolf was awaiting the arrival of his baby girl during the 2009 interview and, well, needless to say - baby girl is now little Princess Ava, who turns 2 in August. Of all the things that have changed for Brian Wolf since 2009, it's hard to ignore so much that has remained constant for the multi-dimensional guy. Akin to 2009, family still remains the driving force behind Wolf's racing efforts, not to mention his most prized possession off the track. Wolf still devotes his weekdays to working a full-time schedule at his day job and quickly switches to race-mode as the weekend sets in, where you can catch him hanging with his kids before hitting the track. And new for 2011, Wolf can officially add his first-ever XC1 win at the inaugural Indy 100 GNCC to the trophy case. Following his win this weekend, we got the chance to get to know the fun-loving personality that makes up Brian Wolf.
GNCCRacing.com: Hey Brian! What are you up to tonight?
Brian Wolf: Not too much, I worked all day today and then just finished up at the gym and now I'm just sitting at Subway eating a salad.
Wait, a salad at Subway?! Are you trying to watch your figure?
(laughs) Well, I started working with a nutritionist after Big Buck. I trained before Florida but then I kind of gave up after that because I was having issues with my bike breaking down and stuff. I got sick before Florida and I didn't really do any training until after Big Buck. I decided to start training harder after that and so I've been going to the gym and following an eating program.
Photo By: Jen Kenyon
Wolf's wife Annie is one of his biggest supporters
I'm a supervisor for a railroad contractor so I put in a lot of hours during the week. I'm usually travelling away from home for work, like tonight I'm away. Yesterday I left the house at 4:30 a.m., I ended up working 11 hours and then I drove home 2 ½ hours to see the kids and then left the house at 4:30 a.m. again this morning to get back. I worked another 11 hours today, got cleaned up and went to the gym for a while and now I'm here eating my salad.
So after chalking up your first XC1 win at Indy, do you plan on vamping up the training program to stay on that podium?
Oh my plans are not giving up now! I'd like to put it on the box every race but I don't know if those guys are going to let me do it. I wish I was able to take a win without the controversy behind it but I'm just happy to be out there racing. I think they all knew I could run with them, especially after Florida and Georgia running with McGill and Bithell, and I think they were just waiting for me to have a good race and knock one of them off the podium.
Take us through Saturday's race, you got a decent start and made your way out front pretty quickly. What'd you think?
Photo By: Jen Kenyon
First XC1 win at Indy 100
Well, I went into the woods about fifth and passed Ballance, McGill and Pickens - it seemed like they all made little mistakes that I was able to capitalize on early in the race. I wasn't really trying to pass McClure, I was trying to stay behind him but he made a little mistake and I ended up getting into the lead. At the end of the second lap I fueled, which we were going to wait until the third lap since it was a five-lap race but I needed goggles, I broke my tear offs so I had to switch goggles on the second lap so they fueled me anyways. About halfway through the third lap I went through that field section that was a couple miles long and I never saw Chris behind me but I knew he was in second because I saw the pit board saying I had a minute on him. By then it was pouring down rain so I just took my time so I didn't make any silly mistakes. When they realized it was going to be a five-lap race, they pitted me at the end of the fourth lap for fuel because they thought I was still going to have to do another lap. That's where I lost some time on Borich because I pitted for fuel a second time.
So you got the 2 card like normal and then were you surprised when you came around to the checkers on the next lap?
Yeah, normally I don't pay attention to those flags or the scoring things so I thought I just miscounted laps or something like that. I had no idea they were giving that because of the rain (laughs). With the way the conditions were, that last lap could have turned out as a disaster for me, or it could have gotten worse for Chris [Borich] himself. I mean, Bithell was up in third place and he said he got held up not that far from the finish so who knows what would have happened if that final lap had run.
What did you think of the track, especially being a first timer on the schedule?
I thought the track was beautiful until that last lap. I didn't run into any problems in the first three laps, everything was smooth. I liked the track a lot, it had a little bit of hills, the creek crossing with the pipe- I thought it was awesome.
As a two-time Snowshoe winner, it seems like you tend to emerge in unfavorable track conditi
Photo By: Shan Moore
This family man excels in the roughest conditions
ons. What makes you so strong on the extremely rough or muddy courses?
I guess I really like the virgin, untouched tracks because it seems like no one knows those tracks, it's a fair playing field. It's funny because going into this one my wife said 'I got a good feeling about this one' and I made her stop her sentence because I don't really like talking about doing good before a race. I just do it for the enjoyment of the racing and taking my family to the track and stuff. I don't do it for a living, you know - I left the house at 4:30 this morning to go work. I don't like being one of the guys saying I want to win or should win so when I get to a track that's rough and brutal I go into it without any expectations. The other guys don't like taking chances and I don't have anything to lose by taking a chance in the muddy or rough conditions and I think that's why I do so well in those situations.
You don't really have the factory backing that most of the top guys have out there so what do you do to stay competitive as far as your machine goes?
I have GT Thunder helping out a bunch and Brandon Sommers who used to be a pro rider, he's my mechanic now so they're working on the bikes for me since I don't really have time to work on them. That was my huge downfall the last couple years was I worked 10-12 hour days, I work out of town 4 days out of the week and I never have time to work on my bikes until Friday before the race. They've been doing all my bike work, prepping them for me and having them ready for race day and that's been a huge help. Redline Honda of Uniontown, PA has been helping me a lot so that's where my support comes from. Going into this race we didn't make any changes from what I rode in the previous two weeks at local races, it's the exact same thing and I was comfortable on it.
Juggling a full workweek, a marriage and two young children isn't a role that most of your competitors face right now. How does that affect your role as a professional racer?
Photo By: Jen Kenyon
Wolf lead the Indy 100 early on and didn't look back
Of course I don't go to the track to lose and of course I want to win but really I don't care if I win because one way or another I get to leave the track with my family and go back to work Monday morning. I think that's part of my success, I want to do good but I don't have to do good. I'm going to keep doing what I've been doing for the last month and hopefully I can get on the box again. I guess time will tell.
Well congratulations again on your first XC1 win this season. We're looking forward to seeing more of you on the podium in 2011. Thanks for taking the time to chat with us!
Before I go, I would like to say a huge thanks to my wife, kids and grandparents for their support. My mechanic Brandon Sommers, GT Thunder, Redline Honda of Uniontown, PA, Maxxis, ATV Foreplay, HiPer. FMF, Bryan Folt at Pacillo Chiropractic Wellness, B & R Motorsports, Rekluse, BMC Racing, Team Woodhead, Wiseco, Tireballs, Ockerman Racing Products, Cross Country Photos and Precision.
2009 Tuesday Toolbox with Brian Wolf
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