Just over a year ago, Brandon Wilkinson was still spotting Super Late Models full-time across the Southeast.
Now, and while it doesn’t officially count, he is a first-time Cup Series spotter alongside his driver Ryan Preece and crew chief Derrick Finley after dominating the second half of the Cookout Clash on Wednesday night.
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It doesn’t count because the Cookout Clash is a preseason exhibition race, but on the other hand, it’s also a Cup Series race full of Cup Series drivers competing for Cup Series teams.
That counts.
“Yeah, this is a Cup win,” Wilkinson told Motorsport.com on Wednesday night. “It’s a Cup win on a short track, you know? That’s where Ryan and I grew up racing, tracks like this, so it’s really special.”
Preece was connected to Wilkinson through longtime spotter and friend Mike Herman Jr. Herman is currently the spotter for Chris Buescher at RFK Racing. Wilkinson had worked with Ty Majeski, who also works with Herman. Most recently, Wilkinson worked with Gio Ruggiero, now in the Truck Series.
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Preece appreciated this even-keeled, unemotional poise on the radio, and quickly moved to add him to the No. 60 team when RFK Racing formed it last year.
It paid off on Wednesday when there were so many variables to relay to Preece from the choose rule, a wet track, and those trying to get to their rear bumper.
“Honestly, we have a pretty good line of communication when it comes to the choose and I feel like we made calculated but aggressive decisions on the choose,” Wilkinson said. “I was a little worried towards the end taking the top but it got a good launch after the track dried up.
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“So, we kept doing it. It was a challenge. We got wrecked on the first restart but kept picking em back off.”
Even after winning his first Cup Series race, Wilkinson was emotionally level.
“It’s a dream come true, but now the goal is to go into the Daytona 500 and get some redemption,” Wilkinson said. “We came so close but right now, it’s really special to get a short track win together.”
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