Racer Brandon Phillips loves the mini stocks. So much so that when the previous promoter of the Kajun Mini Stock Association (KMSA), Pratt Williams, was considering stepping away from the series, Phillips took over the reins.
“Pratt didn’t want to do it anymore,” said Phillips, 32, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. “I wanted to keep it alive.”
The KMSA holds a special place in Phillips’ heart. He got into the sport after a conversation with KMSA racer Tim Ladd.
“I used to do a lot of evictions, with [taking the] trash out,” Phillips said. “I met Tim from doing an eviction across the street [from the car wash Tim owns]. He asked me what I was doing. He [also mentioned], ‘I got a race car, if you ever want to come watch us….’ I said, ‘Okay.’ That’s how I met him. I then hanged out with him, worked on his car, and did that for probably a year or two.”
Ladd eventually helped Phillips find a mini stock to race in 2018, and Phillips fell in love with racing.
“It was sitting for years,” said Phillips of the car he purchased from racer known as “Hippie Dave.” “I just wanted to learn how to race and be as good as the fast guys. The first time I ever went to a big race, I got lapped four or five times. Ever since then, I’ve always liked the Kajun Mini Stock Association.”
Brandon Phillips also enjoys the speed the mini stocks provide him with.
“It’s more of a modified four-cylinder class that is faster than most of the stock V-8s,” Phillips said.
The KMSA races at tracks ranging from Southern Raceway in Milton, Florida to Halifax County Motor Speedway in Littleton, North Carolina, and points in between. Events pay $1,000 to $2,500 to win. With putting the mini stocks in the spotlight, the series has also attracted quite a following, according to Phillips.
“I would have never thought that 8,000 people would see one [Facebook] post within a week,” said Phillips. “It’s crazy for a class that’s meant for the average American.”
Perhaps, that’s the KMSA’s appeal. It allows Joe Racer to travel like a touring star, but on a budget fit for the working man. Something that resonates with many racers, including Brandon Phillips.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
