Despite an accomplished career in go-karts, Landon Britt knew sprint car racing would be a challenge. It took him a little over two years, but Britt notched his first sprint car feature win on May 1. It occurred during the USCS 360 Outlaw Sprint Cars event at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, Tennessee.
“I didn’t know how long it would take [to reach victory lane],” said Britt, 23, of Memphis, Tennessee. “Besides turning left, there’s no comparison [to go-karts].”
Britt raced go-karts from age 10 to 18 before exiting the sport. His father, Jeff Britt, had started a new HVAC business (where Britt also works) and Britt got into rugby. Yet, Britt still had the urge to get behind the wheel of something.
“[My father and I] sat down and talked about racing,” Britt said. “I didn’t want to go back to go-karts. It was either sprint car racing or Formula Drift.”
The Britts decided on sprint car racing and moved into 305s toward the end of 2018.
“I did a year and a half of 305 sprint cars and then got into 360s,” said Britt. “We started with 305s to get my feet wet. To be able to travel and progress through the sprint car world, you can’t stay in 305s.”
Throughout his time in sprint cars, Britt took a methodical approach.
“My focus was on how to better myself in the moment,” Britt said. “[If I am] so worried about the car in front of me, I don’t know how the car was feeling.”
At I-75, Britt stood by that approach on focusing on him and his car first. During the opening night of the weekend doubleheader, Britt finished 10th. He took what he learned on Friday and applied it to Saturday’s show. Starting third in his heat, he finished second. His qualifying effort placed him on the pole. He then proceeded to focus on driving the best race he could.
“[Starting on the pole] gives you the option to do what you want,” said Britt. “You don’t have to deal with somebody in front of you. You get to set the pace.”
Britt led all 30 laps of the feature.
“[It was] exhilarating, for as green as I am,” said Britt of the win. “Me and my dad came in, not knowing anything about sprint car racing.”
Unlike some better heeled teams, Britt’s self-funded team consists primarily of him and his parents. Landon Britt leans on noted Marion, Arkansas, sprint car driver Derek Hagar and engine builder Ricky Stenhouse, of Dynotech Race Engines, for their advice.
“It’s just me, my dad, and my mom [Mary], and we do it,” Britt said.
And, on this night, they certainly did it, reaping the rewards for their hard work and persistence.
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.
