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Shiflett Brothers Hope to Leave Their MarksÂ

As More Local Classes Open Seasons Friday at 5 Flags, Shiflett Brothers Hope to Leave Their Marks 

 

By Chuck Corder 

Everybody cuts their own path to realizing their dreams. 

Brandon Shiflett started coming to Five Flags Speedway as a tyke. He smiled big for photographs in Victory Lane with older brother David Shiflett, who helped Tracy Goodson to a trunkful of wins in the mid- to late-1990s.  

When David Shiflett and the team were working at the shop in between races, his kid brother imagined he was taking down checkereds in the Goodson machine. Brandon Shiflett climbed behind the wheel, closed his eyes, and there it sat: Five Flags Speedway, in all its asphalt splendor. 

“It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do,â€? Brandon Shiflett, 30, said. “I grew up watching Eddie Mercer and even Tim Bryant race in the pink 81 car. Every time David would go racing with Tracy, he’d ask if I wanted to go. So, naturally, I went to every race I could.â€? 

Together, the Shiflett brothers will be a big part of Friday night at Five Flags where three more divisions get their seasons underway. Brandon Shiflett will begin his second year driving in the Faith Chapel Outlaws series while Proxy Equipment – a Pensacola-based company which David Shiflett serves as Vice President for – comes onboard as the title sponsor of the Pro Trucks class at Pensacola’s high banks. The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen also kick off their 2021 while Cameron Leytham looks to stay out front of the Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks competition. 

Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday and admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, military, and students; and free for children ages 11-and-under. Qualifying begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday with the green flag anticipated to drop at 8. 

After a season of growing pains, the Shiflett boys believe their new piece – with better equipment and the right people in Brandon Shiflett’s ears – should yield better results in 2021. They seemingly have the correct “carma,â€? as it is one of the last chassis Goodson ever raced before he transitioned to being a car owner. 

“It’s definitely a step up,â€? David Shiflett said. “People tell us now that we never should’ve bought the old car. The frame was bent. What you don’t know can sometimes be a good thing. Other times, though, it can be a very bad thing. And that was this. 

“(Brandon Shiflett) was saving it every lap. We watch YouTube videos now and we laugh. He looks like he’s driving on dirt every lap. The thing was, though, he was driving harder in the back of the field than the people leading the race.â€? 

In addition to sponsoring the Pro Trucks series, Proxy Equipment is the lone sponsor on Brandon Shiflett’s Outlaws ride. With local roots, Proxy is an asset management firm with salespeople around the country and deal with a variety of industries, including trucking, construction, farming, tow trucking, and more. 

“What Uber did for taxis, that’s what we’re doing,â€? David Shiflett said. “We’re putting out to pasture the old way of doing things. The antiquated way was hauling big pieces of equipment to auction. We save money for people in transportation and evaluating the machinery. We handle the demos, paperwork, and money.â€? 

Brandon Shiflett has been able to pursue his aspirations of racing courtesy of working overseas. Shiflett, who works as a cyber security engineer, spent 10 years in the Middle East contracting with the U.S. government – six of those coming in combat zones between Afghanistan and Iraq. 

“My motivation the whole time was to save up enough money so I could race here,â€? said Brandon Shiflett, a graduate of Tate High and George Stone Technical College in Pensacola. “I always wanted to do it. I’d go to go-kart races as a kid, and I knew I wanted to do that. It was always a dream of David’s, as well. I kinda feel like we’re both getting our feet wet and I’m able to live out a dream for both of us.â€? 

But he quickly realized childhood dreams can morph into adult nightmares. “Humblingâ€? was a word both Shifletts used to describe last season.  

And, while Brandon Shiflett knows there’s still much to learn, the support of his brother, an experienced team led by Josh Goodwin and Charlie Phillips, and advice from fellow drivers is helping to flatten his learning curve. 

“I feel a lot better this year because (Goodwin and Phillips) have so much knowledge,â€? Brandon Shiflett said. “Everyone I’ve met at the track has been super helpful. I didn’t know how it’d be going into it, but this is a big family. Anytime I ask questions, everybody is quick to answer and welcoming me. 

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that races are won and lost in the shop. Before last year, I didn’t know anything about maintaining a car.â€? 

He also has learned that driving a racecar far and away exceeds those fantasies he had as a kid. 

“Just to be out on the track is an honor,â€? Brandon Shiflett said. “I’m happy whether I’m doing well or not. It’s awesome to be in the mix. I still feel like a fan more than a racer. I look up and see Bill Tutchtone, Chris Cotto, Logan Boyett – guys I grew up watching – next to me, and that’s pretty cool.  

“I’m still soaking it all in. It’s beyond my expectations.â€? 

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