Just like the song that was playing over the track loudspeaker when I was on my way to sit down with Brad Furr, it was a "Beautiful Day" on that Saturday afternoon at Perris Speedway in Southern California. The World of Outlaws had just finished it's opening night in Hanford, California, and this was the second stop on an over 100 night racing schedule with the World of Outlaws. I sat down with Brad as he was getting ready for qualifying for the nights event. Things were already not going his way. On the way down from Hanford, his bus breaks down and he is running late.

WIDE OPEN: How did it go on your first night of racing? You qualified 9^th, finished 3^rd in your heat race, 4^th in the dash and 16^th in the A Main. What happened in the Main?

BRAD FURR: Well the very first lap going down the front straight I got a flat left rear. So I pulled off, got it changed in time and started on the back and kind of got going in the middle a little bit, but just didn't have the right stagger on because of that spare tire so it kind of got real loose by the end of the deal.

WIDE OPEN: You started racing at 15 with Micro-Midgets. What drove you to start racing?

BRAD FURR: Uhm, I always wanted to race. We always talked about it; me and my family. And we just never had the means to do it. One day my dad asked me if I was still interested, and we went down and checked out micro racing in Stockton, California, and we bought a car that winter and a trailer, and we started working on the trailer and the car and it just snowballed from there.

WIDE OPEN: Who were your hero’s growing up?

BRAD FURR: Well.. Steve Kinser has always probably been my hero. I used to go and watch a lot of the Outlaw races when they came to California. And I have seen them in Oklahoma a few times. Steve Kinser was always my favorite.

WIDE OPEN: When did you start racing 410s?

BRAD FURR: Uhm… I am trying to think. The first sprint car I had was a 410 and that was probably 95.. I think.

WIDE OPEN: What were you thinking when you first got in?

BRAD FURR: I was surprised how different they were compared to the little micro midgets that I had raced. Micro midgets are real darty and will pretty much do anything. And sprint cars, when you get in them, they feel real lazy, and just everything happens real slow.

WIDE OPEN: Are you fearless?

BRAD FURR: I wouldn't say that. I try to be, but yeah… you know.

WIDE OPEN: 2001 Knoxville Nationals. Your team won awards for the best appearing crew and the best appearing car. You worked hard to start the A Main, and it was over really before it began. What happened?

BRAD FURR: Well, I was just running in there and kind of committed to running the cushion and I followed Schatz in there, and Schatz pulled the left rear bead off going in to the corner and was laying up there, a car moved and saw Schatz and turned left as fast as I could and it was just to late and just run right over him.

WIDE OPEN: Is that just racing?

BRAD FURR: Oh yeah. I was very disappointed, but I can't imagine how disappointed Donny had to have been. He had the race all but won.

WIDE OPEN: You finished 12^th last year in points in the WoO series. Your official rookie year although you had 27 starts the year before. What are you looking forward to this year? What are your goals?

BRAD FURR: Just have a good time and do the best we can and try to finish in the top 5 as much as possible.

WIDE OPEN: In the World of Outlaws off season, you spent two months "down under" in Australia with 15 top 5 finishes out of 19 races to include two wins. What is special about racing in Australia?

BRAD FURR: They just do things a little different. It is a lot more fan oriented. A lot of the races, they have giant big screens on the back of trucks they bring out so you can see what's going on. They do a lot more introductions and that kind of stuff. They do a lot more crowd PR (public relations). Still, it's a lot of fun. They make you run two heats, and a big pole shuffle, which is kind of like the dash. You race all night. It's a lot of fun.

WIDE OPEN: What did you learn in Australia that you could bring to the Outlaws this season?

BRAD FURR: Oh, I don't know that it's any one thing, mostly just getting chance to get the laps and just staying out there while a lot of people were sitting at home. Just staying sharp as I could.

WIDE OPEN: Do you think it was beneficial to run Australia, or do you think that you should have rested and taken a break?

BRAD FURR: Oh I definitely think that it is beneficial. There is just no substitute for laps really. I think it's definitely going to be a good thing.

WIDE OPEN: April 19^th is another important date. You are going to run every race with the WoO until then. After that where do you plan on going; World of Outlaws or Gumout?

BRAD FURR: I'm not sure. I will probably do the full Outlaw deal. We will just see how it goes, though you never know.

WIDE OPEN: It is such a busy schedule with the WoO. You guys race over 100 nights a year. How do you keep your sanity?

BRAD FURR: Well it's not to bad in the beginning of the year and the end of the year. You get a few more breaks. But come mid summer, it's pretty tough. You're racing all of the time. Sometimes it's tough for me to keep my sanity. I don't know, I think that they should cut back on the schedule a little bit and get rid of some of the tracks that aren't so nice and concentrate on the bigger venues and make them a little nicer. That would be my suggestion for that.

WIDE OPEN: What are your favorite tracks?

BRAD FURR: Knoxville…….. ahh,…. Knoxville… There's a lot of different places that I like.

WIDE OPEN: What are your least favorite tracks?

BRAD FURR: Chico

WIDE OPEN: And your from Northern California.

BRAD FURR: Yeah.

Ok, we are going to play a word game. I am going to give you names or events, and I want you to tell me the first thing that comes to mind.

WIDE OPEN: World of Outlaws

BRAD FURR: Steve Kinser

WIDE OPEN: Australia

BRAD FURR: Crown Lager

WIDE OPEN: Knoxville Nationals

BRAD FURR: Lots of fans

WIDE OPEN: Samnina

BRAD FURR: Dad's Company

WIDE OPEN: Mike Harper

BRAD FURR: Crew chief… Good guy

WIDE OPEN: Rod Meusling

BRAD FURR: He's a good guy too. He went to Australia with me.

WIDE OPEN: Randy Furr

BRAD FURR: Excellent Father

WIDE OPEN: Northern Auto Racing Club

BRAD FURR: I wish they would make a comeback you know, and we could do some more racing with them in the future.

WIDE OPEN California

BRAD FURR: Home

WIDE OPEN: Brad Furr

BRAD FURR: Me

WIDE OPEN: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

BRAD FURR: With a family.

WIDE OPEN: Still doing this?

BRAD FURR: I don't know about that. I am not sure.

WIDE OPEN: Do you want to go up farther in racing?

BRAD FURR: We'll see. I don't know how long I want to travel like this to be honest with you.

WIDE OPEN: You get burnt out pretty quick?

BRAD FURR: Yeah. I just have other goals in life. I'd like to have a family one day and do that whole thing.

WIDE OPEN: Is this a young guys sport? Don't ask that to Steve (Kinser).

BRAD FURR: There's a few guys that are old, but time just flies by when you are on the road. It just seems like your life is going quick you know what I mean? I have some other ideas of other stuff I would like to do. Go boating on the weekends, ride Harleys, and that kind of stuff. You can't do that when you race full time out here. And in the Winter it is to cold to do anything.

WIDE OPEN: How often to you spend at home?

BRAD FURR: About a month a year for the last couple of years is about it. I was there for two months the year before.

WIDE OPEN: Thanks a lot. Good luck tonight.

BRAD FURR: Thanks