Five Flags Speedway: Brusso eager to wheel new car as anticipation builds for Demo Derby

Kody Brusso can’t contain her excitement. 

The 28-year-old Pensacola native has been riding on a cloud since last Thursday when she tested her new Outlaws car, set up by Curt Britt.  

Brusso tempered her enthusiasm when rain washed away the Outlaws 50-lap feature along with the annual Demolition Derby at Five Flags Speedway last Friday. But, two days shy of race day, Brusso is revving up again and overjoyed at what tonight might bring for her Parks and Long Healthcare Construction Outlaws car. 

“That thing is a rocket. It’s a really nice piece. We’ve got a ton of good people working with us,” she said. 

That rocket and those good people begin with Britt. Well-known for his prolific success with setting up Pro Trucks at Five Flags and across the south, Britt has dipped his toes in Outlaws for the first time with this car he bought, rebuilt, and designed for Brusso. 

The 2018 Outlaws track champion, who drove a Pro Trucks truck for Britt last year, will look to rekindle her magic at the famed half-mile asphalt oval Friday night when her Parks and Long Healthcare Construction car and the rest of the Outlaws line up for a shot at a cool $2,500. 

More: Steve Mercer eyes Demolition Derby crown at 5 Flags Speedway

Gates open at 5 p.m. today with racing slated for at 8 when the Pure Stocks (30 laps) begin the show, the Outlaws will follow, and the Pro Trucks (30 laps) will close the local division slate. 

Once the Pro Trucks winner is finished celebrating in Victory Lane, the track will be cleared for the Demo Derby competitors. Admission remains just $5 for fans of all ages and free for children ages 11 and under. 

Britt had no expectations for this car when he, Brusso, and their team tracked down this Outlaws car.  

“It was just something for us to do together as a group,” said Britt, whose only other experience working on an Outlaw was Brusso’s family car a few years ago. 

But the bar was raised quickly when Brusso tested the car during last week’s practice sessions before Mother Nature deposited a deluge of rain across Pensacola’s high banks and postponed the evening’s activities. 

She was fast out of the box and had her fellow Outlaw drivers taking plenty of notes on the new wheels. 

“Oh yeah, there were seven or eight of us out there – some heavy hitters,” Brusso said of last Thursday’s practice. “Everybody was just kinda standing back, scratching their heads. We hadn’t said anything about this car, and just kinda showed up. They were definitely trying to figure out what was going on.” 

Brusso has full faith in Britt because of their friendship and working well together. Britt helped on Brusso’s orange No. 7 Outlaw a few years ago before she drove a truck for him in 2019. 

More: The Pensacola Private School of Liberal Arts graduation was held at Five Flags Speedway

Truthfully, it’s easy for Brusso to stay confident thanks to the team she has surrounded herself with. From her father, Donny Brusso, to Tony Calabrese, Jimmy Garmon, and Danny Cronic, she has experience in the pit and in “Spotterville.” 

“The car was perfect right outta the box,” Kody Brusso said. “Plus, we’ve got knowledgeable people and a good group of guys that can bring us speed whenever we need it. 

“I trust (Britt) 110 percent. The way that he runs his program. We’re like a family. He has confidence in all of his drivers and takes pride in his stuff to make sure we’re ready to go to the racetrack. He works his butt off and won’t shy away from telling you what you need to do.” 

She can’t wait to put its power on display come tonight. The hometown girl hasn’t raced at her hometown track all year long, opting instead to compete at South Alabama Speedway in Opp.