8-9-2006 - Shifty World interview with Colin

Interview with Colin Braun - Grand American Rolex Series Driver
By:Shiftyworld

SW: When did you learn to drive a manual transmission?
CB: I learned to drive a manual transmission in a go kart actually. I drove a shifter kart when I was 11 years old and that was pretty easy actually because it was just straight up and down. So that’s the first time I learned how to drive a manual transmission.

 SW: Obviously being such a young age – were you good with the whole shifting process – any funny stories dealing with the whole shifting process and trying to learn that.
CB: Well the first time I tried a manual transmission car with an H pattern gearbox I learned in a Mini Cooper at a race track near me. I was learning because a week after that I was going to drive that Teen 16 GT Porsche with an H pattern gearbox – 996 Porsche – so I had to learn how to shift that H pattern gearbox before I went and drove that car…. That was interesting. When I first got in the Porsche and really learned how to shift. It was obviously a pretty wild first couple cars to start out shifting an H pattern gearbox in, so it was a lot of fun.

SW: Do you have any vehicles now with a manual transmission?
CB: I actually do I have a 1972 Volkswagen that’s my personal car that I’ve been restoring and that’s a manual transmission.

SW: I noticed on your website that you mentioned it’s a nice getaway for you from your racing...
CB: Yeah it is, there are a lot of pressures and things that go into racing and stress and all that – so it’s nice to be able to go and work on the Volkswagen – its pretty simple for me – I like that.

SW: Do you have a favorite manual tranny vehicle?
CB: Yeah, defiantly the favorite one for me – is the Krohn racing Daytona prototype vehicle car that I drive now, that’s my favorite manual vehicle, just because its quick and fast and light and a lot of fun to drive as well – so that’s my favorite.

SW: And you’ve been doing well with it...
CB: ...and I’ve been doing well with it so that helps - and it’s got a really neat Roush/Yates Ford racing engine in it so it sounds cool and it’s a lot of fun to drive.

 SW: I’m not sure if you’ve been aware of the declining trend – of manual transmissions, is it important to you that the manual transmission is still kept as an option?
CB: Well I think it is, I think there’s a lot of people, including myself included who would much rather drive a manual transmission car than an automatic car – and I think that it would be good for the customers and the manufactures to allow people the freedom to get a manual transmission car. A lot of people, probably like myself, who would much rather drive a manual transmission car than an automatic car – I think everybody should be given to choice to get what they want.

SW: We are even going down the road say that a manual transmission vehicle is a safer way to say that a manual transmission vehicle is a safer way to driver, with cell phones…
CB: Yeah it’s a little tough to drive and talk on a cell phone with a manual transmission car.

SW: What action might sport motoring enthusiasts take now to promote manual transmissions, and possibly influence manufacturers to continue offering them? Anything come to mind?
CB: Well, I’m not exactly sure what we can do to try and help that out, but keep driving all of our manual transmission race cars and I think people are going to watch the races and see that we don’t have automatic transmission cars and I’m sure some of them think that oh you know I’d like to have a manual gearbox like these race car guys have as well – because it makes them feel like they are driving something fast and fun.

SW: I find myself doing some “race car driving” on the on ramps and whatnot with my 5 speed Grand Am.
CB: That’s fun though

SW: I’m trying to be you… you have to do with what you have...
CB: Exactly that’s part of the deal… sounds like fun.

SW: Just for a little bit of fun… what’s your favorite road trip or cruise… favorite road?
CB: Favorite road around me is probably I-20 between Abilene and El Paso just because the speed limit is 75-80 mph… I like to go fast – so that’s my favorite road.

CB: Got a favorite race track?
CB: Lime Rock Park in Connecticut – it’s really bumping, and old and tight, a lot of really fast corners – there is no margin for mistake I mean if you make a mistake you are going to destroy the car because the track is so quick – I like driving on places like that are bumpy and have some character to them and I enjoy that.

SW: Is that why you like your little quarter mile track back at your house?
CB: Yeah, exactly I like places that are tight and fun and at the same time that are fast and flowing.

SW: Are you out on the quarter mile track everyday trying to hone your craft – stay sharp? How often are you actually out there?
CB: whenever I’m home I’m pretty much out there everyday I can be – I know a lot of guys go and ride there bikes to stay in shape. I like to drive my go kart it helps me stay in shape – it’s much better for me being a race car driver to drive something that s fast and quick and then I can go ride my bike. I usually go and drive my go kart for a couple hours then go ride my bike for a couple hours – that’s pretty much a good workout for me.

SW: Sounds like great fun.
CB: I enjoy it quite a bit.

SW: You have a favorite driver that you idolize?
CB: Well, when I was younger I really looked up to Ayrton Senna a lot – just because of who he was at time. And now – it’s pretty much Tony Stewart and Robbie Gordon. Not so much for their attitudes – but because they can get in anything and drive it quick. They can get in IRL cars , champ cars, NASCAR’S, off-road trucks, sport scars, I mean anything they can just go really quick, and that’s something I want to be able to do – just jump in anything and go really fast – really quick.

SW: I read something about you wanting to eventually get into NASCAR – do you have a timeframe for that?
CB: No, I don’t really have a time frame for that. It’s just something that I’m working towards – I don’t think it’s fair to put a time limit or timeframe on that.

SW: Well, your having success were you are at, so I guess it’s ok to milk that for what it’s worth now.
CB: Exactly, that’s the important thing for me when I get into NASCAR I want to be able to get into a team as good as Krohn racing. I need to get myself on a race winning NASCAR team. Right now Krohn racing is such a good strong team – and especially with me being 17 I can’t even go and run NASCAR stuff until I’m 18 – so it’s a good year for me to learn some more things and have also have some good success with these Krohn racing guys in the Grand Am series.

SW: I know this isn’t the first time your age has come back to get you little bit –with the tobacco restrictions. How hard is that to accept – because you know that you should be higher in the points but there is nothing you can really do about it - is that tough to take sometimes?
CB: No. I mean the only reason I’m not completely distraught over it is because of the fact everyone at Krohn racing –everyone from the team manager to Tracy Krohn himself personally – they all worked absolutely as hard as they could to make it so that I could race. I saw the effort and work those guys put into that and I know there’s nothing more anyone could have done on my team to try to allow me to race. I can go to bed pretty easy and not be too worried about it. I know everyone’s done everything they could and for whatever reason – the bigger powers that are up there – it just couldn’t happen. Nothing that I or anyone around me or my team could have done - as long as people have worked as hard as they can, just like everyone did at Krohn racing, I can’t be too disappointed about that.

SW: Only a couple more questions… you got a favorite type of music or artist you like to listen to when you are driving?
CB: like pretty much all country music – obviously being from Texas it’s pretty much growing up around country music.

SW: Favorite movie/actor actress?
CB: Favorite movie would have to be Austin powers just because it’s pretty funny. Austin powers or Napoleon Dynamite probably.

SW: Last one, favorite video game?
CB: That would have to be the FIA GTR game from your computer or maybe Gran Turismo 4 because it’s pretty fun to play.

SW: Colin – we appreciate the interview and getting to know you a little bit better – we wish you continued success. We know we are going to see your name for years to come.
CB: Thank you, I really appreciate it.