LV’s Collins opens motor sports facility

Friday, Nov. 26, 1999 | 9:48 a.m.

Las Vegas-based driver Brian Collins, who captured both the Class 8 championship in SCORE and the Class 1 title in SNORE this season, has opened his own motor sports facility in Las Vegas.

Collins Motorsports will handle all the building, fabrication and preparation for Collins' SCORE Trophy-Truck and Class 8 off-road team.

"After careful consideration, we felt it was time to have our own facility," Collins said. "We plan to increase our off-road effort for the year 2000 and wanted an operation totally dedicated to our vehicles.

"Our sponsors, crew and drivers are basically the same as they have been throughout most of the '99 season. The only real difference is that we are in our own shop."

Collins had been preparing and racing his Class 8 trucks in conjunction with Dale White's White Lightning Racing, but opted to split with White earlier this year.

Managing the day-to-day Collins Motorsports operation will be team manager Jeff Roberts, who has worked with Collins for a number of years.

After running Class 8 in the SCORE Desert Series, Collins said he will move up to the featured Trophy-Truck division next season.

"We are currently in the process of building an all-new Chevy Trophy-Truck for the millennium," Collins said. "Our plan is to run the new truck in both SCORE and Best In The Desert next season, plus run our Class 8 in both series.

"We definitely want to defend our SCORE Class 8 championship, plus earn our first Trophy-Truck title."

Joining Collins behind the wheel will be Billy Georke, who helped Collins capture the 1999 SNORE Class 1 title.

"I'm really excited about 2000," Georke said. "This is an incredible opportunity for me and I couldn't ask for anyone better to run with.

"Collins Motorsports is a first-class operation (and) our entire crew, both full-time and part-time, is totally dedicated and everyone is more than willing to put in whatever it takes to get the job done."

Collins also credited White with helping him to the two championships this season.

"A large part of our earning these two championships is definitely due to the outstanding dedication and ability of our crew," Collins said. "They are really the best and they are the ones who make winning possible.

"Both Billy and I would also like to thank Dale White and Barry Singleton for their hard work and support this past season. Their efforts were a big part of our success this year."

Collins clinched the SCORE Class 8 title in September with his victory at the Primm 300, and wrapped up the SNORE Class 1 championship with a second-place finish at the SNORE Reserve 250 earlier this month.

"It has been an awesome year," Collins said. "We won four out of six races in SCORE and took three wins out of six SNORE events. I couldn't be more pleased.

"Billy did an outstanding job and both of us are looking forward to next season. He is an excellent driver and a great addition to Collins Motorsports."