“I thought about exploring the NASCAR world,” he said. “I went to Charlotte and tried out for Roush Fenway (Racing). I went to one of their practices. I did tire changing and jack man. It went really, really well and I felt like it was something I could succeed at. Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) drove for Roush Fenway and he put a birdie in the pit coach’s ear. They invited me to come down and hang out for the day. I wasn’t really sure what to expect, whether I’d have an opportunity to show what I could do or not.
“I flew down there for a day and watched everything they did. They told me to jump in. It was fun. It was fast paced, but I could keep up. You have to be fast and you have to be accurate.”
Brenner decided to continue his focus on the task at hand and this year his efforts in the pit area assisting various teams — along with a positive attitude — stood out.
“I like to be positive toward people and put smiles on people’s faces,” he said. “That’s just the personality I have. I get that from my parents and my siblings. If I have a smile on my face and they are having a bad day, hopefully, that uplifts them.
“At the end of the day, I’d want people to remember me as someone who is genuine and tries to put a smile on people’s faces and is there to lend a helping hand.”
Haudenschild knows the importance of having a positive family atmosphere within a race team, which he says was a key factor in this year’s successful campaign.
“He’s a big-hearted guy and willing to help anybody,” Haudenschild said regarding Brenner. “We’re lucky to have him and my other guys in my corner. We’re like a little family. We spend a lot of time together. It’s probably the single biggest thing to have four guys who work together; three crew guys and the driver have to get along really well and work together and be able to do stuff off the track to get away from it and have a lot of fun.”
Brenner notes that while he enjoys being helpful and uplifting, he is also a competitive person.
“I like everybody on the road,” he said. “If we’re going to be in a points battle, or someone does us dirty, I let that sit in the back of my mind. Over time that fades away, but if somebody drives through the side of us and the next race if they go to the work area I’m not going to go. I’m really competitive and if I feel like somebody is going to be a threat on the track to Sheldon I probably wouldn’t help them, meaning if I feel like they’re going to come from the back of the pack and pass us, I’m probably not going to help them. At the same token, I believe in Sheldon so much that if I do help someone that he will be able to outdrive them.”
That competitiveness carried over from the gridiron into the pits and has been on display — along with his helpfulness — at World of Outlaws events across the country for the last few years. Whether in football or racing, one thing is certain — you want Brenner on your side.