MOORESVILLE, N.C. There are hundreds of short-track racing heroes with the talent to race in the NASCAR Cup Series but never get the opportunity.

Tim Brown is getting that chance. The veteran modified racer will drive a Rick Ware Racing Ford in the Feb. 2 Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.

Brown has won 12 track championships and 101 races at the legendary quarter-mile race track, which also serves as the home of Winston-Salem State football. As well, Brown is a full-time employee of Rick Ware Racing, preparing race cars that compete weekly in the Cup Series.

As one would imagine, the 53-year-old Brown is excited about the opportunity.

They call it the Madhouse for a reason. That place is super exciting because its the pinnacle of short-track racing, Brown said. When youre driving a modified there, the thing is turning 8500 rpms and really loud, but you can hear the fans cheering you or booing you when youre actually racing, and I dont know that theres any Cup track that you could hear that, so its definitely different. The fans there are super passionate. Just the history of the place. Its gonna be an awesome show, I believe.

He believes experience at Bowman Gray will be more important than at other race tracks.

I think youre gonna have to be super aggressive just to get the tires to fire to make lap times. I also think that any driver thats had any laps around the stadium is gonna have an advantage over any driver that hasnt just simply for the fact that the grip level there is totally different, Brown explained. The line is different. The place is just unique. Its completely flat.

Theres no banking at all and thats a unique place all on its own. As far as being aggressive, we hope our car is fast enough that you really dont have to be that aggressive, but youll have to go into each circumstance and do what you have to do to get in the show and run as well as you can. If that means putting the bumper to somebody and moving them to get by, thats what well have to do.

Unlike any other driver in the Clash field, Brown is playing a hands-on role in preparing the car he will drive in the annual exhibition race that kicks off the NASCAR season

Id say 60 percent of the car, Brown said. I definitely have a big part in all of the suspension parts, the racks, the steering, even help install the motor, the seat interior, rear suspension all of it, basically. I dont have anything to do with the body hanging and things like that, but all of the mechanical stuff Ill have a part in.

Though, Brown has never raced a Cup Series car, hes very familiar with the cockpits of the machines he will race.

Here at RWR, I drive our race cars on the chassis dyno every Friday, so I sit in them quite a bit, but this one is a little bit different because I know this is actually a race car Im going into battle with, he said. Its pretty cool from that side of it to just sit in it and realize in the moment that, Hey, Im gonna actually get to race this one.

Like most local racing competitors, Brown is familiar with what it takes to balance a job, racing on the weekends and family life. He credits his wife, Megan, with his ability to make it all happen.

I hope my wife is listening because the balancing act falls on her because basically Megan has to run our entire household as far as getting the kids to school and home and feeding them and putting them to bed because my day starts at 3:30-4:00 oclock in the morning and it ends about 10 oclock at night, Brown said. I live an hour-and-a-half from work and then my shop is 15 minutes from the house, so Ive dedicated my whole life to it. She knew that going in.

When we dated I was a racer, so we got married and she kind of understood it, but its just what I do. Thats what racers do. We do what we have to do to go compete at the highest level that we can and its tough.

I really dont have a balancing act. Its a hard conversation to have every now and then of like, in my world, and I hate to say this, I cant really prioritize anything because working for a Cup team or even on my race car, you never know what that day has in store for you, Brown continued. If NASCAR makes a rule change or someone comes out with a part thats better that will make us faster, like for my deal, then youve got to stay and get it done. So, its very important as a racer to have a wife that understands and doesnt complain and fuss about it too much. Megan is how I survive, basically.

Brown will continue to chase his racing dreams on Feb. 2.