I was managing sales and marketing for a shop about 45 miles West of downtown Chicago when I started to see all our customer cars equipped with Brian Tooley springs. I had only used PAC, Comp etc at that point so my interest peaked. Being the detective that I am, I tracked down this mystical 'Brian Tooley' on facebook (as 50,000 others probably have) and decided to roll the dice with a friend request, quality message, and maybe even throw him a poke and spark some interest. Brian not only responded, but lived just 90 miles from where I spent 5 years attempting to graduate from College; Western Kentucky University (spoiler alert I GRADUATED). Eventually, my heart couldn't stand living in the Chicago area and I returned to the bluegrass state. We were doing a feature on ShorTuning last week when I arrived to see Mr. Tooley's personal C6 on the dyno, and Brian and his Son Michael sitting inside the shop awaiting some baseline numbers. I refreshed his memory on our conversation via facebook a few months prior and he agreed to do an interview with Clapd Out..... His first mistake...

Our interview discourse can be seen below. Id love to extend a huge thank you to Brian and his son Michael for facilitating this sit down. The BTR brand carries with it years of experience and respect. Plus Michael sold me some 799 heads for a steal. He gets a gold star for the day. As always, I wont promote anyone that would lead you wrong. Their valve-train components offer the best bang for your buck in all categories. Performance and longevity is not sacrificed, and the product you receive will not leave you with buyers remorse (COUGH patriot golds COUGH). Visit their website at www.briantooleyracing.com for an extensive list of domestic performance parts!

(Or buy them from THMotorsports.com, those guys kick ass and are a direct dealer)

Here is the list of questions I will need answered to properly seal you in history.

Haha, I'll never be in that category, I'm striving to be known as one of the kindest.

At what age did you realize you would be working in automotive?

My first passion was computers and electronics, I joined the Navy right out of high school to be an electronics technician working in Missile Control Center on a ballistic missile submarine. That same year I bought a brand new 1983 Z28 off the showroom floor which was the first year for fuel injection on a Camaro. I fell in love with that car and quickly tired of chasing 1's and 0's.

If you could tell 15 year old Brian Tooley one thing, what would it be?

That education is critical and getting a degree is critical to survival in the corporate world.

What was the largest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are today?

Without a degree my chances of moving up in Holley Product Development and Summit Racing/TFS was greatly hampered. I really had no choice but to become self employed to achieve the financial status that I desired. I also had a bad attitude for a very long time, it was hard for me to see that no matter how much I knew, that would never be enough to succeed. The Dale Carnegie training that I have received has greatly benefited me in that regard.

Any advice to motorsport enthusiasts that want to venture into the industry?

My advice would be to stay a enthusiast/hobbyist and to not venture into the motorsport industry as a living, or at least not being self employed. If you do decide to, do so with the understanding that most people in the performance automotive industry are underpaid for the hours they work. My family has paid the price for my ambition in the performance industry.

What is the worst vehicle you've ever owned?

My first "car" was a 1958 farm truck that we used on our farm. It was outfitted with a home made wooden bed with wooden side rails. I doubt you could have found a more embarrassing vehicle for a 16 year old young man to drive to school.

Current cars and modification list?

I have a 1997 Corvette that has just been updated with a 25.5 cage, RHS 388 with twin Precision 6766's, a RPM powerglide and torque tube and a C6Z differential. We hope to have it running this year. I also have a 2008 C6 Z07 with TFS heads, BTR cam, A&A Supercharger and ARH headers, it's a blast to drive.

Can Clapd Out throw a rager at your shop, possible invite all 4 of our friends?

Haha, yes, we have a 100 sq ft break room that will house the party well!

If you had to race at only one drag strip the rest of your life, which one and why?

It would probably be Summit Motorsports park, formerly Norwalk Raceway in Norwalk, OH. It's a beautiful large facility with really cool stores, and since it rarely gets in the 90's in northern Ohio, it's a pleasant place to race in the summer.

Why are BTR springs effectively crippling sales of other LSX springs? We only see yours used in 90% of aftermarket applications now!

Haha, well I think we might only have 15-20% of the total LSX spring market, but they are popular. I think there are several factors in their success, being in the right place at the right time with the right product, having a product that is known not to fail while my competitors springs were failing, the amount of testing that was done on the springs while I was at Summit Racing, the attention to detail that has been paid to the fitment of the locators and retainers, and finally keeping our overhead low so we can offer the spring kits at a very reasonable price point.

What is BTR's mission statement?

We can't rely on spring kits as our sole means of long term success. We have to rely on bringing new products to market and selling other vendors products at a reasonable price with great service. When I say great service I'm talking about expert professional service before the sell and then fast/accurate shipping after the sell. Anyone can offer products for sale, having in depth knowledge of everything you sell is key. So our mission statement would be "To provide quality parts at a reasonable price and shipped quickly"

What color underwear am I wearing? **Trick question, I am wearing none**

That would certainly be TMI for me... haha