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Brian Finch: It's Never Too Late To Start

For many people, racing runs in their blood—plenty of family trees find their roots at the track. The garage is often where nature and nurture collide. But Brian Finch isn’t one of those people; instead, it’s his unyielding passion for cars, not his heritage, that got him to where he is today.

The Start of an Obsession

Finch bought his first car in 1985 when he was 15 years old: a ’68 Mustang for just $550. From the bald tires to the worn body, there was work to do. That’s fine, any old muscle needs a little rehab.

“At the time, the BFGoodrich® Radial T/A was—and it still is—the iconic muscle car tire. So I saved my money and bought my first set of 295/50/15 Radial T/As. I didn’t know what BFGoodrich was, and it didn’t matter! But when I look back, there was something about those tires back then, some reason I decided to buy them.”

“When I look back, there was something about those tires back then, some reason I decided to buy them.”

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Careers Come First

Finch’s love of cars took a backseat while he launched himself into the working world. He enlisted in the Navy as a boiler technician, then became a master mechanic, and later, he pursued electrical engineering, programming and automation in the tech space. Finch learned as much as he could—to build financial security—allowing him to devote most of his time and energy into building and racing cars for the next decade.

A Late Start

Fast forward to 2006. Finch had just finished building his ’71 Camaro when the Goodguys Nashville Nationals show came to town. At the ripe-old age of 36, he wasn’t initially interested in racing.

“By then, you’re already considered washed up. Your reflexes are already starting to fall off, so it’s not an age where you start getting into racing,” says Finch.

However, that show was the very first time Goodguys incorporated autocross. After overcoming his nerves, Finch gave it a shot. “I was just going to go there and try it out. I was busy as could be, just trying to keep the car on the track—it was way overpowered—but I just fell in love.” His first laps were anything but smooth. But, Finch went home with his first-ever win.

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Full Circle with BFGoodrich

Climbing his first podium brought Finch back to the company that made his first set of tires—wins were rewarded with a set of BFGoodrich tires. As the years passed, he sustained his initial success. “I’ve had over 82 wins in 9 years, 100% on BFGoodrich tires.” Finch eventually cemented his relationship with BFGoodrich as a member of the Performance Team.

The Future is Finch

Initial success opened doors. From co-founding American Streetcar Promotions to starting Finch Performance Parts, his late entry into the automotive sphere hasn’t hindered his impact. Considering how much he’s accomplished in such a short amount of time, there’s no telling what he’ll do next.

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