THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN...

2011 NORA SERIES SPONSOR

2011 NORA SERIES SPONSOR

Saturday, September 25, 2010

2010 NORA Finale Underway at Oswego

The 2010 racing season officially comes to a close today with the running of the annual Race of Champions marathon at Oswego Speedway.

The NORA SBS division is representing host Oswego Speedway with 16 cars in the field today.

Oswego Speedway 2010 SBS Track Champion Dave Cliff, Jr. has the potent #06 in competition as well as the backup Gnomey Racing #36 driven today by David LaTulip. Other Oswego regulars Mike Bond (26), Kreig Heroth (44), Jack Patrick (9), Rob Pullen (2), Dennis Richmond (77), Stan Gates (28), Chris Tedd (37), Dave Danzer (52), and Tim Barbeau (58) are joined by 2010 Oswego Speedway Supermodified Rookie of the Year Dave Gruel driving the Steve Abt-owned #85, Scott Schrader in the Nearbin #78, Pitt Watson back behind the wheel of the Watson Family #43, George Knight in the #1 for the first time in over a year and teenager A.J. Bernys in the newly purchased #24 (the former #50 of Tim Barbeau).

The first of two heat races went off without a hitch...Jack Patrick taking the first checkered of his 2010 racing season, which was cut short by an injury and subsequent surgery. He was followed across the line by Heroth, Cliff, Gruel and Richmond in the top 5.

Heat two started out with the 36 of LaTulip and 24 of Bernys coming together. Bernys exited the track on the hook, while the 36 continued on, minus the nose. Dave Danzer claimed the second checkered flag with Barbeau (58), Bond (26), Pullen (2) and Watson (43) chasing him.

The Small Blocks will be the first feature to run tonight, with the field lining up in this order:

52 Danzer, 06 Cliff
58 Barbeau, 2 Pullen
9 Patrick, 85 Gruel
44 Heroth, 26 Bond
77 Richmond, 43 Watson
28 Gates, 36 LaTulip
78 Shaffer, 1 Knight
37 Tedd, 24 Bernys

Lap 3 found the 24 of Bernys and the 1 of Knight getting together between turns 1 and 2; both cars went pitside with the 24 returning to the track but the 1 ofn.

Lap 12 saw the 24 bringing out the caution once again. The top 5 at this time were the 52, 06, 58,26 and 85.

Lap 14 brings disaster for leader Dave Danzer as he loses the right rear tire and ends up ofn.

Lap 20 sees the 36 of David LaTulip spin coming out of 3; keeps it off the wall and continues on his way. The 85 of Dave Gruel heads pitside for the remainder of the race. The top 5 as of lap 20 were the 06, 58, 26, 2, 44.

Lap 22 has caution flying again as the 77 of Dennis Richmond spins in turn 4; no contact and kept going.

No further problems ensued, and Dave Cliff, Jr. picks up the win of the 35 lap RoC feature. He was followed across the line by the 58 of Barbeau, Bond in the 26, Heroth's 44, Pullen(2), Richmond(77), Shaffer(78) and Watson(43). The complete finish is posted in the race results section below.

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Some interesting facts from the 2010 NORA season:

Number of heat races run: 6
Number of heat race winners: 6 (Nearbin, Gruel, Pullen, Kingsley, Patrick, Danzer)

Number of features run: 3
Number of feature winners: 3 (Gruel, Abt, Cliff)

Number of drivers competing and earning points this season: 26
Number of rookie drivers competing this season: 12

Youngest driver in NORA this season: A.J. Bernys (15)
Oldest driver in NORA this season: Ivan Steen (60+)

12 drivers earned Top 5 Feature finishes, with only 3 earning more than one top 5: Abt, Pullen and Cliff.

Two drivers (Pullen and Danzer) competed in all 3 races. 9 drivers competed in 2 races and 15 drivers raced once.

The highest finishing rookie in points was Dennis Richmond, finishing in 7th place in the points.

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So ends the 2010 racing season. Congratulations to all the winners and champions this season. Have a safe and happy off season, and see you all next season!
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ON THE CLOCK

Our second installment of "ON THE CLOCK" features the driver who was the SBS Rookie of the Year in 2010...Mike Bruce. Mike's demographics look like this: he just turned 19 on March 18th, is single, and a Freshman at Alfred State studying for an Associates Degree in Motorsports Technology. He has been racing since the 7th grade (only 7 years) and has one feature win to his credit in the Mod Lite division. This will be his second season behind the wheel of a SBS. Previous experience include go karts and the aforementioned Mod Lites. His rookie season at Oswego produced one heat win and an 8th place finish in the season-long points race for the SBS division. Mike's parents Frank and Jackie are huge supporters of his racing, and he gives them all the credit. "My parents have gone far beyond making me happy, they support me 110%. I couldn't ask for a better set of parents-my dad does everything he can and more for me to be able to race, and my mom supports our every move. My brother, Robbo, has also been an important part of my career. Hopefully he will be getting into racing this year and I hope he wants to follow in my footsteps and be the second Bruce to be rookie of the year at Oswego Speedway in another year or two. He has done tons and sacrificed a lot for me to be able to race as much as I do. My sister Brittany has also been a huge supporter of my racing." Near the end of the 2010 season, the Bruce family purchased the former Shawn Walker #68, which will be renumbered #22 for the 2011 season. Mike lists his brother Robbo as the crew chief, with mom Jackie as "the cleaner" and dad Frank and former car owner and now teammate Rob Pullen (#2) as "the brains of the project". Sponsors of the #22 for 2011 include C's Farms, Woodchuck Saloon, Bruce Electric, Pullen's Plumbing, FFB Chassis (Mike's car is a 2005 model) and Bob Bruce. When asked who or what got him interested in racing, Mike told me that as he was growing up his parents always had the racing on tv, and when he became old enough (age 3-4), his dad started bringing him to Oswego. He would sit in the grandstands with his mom or sister and watch his dad in the pits working with Jeff Holbrook, Dave Trytek and Bob Magner, who he states are the drivers he looks up to the most. Dave Trytek and Jeff Holbrook gave him his first go kart, one that was hanging on their wall and weren't doing anything with. He eventually raced the "road course" inside the pit area of Oswego, and travelled to Avon once with a travelling series. Graduating to the Mod Lite division he ran at most of the dirt tracks in Central NY, as well as Evans Mills, Utica-Rome and Canandaigua. Evans Mills was the site of his first (and to date, only) feature win with the Mod Lite. Bruce considers the Pullen Deuce his best ride so far; "He (Pullen) gave me the chance to open some eyes, and Rob probably didn't even know my first name when we talked about my driving. I guess he got a good vibe and trusted me, as we picked up the car the day after we talked." When asked what he would consider his best moment in racing, Mike immediately says it was opening night at Oswego last season: "We started scratch in our heat. Being a rookie, I just wanted to keep my nose clean and see what happened; I found myself racing with Brian Sobus (who I later found out was a great shoe in the SBS division), and when the checkered flag fell, I had finished 3rd--I was excited! Starting mid-pack for the feature right behind Steve Abt, I once again just wanted to keep my nose clean and hope for a good finish. Getting the green and going into turn one for the first time in a feature, there's a wreck. I followed Abt through a hole and missed it..I was a little more excited. A few laps later, another wreck on the front straight with cars everywhere, and I somehow found another hole and got through that one, too, although it was a little closer. After the second wreck and things settled down, I found myself in 5th place, running with drivers like Abt, Mike Bond, Brian Sobus and Dave Cliff...I was very excited." He continues, "my worst moment came shortly after that (he estimates 15 minutes later) when I got a bump from behind and hit the inside hub rail, knocking out the toe. I pitted and when I came back out, I was a little angry. We ended up getting tangled up with a couple of other rookies ending my night. When I came back into the pits, I looked at my car owner's (Pullen) face and I don't think he was the happiest man alive with me because I just wrecked his race car...he was actually pretty understanding, because he had wrecked it plenty of times himself." Other than your dad, do you have anyone you consider a mentor? "Well, without my dad, I wouldn't be half the person I am now. I would also say Bobby Magner-he was one of the drivers I remember coming up to me my first race at Oswego and he told me to quit biting my nails because I made myself look nervous. He loosened me up and gave me a lot of good advice, too." In closing, when asked what the future holds for him, Mike put it plain and simple..."Right now, my future hasn't been decided. I'm hoping to be in a Supermodified; it would be nice to go further than that and drive for someone else, but times are tough these days and free rides are becoming slim, so who knows what's going on in the future." You can be sure of one thing, though....Mike Bruce is a talented young man, and with the right amount of skill and luck, he will grace the podium many times at Oswego and on the NORA circuit, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him follow in the footsteps of his mentors Holbrook, Trytek and Magner from the ranks of the SBS to the Supers in the near future.


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BSP Images

BSP Images
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Oswego Speedway

Oswego Speedway


Hotlap Action 5/29/10

Hotlap Action 5/29/10
Tim Barbeau being chased down the front straight by Andrew Schartner and Mike Bond. Photo by Sue Delong

Racing Action 5/29/10

Racing Action 5/29/10
As Mark Castiglia roars down the front straight, he's followed by Jason Simmons, Chris Proud and Steve Abt. Photo by Sue Delong

Heat Race Action 5/29/10

Heat Race Action 5/29/10
The Small Blocks crank it up to take the green flag in heat race action Saturday. Schartner, Kingsley, Gates, Danzer, LaFave and Bruce hustle out of turn 4. Photo by Sue Delong

Vern LaFave Returns to the SBS Ranks 5/29/10

Vern LaFave Returns to the SBS Ranks 5/29/10
photo by Sue Delong

Steve Abt

Steve Abt
photo by Sue Delong

Feature Fiasco-Tony White Memorial, 5/29/10

Feature Fiasco-Tony White Memorial, 5/29/10
Guard Nearbin sits crosswise on the front straight as Vern LaFave does a brake check to avoid hitting him. Andrew Schartner's #18 sits nose first into the inside hub rail as rookie Dennis Richmond threads his way through the chaos. Photo by Sue Delong