BRUCE BROMME JR - A GIANT IN SO CAL RACING - IS GONE!

Bruce Bromme Jr was, in a word, a "racer"! You could call him "SUPER CHIEF, he was that good!" No he didn't drive the big 410 powered sprint cars, he just made them fast! Bruce learned very early, when his "playmate" Dean Thompson and he drove a little race car in the streets near their home, that he wasn't destined to be a driver. Bruce wanted to work on the cars, so CRA history was made way back then. Dean of course went on to win the most CRA 410 races than anyone in history and made the little red sucker famous. Bruce owns so many "crew Chief of the year awards", no one will ever catch him. He hoisted many championship trophies and they were all important to him! Bruce was all about winning, not just doing well, and a good day for him was when his car won. That's him in a nutshell, but there was so much more to him.

I first met him and his dad Bruce Sr in the pits after a race at Ascot as I was just really getting into this racing stuff. My early days in Wagtimes led me to do some visits and write about them. I loved these side trips, and one of these visits was to the Bromme home of the little red sucker in So Cal where I got to sit down with the legendary pair in their garage. I learned a lot that day with memories that still bang around in my head, but the thing I remember most is that they were detirmined to have the best sprint car on the planet! And they did beyond belief! As the years aged most of us, and with his dad gone now, Bruce Jr was, up until his death, still doing the same things that made him a winner above all his peers.

I have a lot of people in the pits who I have developed great frindships with, but there isn't anyone who demanded my respect more than Bruce Jr. He was a quiet leader, a free thinker and will always be a real winner. What he has accomplished will never be equaled, yet he was still just my friend Bruce when I saw him. He was always sharing his life and asking about mine. I don't know how long we will have Ron Chaffin's little red sucker racing with us, especially now that Bruce is gone, but I can't imagine going CRA racing without seeing the # 50 sprinter and having Bruce Bromme Jr turning the wrenches! Thanks for all the championships and great times your fans and I have enjoyed, unfortunately amd very sadly there will be no more.

It's not always a sure thing when someone who is at the top of their game gets recognition in the racing world and thanks to the PAS for making him their Grand Marshal this season, he is the most deserving of all of them! Way to go Bruce, we will all be honoring you on that important day in your memory! RIP and thanks for the memories!





with Ron chaffin


with Steve Ostling



with Michael Tanaka


with Bubby Jones


with Gary Tanaka



the winning stickers!!



with Glenn Crossno


with car owner Ron Chaffin


with Damion Gardner


with Gary Tanaka


with Gary Tanaka


with Gary Tanaka


with 5 time CRA champion driver Mike Spencer


with Mike again


with Karen


with Mrs Wags and Ron Chaffin



with Mrs Wags and Ron Chaffin


with Ron Chaffin


with Damion Gardner


Bruce just watching and waiting


A collage of a lot of the above.


All photos © 2014 Mr. Wags Photos