THE FEATURE
FEB 99
THE ALL TIME STOCK CAR FEATURE WINNER FROM LONG ISLAND WAS.....
BRUNO BRACHEY
"THE FLYING MAILMAN"
AKA , JOHNNY FRANK
Ask anyone who knows a lot about Long Island Stock Car Racing "Who won the most feature races?" and the answer you'll most likely hear is Charlie Jarzombek of course. As good as Charlie was, he unfortunately did not live long enough to capture that title. As for Bruno not only did he live long enough, he's 76 and very active , he raced enough for two people or more. He ran in every class, everywhere under two names. It was not uncommon for him to be entered in 4 Features per night at his home track of Freeport. NASCAR got wise to him using a second name and put a ban on him for a short time in the late 50's. It never slowed him down. He was used to the beauracracy,since he tried to introduce them to the idea of seatbelts and harness', that he learned the value of in WW2. They would not let him, so he just snuck it into his car under his clothes.
Bruno started racing jeeps while in the service out in Montana. He ran in Florida,Pennslyvania, New Jersey, the Carolinas...like the energizer bunny. In some of the films of Freeport that Marty Himes has, you can see him motoring around the field in the outside groove as effortlessly as Gordon goes on a two tire change today. Was he legal? Not many were. He got torn down so much that he stopped using new headgaskets.
He also drove TQ's and took a new driver under his wing (they were from the same part of Italy) That driver was Mario Andretti. All in all Bruno would never claim to be #1 and only wishes race drivers got more credit from the media as the real atheletes he feels they are.
Active from 1950 - 1980's Bruno was a driving machine.How many races did he win on LI No one knows the real total,but it was well over 400.
The CHAMP with Duke Donaldson & Jake Kedenburg
On Fire At TRENTON, He drove into a lake to put himself out. He was hospitalized for several weeks,,,, but hopped right back on the horse er car when he got out.
Possibly another first? THE IN CAR CAMERA 1959
"NEW BETSY" You should see OLD BETSY !!!!