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By Steve Pados, GA Motorsports Media
The Bruce Kline Racing Team got a jump-start on their 2008 racing season as they traveled to the Selinsgrove Speedway to take part in the ROC Opener back on March 15th. While the outing wasn't what they had hoped for, Kline and Company felt the experience and lessons learned were valuable in preparing for the upcoming racing season at Orange County Fair Speedway, which is set to begin this coming Saturday Night, April19th. After the Selinsgrove event, the team made some changes to the car they felt would improve the overall performance of the race car and are looking forward to trying out those changes at the OCFS Opener. For Kline the 2008 racing season will the mark 30th season he has been driving race cars.
The last appearance the Kline team made at the Orange County Fair Speedway was back in October for the Eastern States weekend. The low buck, high integrity race team shocked many of the higher-profile teams in attendance that weekend as the "Bangor Bullet" reeled off two quick laps to sit on the pole until Brett Hearn eventually knocked Kline off with a slightly quicker time. Kline drove a masterful race during the event and remained with the leaders all day long hoping to make a final run at the win in the final 30-laps of the race. On lap-189 of the 200-lap event Kline's luck ran sour as a broken valve shut the racer down and the machine limped slowly to the pits. Even though Kline was only credited with a 19th place finish, his loyal racing fans were abuzz with the great drive by the Slate Belt veteran.
Kline earned one feature event win at Orange County last year and was enjoying a solid year in racing but was faced with a decision in the latter stages of the season when his son Jessie had his mount go down with motor problems over at the Five Mile Point Speedway. Not having a spare motor ready for such an emergency, the elder Kline lent out his trusty mount to his son as Jessie was ranked in the top five in points and a candidate for the Rookie of the Year honors in the Modified division at Five Mile Point. The younger Kline, known to his legion of fans as the "Bangor Blast", used his Dad's car to keep his momentum, reeled off some great runs with the big block machine, and captured a fourth place in the final points standings to end in a tie with the "Cresco Cruiser " Eric Palmer. The two drivers also shared the Modified Rookie of the years honors. Once the final points event was completed at Five Mile Point, Bruce Kline returned to the seat of his racer in time for the Topless Modified Show.
The Bruce Kline Racing Team will once again be utilizing the same race car they used last season. The car is a Teo-Pro standard design chassis and will once again have a strong Van Horn powerplant bolted between the rails. Attention to detail on the equipment is paramount in keeping the team prepped and ready each week they tow to the race track. Sponsorship for the low-buck team comes from longtime sponsors RG Hoffman, Kline's Auto Repair and Van Horn Racing Engines. While the team is hoping to be regular competitors at the speedway in 2008, the economic crunch that has spread across the country has relegated the team to look at the racing schedule one race at a time and proceed from there. While the team actively sought out potential sponsors for the new season to date nothing has come to fruition.
Bruce Kline would like to thank all of the team's sponsors, friends and fans for their loyal support of the "Bangor Bullet". Kline would also like to extend a huge thank you to Ed and Steve Pados at CARQUEST Gasoline Alley for their long time support and for having the "Bangor Bullet" play a part on the show with his "Inside the Cockpit Report" during the racing season.
For more information or interest regarding Bruce Kline Racing, contact GA Motorsports Media at: 610 573 9706 or email at: steveswp@netzero.net |
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