Texas Speedzone - USRA Modified Champ Bruce Beddoe Ready for USRA Season Opener at SAS

For Immediate Release – March 9, 2006
Contact: Nick Holt, USRA Media Director
(210) 415-1251
cnholt@sbcglobal.net

Countdown to USRA Opener – Saturday, March 11, 2006

San Antonio, TX (March 9, 2006) - Defending United States Racing Association (USRA) Modified Series Champion Bruce Beddoe of Corpus Christi is one of the most successful and respected stock car drivers in Texas. After 27 years behind the wheel, Beddoe has pretty much done and seen it all.

Beddoe plans on hauling his familiar Number 18 USRA Modified up I-37 from Corpus Christi to begin the defense of title at San Antonio Speedway this Saturday in a 75-lap feature event for the low-slung, wide-tracked, open-wheeled USRA Modifieds.

“We’re planning on running all the USRA Modified races this year and hope to be as consistent as we were last year,” Beddoe asked when asked about his 2006 racing plans. “We were very fortunate last season and a lot of things went our way, especially that last race of the season at Thunder Hill Raceway.”

Beddoe went into that race with a slim five-point lead over 2004 Modified champion Joey Heinaman and only a 10-point spread over Chris Swenson. “Joey broke a rear end early and Chris ended up with some sort of trouble, so even though I finished second to (USRA Rookie of the Year) Matt (Merrell) in the race, we came home from Kyle with the Championship. Luck was our side that night.”

Beddoe grew up around the storied Corpus Christi Speedway quarter-mile paved oval.

“I’ve been hanging around CC Speedway ever since I was five or six years old because both my parents worked there and would take me to the track every week. My dad worked as a pit steward and my mom helped in the concession stands. So I was out there every week. I naturally developed an interest in mechanics and racing and when I was 20 my future brother-in-law, another guy and myself decided to put together a Pure Stock – or whatever they called them back then. I think I finished seventh in that race, but I got the racing ‘bug’ pretty good after that.”

The rest is a pretty impressive racing resume.

“I think I’ve won seven championships at Corpus Christi (Motor) Speedway over the years and at least one at (now defunct) Riverside Speedway,” Beddoe said. “But I’ve always managed to stay pretty consistent and usually finish up near the top in the final point standings whenever and wherever I race. The way I figure it, you have to be running at the end in order to win and in order to be there at the end you have to focus on being consistent.”

“And I guess I’ve raced just about every kind of race car there is and most every track in Texas over the years,” Beddoe continued. “I would probably be easier to list the kinds of cars and tracks I haven’t run that those I have. I just love racing.”

When asked about the highlight of his career, Beddoe said there are a couple that stand out.

“Winning the USRA Modified championship has to be there right at the top, but I also won several championships in a row at CC Speedway. But the real highlight is getting to work with my crew chief Ricky Sinard and his son, Wade and my own son, Cody. To me that’s what racing is all about. And I’ve been very fortunate to have learned a lot about the technical side of racing from (former TIDA SLM champion) Rick Rapp. And I have to tell you that my racing hero is Lawrence Mikulencak’s dad, James Mikulencak. I guess you could say those two guys are my highlights too.”

Like all Saturday night racers, Beddoe wanted to let potential sponsors know that he’s looking for tire sponsorship for the 2006 season. “That would help a lot,” Beddoe said.

The USRA Modified Series will share the spotlight on Saturday with the ultra fast USRA Super Late Models (125-lap feature), the always entertaining USRA Trucks (50-lap feature) and the mighty Texas Pro Sedans (25-lap feature).

The San Antonio Speedway pit gates will open at 11:00 a.m. with practice sessions scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. and qualifying set to take the green flag at 5:30 p.m. The racing action will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. with a 25-lap main event for the Texas Pro Sedans followed by feature races for the USRA Modifieds, USRA Super Late Models and USRA Trucks.

Admission for Saturday’s events is $20 for adults, $10 for seniors and Military (with ID), $3 for children 7-12 and children 6 and under are admitted free.

San Antonio Speedway is located 3.5 miles south of Loop 410 on Texas Highway 16 towards Poteet. For more information about San Antonio Speedway or the USRA, call SAS General Manager Rick Day at 210-827-4524 or call the SAS race hotline at 210-628-1499.

The San Antonio Speedway website is http://www.sanantoniospeedway.com. The USRA website is http://www.usraspeed.com.

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