Bruce Brantley, at the age of 16, while attending Chamblee High School, got a job at a local service station and drove a wrecker at night, saving up enough money, he eventually bought his first car. A 1940 Ford.

“While working and making service calls Bruce met people that educated him in the automotive industry which aided his successes throughout his racing career ,” Brantley said. “A fellow by the name of Bill Wright had a tune up shop in Chamblee and could do just about anything to a car, specializing in carburetion. He designed and patented such things as flat carbs and scales used to weigh and balance the floats. What I learned helped immensely with my racing.”

Bruce’s first love was drag racing.

“In high school, that’s what everyone did, and of course everyone wanted to be the fastest, including me. Around 1957, I bought me a 1954 Ford with a police interceptor engine and headed to the Dallas Dragstrip. I got beat on a regular basis, so I went to a friend in Buckhead (Georgia) who put in a crank and pistons for a 312 c.i. engine, bought an Isky cam, used a set of Buick valve springs and three carburetors. It still wasn’t right but now I had a chance. Later I figured how to work with different gearing and bought me a set of those new Gordy Tire slicks and started winning.”

Which was something he learned to grow familiar with from the early on in the 1960’s. He raced mostly in the Atlanta area until the mid 60’s, when he began running events on the NASCAR late model sportsman tour. Today he is highly regarded as a vintage racer and resides in Lawrenceville, GA.

A replica of the 1955 Chevy he built and raced is on display in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, In Talladega, AL.