Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Gary Nephew
Bob poses with what must be one of his first cars.
Bob Bruno
Racing Teacher,
Racing Town Supervisor, etc., etc.
Melvin "Bob" Bruno, of Schuyler Falls, New York was having a good enough
year in the early 1960's to earn his photo on the cover of NASCAR'S monthly
national newsletter. As a youngster growing up in Proctor, Vermont - too far
away to see Bruno run - that was my only image of him until I was old enough to
get to see him at Airborne Park Speedway, and possibly a few far flung places
likes Otter Creek Speedway and Fonda.
Bruno was a rarity in his time - a college -educated local stock car driver, who
also was involved heavily in local politics. Bruno could have played
professional ball; but, instead he chose to teach school, race, and become a
supervisor [ a pretty important position in the New York scheme of things].
Bob's career lasted for decades [probably longer than his baseball career would
have], and he is still highly - regarded when he visits Airborne Speedway today.
Although he drove for a number of owners and teams, Bruno's name will be forever
linked to car owner Vic Wolfe, in whose immaculate white #66's Bruno had most of
his success.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Gary
Nephew
Bob poses with what must be one of his
first cars.
PRE_WOLFE ERA
 Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob and maybe a brother with the family sedan. |
 Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob and family members. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar Bob with the family car. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob awards a trophy to Nelson Chappell in 1959. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock the 11, possibly with Bob at the wheel, leads a heat. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob tried his hand at the McGee/ Bridges MB2 |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar Good sponsorship for the McGee/Bridges car. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar Bob,with the 000 at Malletts Bay Raceway. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock At speed with the 000. Great angle ! |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob, at speed, with the 000 at Airborne. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar Bob wins one with the 000. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob with the 000, a familiar early Airborne car. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar Local kids with the 000. |
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of
John Rock
At the Airborne Ice Races [2nd from
right top row] with Rod Ritchie and Karl Gorman.
ALLIE SWEARS ERA
|
|
 Mike Russo Photo Bob would sometimes drive for Allie Swears at Fonda. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock Bob winning a race at somewhere with Allie's coupe. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock At speed, in Allie's coupe, at Airborne. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock Bob winning a race at Fonda with Allie's coupe. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock Bob with Allie's coupe at Airborne. Ken Shoemkaer in Henry Caputo's 111 leads Howie Westervelt in Cliff Wright's 83 |
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of
John Rock and Bobby Castine
A win
with Swears' 51.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of
John Rock
Bob was supposed to drive Allie Swears
1955 sportsman car at Daytona, but he could not secure
permission to be gone from his teaching job. So, Dick Nephew got the ride. This
is Allie, with the car
at the garage in Daytona.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock
A photo of Bruno running with the best
NASCAR had to offer in sportsman cars at the time: Cabana, Charland, Gahan,
Trombley, and others.
THE_WOLFE ERA
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock Possibly the first Vic Wolfe coupe for Bruno. At Wolfe's garage, where the Champlain Centre Mall is now located. |
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock Possibly the first Vic Wolfe coupe for Bruno. At Wolfe's - rear view. |
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock The first Vic Wolfe coupe for Bruno. At Wolfe's . Check out the high class Wolfe Trailer Park in background. |
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock The first or second Vic Wolfe coupe, at the garage. |
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock A very early Vic Wolfe coupe at speed, at Airborne. |
 Photo Source Unknown Bob with an early Wolfe coupe. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine Bob in an early version of the 66 in Victory Lane with his family. |
 NASCAR Record Book Bob leads NASCAR National Champion Bill Wimble. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine A pose with the early Wolfe coupe. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine The early Wolfe car at speed, Airborne backstretch. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob in an early pose. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob, same pose closer up. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Phil Butler Victory with an early Vic Wolfe 66. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine A closeup cropping of a photo shown at left. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A race start among top sportsman cars. |
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock Vic Wolfe and Bruno, at Wolfe's garage, with a typical haul of trophies. |
 NASCAR Record Book Bob got noticed by NASCAR in 1962 |
 Bruno Family Photo Courtesy of John Rock TIn Victory Lane somewhere with Canadian flagger Paul Demers. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Bob receives an award from car owner Vic Wolfe. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Brian Branham Bob in Victory Lane at Airborne circa 1962. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Mike Watts Bob, at Airborne, after the races, with fans. Flagger Art Prairie is in foreground. |
 Paul Michaud Photo A later Wolfe coupe. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine In the pits with a later Wolfe coupe. Might have been a Studebaker. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine A win with the sedan at Airborne. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine The famous Vic Wolfe sedan. |
|
 Courtesy of Mike Watts The famous Vic Wolfe sedan became even more famous when it notched a rare Fonda win. Few outsiders won at Fonda. |
|
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine A scruffy pose with the sedan at Airborne. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine A win at Saranac Lake with starter Art Prairie. Bob was a villain to the fans at that track. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A pose with the sedan at Fonda, probably prior to the famous win. Behind the announcer's stand. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A pose with the coupe at Airborne. One of those great 1960's "driver's suits". |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar The sedan showing some wear and tear. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Another pose midway through the sportsman era. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar A win with Vic joining him in Victory Lane. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar A win circa 1963. |
 Smith Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar A photo of Bruno winning another at Saranac Lake, where the local press played him up as the bad guy. |
 Smith Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Jack Rugar A photo of a newer coupe with tuned headers and a lot of body damage. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock That same coupe giving Guy Chartrand a run in Ed Cloce's Hemi-Cuda. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of John Rock One of Bob's most widely - circulated photos. A Studebaker - bodied car. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine A later Wolfe coupe with tuned headers. |
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine Bob awards a trophy to another competitor. |
From Dan Ody;s 8MM Old Speedways DVD
This grainy old 8MM movie capture shows
Bruno, in a limited sportsman car, racing with
Jim "Sapphire" LeClaire in
the Tucker - built C37 Pontiac coupe at Otter Creek Speedway in Vermont.
It was a horsepower track, so Bob had trouble with the bigger - motor sportsman
entries.
THE INFAMOUS FIRE
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock The Wolfe coupe that burned at Syracuse. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock The charred 66 arrives at Wolfe's garage near what today is Champlain Centres Mall. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock More views. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock More views. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock The point of impact is clearly seen here. |
 Bob Bruno Collection Courtesy of Jack Rugar and John Rock The replacement car which made it to Airborne the very next race. |
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of
John Rock and Jack Rugar
From left - Vic Wolfe, Wesley
Mischler, and Bob receiving some sort of award in a staged setting.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of
John Rock and Bobby Castine
Bob and Vic didn't always have things
go well. Here the crew tried to figure out
why the car stopped in the middle of a race.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine
Somewhere in his career, Bob was brave
enough to try a sprint car.
This baby looks kind of homemade, eh? Look how close his arm is to that
tire ! This is at Westport, NY fairgrounds.
SOME FORMER WOLFE / BRUNO CARS
 Ladabouche Collection Harold Healey bought this coupe and first had Ernie Reid driving it. |
 Ladabouche Collection Courtesy of Cho Lee Reid winning a race with likely the same car. |
 Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock It is thought that this Bud Besor 50NY is another Healey - owned ex - Wolfe car. |
 Courtesy of Gerard Major The Frank Hodge Lucky 7 started out as a Bruno 66. |
 Dubrul Collection Courtesy of Jack Dubrul This Black Jack Dubrul 1VT was the Wolfe car from 1965. |
 Courtesy of Cho Lee Sapphire LeClaire in the Healey 70. |
Ladabouche Photo
The restored Vic Wolfe modified
pavement Pinto. What's the clue it's restored ?
They didn't have Coke Zero when this thing ran.
Courtesy of Cho Lee
Winning one at Thunder Road in 1965.
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