BG Automotive owner takes home USAC Rookie of the Year honors — first from Colorado — and places 9th overall
Fort Collins, Colo.—Bryan Gossel, of Fort Collins, Colo., who is the shop owner of multi-location BG Automotive, just completed his first USAC Silver Crown season as the highest finishing rookie in the point standings, 9th overall.
He also became the first Silver Crown Rookie of the Year to hail from the state of Colorado, and the first in any USAC National division since Mike Gregg with the Midgets in 1973 (Gregg used to be Gossel’s crew chief’s driver).
“Finishing 9th overall is very special, considering that seven of those who came in ahead of me are full-time professionals,” Gossel told Aftermarket Matters Weekly. “And to get rookie of the year came right down to the wire — the whole experience has been very humbling and it just goes to show that hard work and perseverance can make dreams come true.”
He added that all he wanted to be when he was growing up was to be a racecar driver. “I haven’t raced as much during the past four or five years while we’ve been growing the business, but before then I was racing up to 65 nights a year and traveling. I had decided, though, that racing wasn’t going to lead me into retirement so I focused on the business. Today, we’re at a place where I can go racing again.”
Gossel, who is also ASA Colorado chairman, said he had previously only seen one of USAC’s races in person before and thought that its level of competition was above his ability, along with its history of drivers who have come through its ranks. That changed quickly.
“The very first race I ran with them was in Pennsylvania where I got into the record books by having the second-best, first-time start with USAC,” Gossel said. “I started 19th and finished fourth.”
“I’m going to work super hard at it next year — I’m not giving up. We’re in too deep.”
2020 USAC Silver Crown Rookie Standings:
1. 161-Bryan Gossel, Fort Collins, Colo.
2. 156-Logan Seavey, Sutter, Calif.
3. 121-Jake Swanson, Anaheim, Calif.
4. 111-Kyle Cummins, Princeton, Ind.
5. 95-Chad Kemenah, Alvada, Ohio
6. 84-Ronnie Wuerdeman, Cincinnati, Ohio
7. 77-Kyle O’Gara, Beech Grove, Ind.
8. 71-Carmen Perigo, Stoystown, Pa.
9. 67-David Gravel, Watertown, Conn.
10. 60-Casey Buckman, Chandler, Ariz.
11. 48-Jimmy Light, West Springfield, Pa.
12. 21-Jake Simmons, New Palestine, Ind.
13. 19-Brent Yarnal, Phoenix, Ariz.
14. 10-Dallas Hewitt, Troy, Ohio
15. 10-Justin Peck, Monrovia, Ind.
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