If you haven’t heard, Alex and I are fairly obsessed with Bro Lite Racing – the upstart short-circuit spec Ford Ranger series starting in the Mid-Atlantic. Naturally, we had to make it out to the inaugural race “The Cumberland Cup” in Cumberland, Maryland. Sweetening the deal was a chance to drive one of these Ford Rangers (assuming any were still running) after the race.
Bleary eyed from a Friday night poker game that ran too late, Alex and myself met up with our friend Mike Saturday morning to make the 2-hour jaunt up to Cumberland, Maryland, which is sandwiched between WV and PA in the Western part of Maryland.
Rolling out to the Cumberland Cup!
The Cumberland Cup was the inaugural race for the Bro Lite series, and I think the spirit here was more “proof of concept” versus the vision for races. The race was held on a Hops farm and the vibe was a very casual gathering of folks interested in getting the series going. The plan is, given enough interest, to organize an East Coast series of races in 2015.
Yes, this is a grassroots event 😉
For the inaugural event, 5 Bro Lites were ready to roll, thanks to some hustling in the past week to finish them up and get them on the track. The excitement started early with guys running practice laps, throwing rooster tails, and catching some air in the low-buck rangers. We were getting pumped!
Pre-Race Activity
The actual race started right about 2:00PM with all 5 trucks starting at once. Erik Miller took the lead before the first turn and held it for the duration of the race (the dust was so thick it was tough for the other drivers to see, let alone pass!). 3 out of 5 trucks finished. The 2 DNFs were mechanical (1 lost a wheel, and the other stopped running on the final lap).
The Race!
After the race and post-race awards ceremony (complete with audacious trophy and the local gas station’s finest champagne), series organizer Scott Decker invited us to drive the trucks! Having no shame, and even less race experience, I was one of the first to give it a shot. I used my best gymnast moves to get into Erik Miller’s winning truck and did about 4-5 “hot laps” on the race course.
The Podium (1st – Erik Miller, 2nd – Tim Diekmann, 3rd – Scott Decker)
Talk about fun! The 5-speed ranger was super easy to drive, and stripped down, plenty quick. Knowing my skill level and acknowledging I was driving a borrowed truck, I didn’t do anything too risky, but did get some super satisfying air time and got to use plenty of rooster-tailing throttle-steer with the welded rear diff. Through it all, the 20-yr old truck felt unexpectedly solid. These things are a hoot!
My turn piloting Erik Miller’s race-winning Spec Ranger
After Saturday, we think Bro Lite Racing lives up to the hype and has the potential to really take off. In the meantime, we’ll anxiously await updates on how the 2015 series will be structured and managed (there’s still plenty that needs to come together), in between scouring the classifieds for cheap 2wd 5 speed Rangers . . .
Thanks for your coverage of the Bro Lite Race!
Very good photos considering all the dust.
Most exciting day!