Bruno Brackey was a legend in Long Island stock-car racing. Known as “The Merry Mailman,” Brackey won tons of races with savvy and great driving.
In 1956, Freeport Stadium promoter Jake Kedenburg decided to add a third division, stock sedans, to give his drivers more work. Freeport ran three nights a week. Sedans shared Tuesdays and Fridays with the modifieds.
Brackey built a decidedly ugly ’37 Ford sedan for the new class. He won the first five features of the season and the track title. In 1957, he set a new Freeport standard, winning eight races in a row with the black car with a whitewashed No. 71 called “Old Bess.”
He was champion in 1958-59-60 with the car. In 1961, it started to show its age and Eddie Brunnhoelzl won the point title that year. In the season’s penultimate race, a bad crash saw ole No. 71 tore up when it was hit by young driver Manny DeSane. Brackey patched it up and won the season finale.
DeSane felt bad that he wrecked his idol’s prize car, so he gifted Brackey with a showroom-looking ’37 Ford sedan. Brackey spent that winter building the new car. The original black paint was so good that he didn’t even have to repaint it, and black was his signature color. No new parts went on the car. Old parts lying in his garage were used.
The new car debuted, and that June, Brackey turned in one of his grittiest driving jobs. In six years, only three times had a driver won both the modified and sedan features the same night. Brackey did it both times.
On this night, he won his sedan heat and swept the modified portion of the program in Johnny Hertle’s No 50. Before he stepped into the sedan for the feature, he asked if anyone had ever clean swept both divisions in one night. Brackey was told that it had never been done. This gave him an extra incentive.
Taking the lead quickly, Brackey soon had his biggest rival, Les Ley, right behind him. On the sixth lap, the hood on Brackey’s sedan flew open. For the last 19 laps, the tough little Brackey kept his flathead ahead of Ley’s T-Bird powered ’55 Ford with Ley banging him all the way.
Brackey also ran the car at Weissglass Speedway. In 1964, he realized winning with a Flathead wasn’t possible and dumped a 312 Ford in it. He won 14 features that year.
He continued to campaign the car and win with it for many years. In 1974, Freeport went under the NASCAR banner and the old sedan was finally outclassed.
The car is still intact and race ready if there was a race suitable for it. It’s a museum piece — 46 years after being a gift, the No. 71 holds a respected place in stock-car history.