The name may not be known to those newer to the auto racing sport but Bruce Mann was well known in the '60s and '70s  on the old Watsonville, Merced, San Jose circuit.
  The NASCAR Sportsman cars, shortened, narrowed dirt cars, were his main focus and he was one of the few running Mopar stuff.  His Dodge Lancer station wagon with small block Chrysler engines, all built by him, were out every weekend and I sometimes went up from my home, at the time, in Ventura to help out. When we weren't racing we were out on our dirt bikes.
    He switched to pavement for a while and ended his driving career with a ride on his roof for most of the backstretch at the old San Jose paved track in his Ford Falcon LMS car.
    A career mechanic, he also built the Plymouths for John Van Hooser that won the NASCAR Stock Car state championship around 1970. After he retired he and his wife, Diana, moved from San Jose to Corning on some land out of the city.  He kept busy restoring old cars and trucks and playing guitar in a band.
    He and I both came to Ventura right out of high schools in the midwest,  he from Illinois and I from Ohio, and became great friends almost instantly and for 57 years.  That ended last Sunday when cancer claimed him at 75 years. He leaves the love of his life,wife Diana, kids Charlie and Kirsten and several grandchildren and a lot of friends.  Bruce was one of a kind and his enthusiasm and friendship will be sorely missed.