A Racer, A Teacher

Sue Brantley, Brenda Summerour and Bruce Brantley at Lavonia Speedway in 2000.

From time to time, up until this past year, Brantley has been teaching school.

“It began with welding and fabricating under the government program ‘CETA’, which was to give the opportunity for adults to learn a skill,” he said.  “That was cancelled by the Reagan administration, mostly because it was being abused by many of the participants.  After that, they wanted me to teach in Atlanta.  I refused to go, but finally agreed to do it for one year.  That was 20 years ago.”

Bruce was awarded by the Coca Cola Company as “Educator Of The Year” in 1998 as part of a nationwide program in the teaching of vocational trades, and then again in 1999 by the public school system itself.

For the last 30 years, Sue and Bruce Brantley have lived in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  He is retired but a very active director of GARHOFA (the Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame Association, Inc.).  Sue is the supervisor at the Nordson Company, and as daughter of the late Dub Smith, will always be a racer.