BORNEMAN RACING CHASES THEIR GREAT AMERICAN DREAM AT THE AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY

Source: Dave Grayson
Date: 02/28/2008

It's the dream of every young race driver to climb up the NASCAR ladder. From the time they find out just how fast a tricycle will go to the time they climb into their first full sized stock car they chasing and racing towards their great American dream.

This was especially true of John Borneman III who proudly entered his family owned race car into the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Stater Brothers 300 held February 25th at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana-California. Borneman started the race 42nd in his Twisted X Boots/Red Line Oil/Borneman Plastering Ford Fusion. He worked his way to a very respectable 29th place finish and collected $23,715 in prize money along with 76 championship points. More importantly, he finished the event, raced hard and gained some extremely valuable seat time in his Nationwide Series ride.

Borneman comes by his driving skills naturally. He's a third generation driver. He learned the racing ropes from his father, John Jr, who in his day won the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series title at the Cajon Speedway, near San Diego, and later campaigned in NASCAR's West Series, now known as the Camping World West Series, where he finished sixth in the series' points standings in 1978.

Like so many racing background stories these days the younger Borneman began his driving career in go karts back in 1989 which he successfully raced for six years. His first venture into full sized stock cars came in 1995 when he ran the Toyota IRRA Stock Car Challenge Series on the Willow Springs International Raceway's mammoth 2.5 mile, nine turn, road course in Rosamond-California.

Late in 1999 the Borneman family decided it was time to take on a regional touring series and began the groundwork to join NASCAR's West Series. To make that happen the Bornemans journeyed to North Carolina for a shopping spree at Ricky Rudd Motor Sports. At the time Rudd had just lost his long time primary sponsor and decided that he was completely done with being a NASCAR owner-driver. Rudd held an auction to sell off his fleet of cars and all the parts that went with them. The Bornemans heard about this auction and immediately headed east. They returned to their Ramona-California headquarters with two fully race ready Fords: one for short tracks and one for super speedway racing.

Borneman made five starts in his 2000 West Series season debut. He created an immediate impression by scoring one top five finish, four top ten finishes that compiled to an average season finish of 8.4. The 2001 season was the year that he scored his first series win. He also had two top fives and six top tens while finishing seventh in the points standings. To date Borneman's West Series career includes 76 starts, three wins, 22 top five finishes and 42 top tens. His average finish ratio has always been healthy ranging somewhere between eight and nine.

That now brings the story full circle to the February 25th Nationwide Series race at the Auto Club Speedway. It's been noted over the years that some of the under funded teams have a tendency to run just enough laps to earn the money needed to cover the team's expenses, plus a few extra dollars for the boss, before taking the car to the garage area. This is certainly not their preference. It's often comes with the harsh economics of trying to run in one of NASCAR's national touring series.

Borneman Racing didn't do that. Borneman stayed out on the track and ran the race to its conclusion. He raced hard and challenged his fellow drivers for position. At the same time he also had the presence of mind to defer to the approaching race leaders. He looked good out there and his crew chief, John Borneman Jr, and his car owner, Debra Borneman, had every right in the world to be proud of him.

Here's hoping that the racing Borneman family can achieve the sponsorship backing needed to run the NASCAR Nationwide Series full time. It's always heart warming to see someone achieve their great American dream.

See Also .:

News Index | E-mail to a Friend