Racing now a hobby for Branchcomb

Cody Branchcomb no longer dreams of NASCAR. Of course, a lot has changed since he climbed into his first sprint car five years ago. The 21 year-old from Sapulpa got married last year and is hustling to make his young trucking company thrive.

Life has pushed racing from an obsession and potential career to a hobby. But nonetheless, Branchcomb is still gunning for the American Sprint Car Series Sooner Region Championship, and tonight at State Fair Speedway, Branchcomb will try to pad his slim lead in the series over Tulsa's Brian McClelland.

"I used to think about NASCAR and all that, but I am older and wiser and that just isn't realistic.” Branchcomb said. "Racing is more of a hobby for me now, but I still love it. I don't see why we can't win the championship.”

But actually there are a lot of reasons why Branchcomb shouldn't be vying for a points title. Branchcomb and his father, Gerald, have had the deck stacked against them from early on. Without the big budgets of many of the drivers on the ASCS, Cody and Gerald have worked with limited resources since racing with the ASCS when Cody was 16 years old.

"A lot of the kids out here racing come from a lot of money and they can hire whoever they need to help,” Cody said. "We don't have that. It is just me and my dad.”

A father and son race team might not be so rare on a weekly race night at the fairgrounds, but on a circuit like the ASCS, racing teams tend to be far more expansive. Not only can the Branchcomb team not afford a top notch crew chief, but the knowledge between he and his father was extremely limited early on.

The closest Gerald had to a racing background was selling soda in the stands at the local racetrack as a kid. Cody got his first driving lesson from Alf Gebhardt at a local shifter go-cart track in Tulsa. What Cody learned with Gerbhardt is the foundation of what he knows today.

"I learned more from him and than anyone else,” Cody said. " He taught me a lot.”

As for Cody's future, he said he still wants to race as long as he has the financial ability. The success of his trucking company could play a big role. But as for this season, Cody has nine nights of racing left to win his first ASCS series championship. It's a championship Cody said he and his dad deserve for all their hard work.

"If we can win it this season, I don't see any reason why we can't win it again next year,” Cody said.