Geoff Bodine's tribute to Flyin' Bryan: 'Great driver ... clean driver'
By Ron Levanduski
He was known by short-track race fans just as "Flyin' " Bryan and some of his Modified race cars carried the "Elmira Rocket" on its hood.
The local racing community is grieving the loss of Bryan Osgood. The popular Modified racer from Elmira died Dec. 19, at 77, after complications from a fall off a ladder in May.
To anyone who knew him or saw him race in the 1960s-70s, Osgood was considered one of the toughest but fairest competitors of his era.
"He'll be remembered as a great driver, a clean driver, and more than that, a real good guy," said former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Geoff Bodine, from his Melbourne, Fla., home on Wednesday. "He was always good to me. It's a shame he's gone."
Osgood's career, which began on dirt tracks in the late 1950s, continued on asphalt tracks through early 1970s. He raced everything from the dirt-racing "bugs" to asphalt Modifieds, Supermodifieds, and Sprint cars.
"He was an exciting racer and was very talented in both dirt and asphalt cars," his son, Dave Osgood said on Wednesday. "He was one of those guys who could jump into somebody else's car that never won and win with it the first time out. He could drive anything fast."
Osgood's yellow and black No. 09 car visited victory lane on more than 50 occasions but he's best known for his many big victories, including winning the 1971 Amalie Pro 350, Lancaster (N.Y.) Speedway's longest race, and back-to-back wins at Pocono (Pa.) Speedway around the same time.
"He won a ton of races, especially the big ones," Dave Osgood said. "He was a smart racer and knew how to manage his fuel mileage."
Dave said his father was a very popular driver, especially at Chemung Speedrome.
"He raced fair and the fans liked that," Dave said.
He said the fans also appreciated how clean and well prepared his cars were.
Bryan Osgood raced at many tracks far from home, like those at Trenton (N.J.), Langhorne, Pocono, Selinsgrove, and Port Royal in Pennsylvania. While he didn't race regularly at Chemung Speedrome, he did manage to win the Modified track championship there in 1966.
Geoff Bodine, from Chemung, watched Osgood race at the Selinsgrove and Port Royal dirt tracks in Pennsylvania in the 1960s while helping crew for his uncle Maynard Bodine, who was responsible for preparing Osgood's cars from the mid-1960s until Osgood retired.
"Bryan was a mentor of mine back then," Bodine said. "He was a great competitor to watch because he always raced clean but raced hard and never gave up."
Years later, Bodine and Osgood became friendly competitors and would tow their cars together to events.
Osgood's death marks the third loss of a racing personality from the community in a little more than one year.
In February, Osgood's close friend, Maynard Bodine, died. In October of 2008, Earl Bodine, Maynard's brother and another top area racing figure from the 1950s-60s, died of cancer.
"That's a whole era right there, my two uncles and Bryan, that are gone," Geoff Bodine said. "We did so much together. It's sad we are losing our family and friends, but that's life."
Bryan Osgood was one of three generations of racers, including his son, Dave, who competed in the 1980s and '90s, and his grandson, Bobby, who continues to race today.
Osgood is survived by his wife, two sons and four daughters.
Friends and fans may pay their respects at a service to be held at Southside Alliance Christian and Missionary Church on Pennsylvania Ave. from 5-7 p.m. on Jan. 8.
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