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BRYAN BERNHEISEL has been a pillar in the Southern PA late model racing scene for several years now, following in the footsteps of his father, Jim. Besides racing, Bryan works with his father and brother, Brandon, at their facilities in Jonestown, Pennsylvania at Bernheisel Race Components as lead fabricator on Lazer Chassis, the Bernheiselowned chassis building company. In early 2021, Bryan was setting out for another racing campaign, and looking to continue his growing career behind the wheel of a super late model. But life took a hard turn on Friday March 26th, 2021 at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Bryan was involved in a bad wreck that would reshape his 2021 season and perhaps his career and life.

“I don’t remember if it rained earlier in the day or not, but the track was blistering fast and there was a hole in the track getting into [turn] one,” Bernheisel recalled. “I never lost consciousness. I mean, I’m sure I had a slight concussion, but I was awake and alert through the whole wreck. I remember everything quite vividly.”

“I was fast time that night, started on the pole in the heat race,” Bernheisel related. “I can’t remember who was second, but they got me off the line and I slid back to fourth by the back stretch. That had me mad right off the bat. Through turns three and four I got back into third and I thought, I’m going to get these guys back. So, I fired it into one, hot. I hit that hole and it bicycled immediately up onto the right side. It didn’t bother me too much, I’ve seen videos of late models up on two wheels, and they turn into it and power out of it. I had a decision to make at that moment. I could either get on the brakes and try not to hit the wall too hard, or keep racing and drive out of