Meet 305 Rookie Eric Bridger!
Eric Bridger
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
by Joanne Cram
Current 305 points’ leader and Rookie of the Year contender, Eric Bridger, is enjoying his freshman season at Knoxville coming off his first career feature win just a few weeks ago. The 21 year old Winterset native has his goals set on a future in sprint car racing.
Eric started racing at the age of 10, competing on the asphalt go-kart track at Jamaica, Iowa. He raced there for three seasons, before adding dirt track racing to his resume. Following 2008, Eric began strictly racing dirt tracks, moving up from go karts, eventually to mini sprints. “Dirt track racing has a lot more racing and better competition”, Bridger stated. “You can really improve your driving skills (racing at different tracks)”. He raced all throughout the Midwest in go karts from 2008 through 2010, where he collected several championships; The WKA Nationals Junior 1 Gas Class, a Newton Karting Club Track Championship, and a few other local track championships.
In 2011, Bridger moved up to a micro sprint, where he ran the Micro Sprint Series around Iowa. He was the 2013, 2014, and 2015 series champion. They traveled a lot, and Eric says that has helped his driving improve vastly. The main tracks he competed at were Marshalltown, Brooklyn, Clarke County (now closed), English Creek, Warren County Fairgrounds, and Stuart Speedway.
Bridger’s ultimate goal was to get behind the wheel of a sprint car, and in 2016, he seized the opportunity. The family-owned operation purchased a 305 Race Saver sprint car and went racing, weekly at the Des Moines Fairgrounds, as well as a few shows here and there. There was a huge learning curve between the 305 and the micro, Eric reflects. The weight in the back of the car was the biggest challenge. The fuel capacity of a sprint car makes the car handle so much differently. Driving a sprint car with power steering was also new and something to be mastered. Both of these challenges didn’t seem to phase Eric, as he finished in the top 5 of points at The Des Moines Fairgrounds and earned several podium finishes.
2017 brings a success story so far for Bridger. He started the season hoping for Rookie of the Year honors, and has already put his Race Performance Crate Engine-Maxim into victory lane, also a season goal. The points’ championship now in sight, Eric would love to add that to his resume as well. Eric and his parents/ co-owners, Deb and Dwight, plan on him staying in the 305 class at least through next season, with hopes to move up to a 410 throughout the seasons eventually.
Eric is also a career guy, working on his financial management degree at Upper Iowa University, while working as a bank teller for People’s Trust and Savings Bank. He plans to graduate in May of 2018. When he’s not working, studying, or working on race cars, Eric enjoys being outdoors and reading.
Eric’s sponsors include Bell’s Transmission & Auto, GW Gutter Service, Sign Creations, and Finish Line Body and Paint. Crew include dad and mom, as well as Gary Williams, and Eric’s older brother, Alex.
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