Meet Brenden...
My name is Brenden Ruzbarsky and I am 19 years old. I was born and raised in Tracy, California. I began my racing career on dirt bikes, competing locally in Northern California at several different tracks. After a trip to North Carolina at age 10, I got a taste of what karting was like. I set my sights on 4 wheels.
I raced Umigo (an indoor karting track in Livermore, California) for a few years while still competing on dirt bikes. At the age of 13, I decided to end my adventure on dirt bikes and race karts full time. I started karting with Steve Cameron Karting in 2017 and raced with him for a few years. In February 2019, I got my first experience of high-speed road racing in a Legend car at Thunderhill Raceway Park. While I worked on finding a full-time Legend ride, I went back to racing karts. I raced with Gary Carlton at GFC Karting, running karts on the west coast road courses racking up poles, podiums, and a couple wins. In 2020 and 2021, I raced karts with Gary Carlton, Legends crew chief Dave Winchel, and TJ Clark. I made multiple podiums and two Legend Tour wins.
In 2022, I went full-time in Legend racing in the Legend Tour Series. I finished with six podiums in nine races with two wins. In 2023, I continued full-time Legend racing, working with crew chiefs, Peyton Saxton of Third Gen Race Cars and Jason Irwin of Jason Irwin Racing. I was the California State Legends Road Course Champ, finished second in Pro points on the Legends Tour Series, and finished on the podium for the US Legend Car Oval Asphalt Nationals and US Legends Car Road Course Nationals. I was the only driver in the country to achieve this win. Year 2023 was my Rookie year, racing modifieds with crew chiefs Chris Bray, Steve and Jaron Giannini at the Bullring at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In my first full season of modifieds, I managed 6 podiums in 7 races with 1 win, earning 2023 Rookie of the Year.
My love for racing can be traced back to when I was young, watching my dad, Rick Ruzbarsky, race late models on the Southwest Tour. My desire for racing has just grown since then. No matter what it is I do, I always want to go fast and finish first. In 2024, I have partnered with my long-time sponsors, Pentair, Cen Cal Glass, David’s Racing Product, and 51 Enterprises Motorsports to run on the zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series West with crew chief Rick Ruzbarsky and car consultant, Mike David.
Achievements
2023
- Las Vegas Bullring Rookie Of The Year
- (1) Main Event win in 602 Modifieds
- (3) 2nd Place Finishes and (2) 3rd Place Finishes at the Las Vegas Bullring as a Rookie
- Orange Show Main Event in Legends
- California State Legends Road Course Champion
- 2nd Place in Legend Tour Pro Points
- 5th at the US Legend Car Oval Asphalt Nationals
- 4th at the US Legends Car Road Course Nationals
- (6) Top 3 Finishes at Comma Series Hallett Racing Circuit
2022
- 2nd Overall in Points in the Legends Tour Series
- (9) Legends Tour Series Starts with 6 top 5 Finishes
- (2) Legends Tour Main Event Wins at Madera and Roseville
- (2) #1 Qualifiers
2021
- Legends Rookie Season
- (2) Legends Tour Main Event Wins
- (2) #1 Qualifiers
2020
- (3) Top 5 Finishes in Legend Tour Series Races
- 2nd Place in Stockton
Pro Late Model 101
The fastest growing division in asphalt short track racing, the Pro Late Model division affords the competitor the opportunity to compete in full bodied stock cars at a lower budget than other classes being campaigned throughout the country’s many short tracks. These cars feature a purpose-built chassis, fiberglass bodies, and engines capable of producing 350-400 HP. The engines are inspected and “sealed” by “series approved” engine builders/rebuilders. This basically prohibits competitors from having their engines worked on to gain an advantage over others by using non-conforming parts or performing unapproved modifications to the engine. With the “seal program” the cost of the engine is kept under control. Additionally, since these engines are restricted to the amount of horsepower and RPM they can produce, the engines have a longer “life expectancy” – saving teams money on maintenance. The “Pros”, as they are referred to, have an overall minimum weight of 2800 with a maximum of 58% of the weight on the left side of the car. This weight package combined with the “crate” engine that only produces 375 HP is an excellent combination for the driver beginning his/her career in stock car racing. The driver is able to gain experience with the handling characteristics of the cars as the suspension and tires are the same as that used in other more advanced classes.
About zMAX Car Tours
Founded in the Fall of 2014, the zMAX CARS Tour is the Southeast’s premier asphalt Late Model series. Now under the ownership of motorsprots icons Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick and Justin Marks, the zMAX CARS Tour began as a quality pavement racing series based in the Carolinas and Mid Atlantic region that featured both Late MOdel Stock Cars and Pro Late Models. Both premier series race on the same night at the same track and this unique arrangement makes the zMAX CARS Tour the first organization of its kind anywhere in the country. Many of today’s stock car superstars got their start in the zMAX CARS Tour and it is a primary breeding ground for the racing champions of tomorrow.
About zMAX
zMAX Micro-Lubricant uses engine oil, fuel, and transmission fluid to reach internal parts where it soacks into metal to disperse carabon build up – effectively improving performance, extending engine life, and reducing emissions as well as wear on vital engine parts. Cleaning the engine from the inside out, zMAX Micro-Lubricant is available in formulas deisgned for cars/trucks, heavy duty equipment, small airplanes marine motors, and 2- and 4- cycle engines. The zMAX family of products also includes performance motor oils, automotive spray wax, aerosol lubricant, and brake cleaner. Consumers can look for zMAX products at retail partners such as Walmart, NAPA, Pep Boys, AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, and O’Reilly Auto Parts or visit www.zMAX.com.
About FloSports
Founded in 2016, FloSports is a subscription video streaming service dedicated to sports, offering live and on-demand access to hundreds of thousands of competition events across 25+ vertical sport categories in the US and abroad. FloSports’ vision is to give underserved sports the love they deserve. With a growing library of more than 300,000 hours of premium content including news, expert commentary films, documentaries, and more, FloSports has established itself as an innovator and leader in sports streaming. Finally, your sport has a home. For more information, please visit flosports.tv.