Meet Australian Driver Scott Bogucki!
Thursday, August 9, 2018
by Joanne Cram
Former Knoxville Raceway regular, Scott Bogucki, changed up his schedule for 2018, to compete full time with the National ASCS Tour for the 2018 season, in addition to much of the Knoxville Raceway weekly racing action. This marks Scott’s 3rd season of full time racing in the states. “It’s always been a dream of mine to go full time racing on the road and it’s finally happened this year.”
From McLaren Vale, South Australia, Scott returned to the states this past February to prepare the Ostrich powered J&J for the coming season. In addition to running the full ASCS tour, Scott has raced as much 410 action as the ASCS schedule will allow, with plans to hit some World of Outlaw shows as well as Knoxville Raceway weekly shows. Scott kicked off the season with the opening ASCS National race at Devil’s Bowl in March, and has run about 25 shows of the approximately 75 scheduled races.
Bogucki has a long history in racing, starting in karts at the age of 9. He competitively raced all over Australia for 10 years collecting several Australian National Championships and South Australian Championships.
At the conclusion of this 10 year karting career, Scott progressed into wingless sprints for 2 years, where he won back to back South Australian championships, becoming the first person to accomplish back to back title wins.
Hoping for more experience in a winged sprint car, Scott decided to come to the states to gain experience with an established team, and was hired by Johnny Herrerra in 2011, using a 3 month holiday visa to stay in the states. He raced around the country with Herrerra from June through the end of August. While here, he bought a Wesmar, a frame and some parts to ship home to Australia where he could continue his own racing career back home.
2012 was Scott’s first year in a winged sprint car, where he ran twelve races; picking and choosing races that fit his schedule. He landed two feature wins in a 360; one at Murray Bridge Speedway and the second at Speedway City. Both tracks are located in his home state of South Australia.
Bogucki continued 2013 by racing his family-owned 360 locally in South Australia, where he won the 360 Mayor’s Cup race at Speedway City.
Hoping to gain more experience, he took on 2014 racing and crewing both. Scott raced a 360 at home where he had a successful season; winning six features and capturing the Australian Sprint Car All Stars series title. Bogucki also ran a few 410 money races including a win at the Sprint Car Masters. He met Troy and Tammy Renfro, as well as Kenny Woodruff while at Ostrich Racing Engines with Lee Nelson. All four have been instrumental in Scott’s ability to make racing in the states a possibility.
2015 brought Scott back to the states crewing with Donnie Cooper for Sammy Swindell. His goal was to get back behind the wheel, and Scott was able to get in eight races at Knoxville. His season ended abruptly when his engine blew up The World Challenge race at The Knoxville Nationals that year.
The following season of 2016 brought Bogucki back to weekly racing at Knoxville where he earned 10th in points and Rookie of the Year honors. This was a huge accomplishment for Scott, as he was the first ever Australian Rookie of the Year at Knoxville Raceway.
2017 wound down a long race season in which Bogucki came over to start racing ASCS in early winter. His race schedule allowed him to pick and choose between 360 and 410 races, however the season brought an onslaught of 410 engine problems. The majority of Bogucki’s season ended up being 360 focused as he had access to sponsor, Scottie McDonald’s 360 engine to run while the 410 continued to have engine repairs. Reflecting back upon 2017, Scott claimed that he’s had a season full of bad luck and was ready to see 2018 bring better success and less bad luck.
March of 2018 kicked off racing action at Devils Bowl, where Scott put on a strong showing for his debut on the National Tour. He snagged his first career ASCS National win at Devils Bowl in May. Consistency has been key as Bogucki aims to stay in the top ten of points with the ASCS. He has achieved that with four top 5 finishes, and twelve top 10 finishes in 28 ASCS National Tour starts. Another highlight on the season was going into Skagit Speedway’s Dirt Cup as high points driver, coming home with a podium finish of 2nd at Dirt Cup.
There are a lot of challenges to face when switch from a weekend driver to a Nationally touring driver. Money is of course, the biggest challenge. “It’s hard to keep a team going with the amount of money it takes to put a competitive team on the road week in and week out. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours driving and working on cars.” He says that finding consistency on the track is always a struggle. “We seem to be really good, or just average.” The addition of crewman, Dillion Paddock out of New York has been a huge asset to the Bogucki Motorsport program. Until this season, Scott has been on the road racing and working on all of his own cars; doing the maintenance and crewing on the cars, with only occasional help from friends.
Coming off a strong 360 Nationals, Scott achieved his first goal of the Nationals, which was to make the A main. Bogucki ultimately tangled with another car on a restart and was unable to complete the last five laps of the A Main, but brought home an 20th place finish. Preparing for his fourth Knoxville Nationals appearance, Scott is hoping at least to make the B Main with his Thursday night qualifying run. His highest finish at the Nationals was 5th in the C in the 410.
Bogucki plans to finish the National ASCS Tour after the Nationals, hit the last weekly show at Knoxville in the 410, and try to hit a few more 410 shows as they come up. He will then head back to Houston at the end of the ASCS tour to try to get ready for 2019 season to save time when he gets back in February. Plans for 2019 are still being discussed, the team will regroup and decide with partners will return, and whether the ASCS tour is feasible or not.
Scott is fortunate to have such a supportive family back in Australia; his dad, Stan; mom, Vicki; and sister, Emily loyally follow every race and make a trip to the states each summer to spend time on the road with Scott. His sponsor and good friend, Scottie McDonald has been an incredible support over the past few seasons as well.
Sponsors of the Bogucki Motorsports include Sawblade, Dissolvalloy, KW Motorsports, Jetco, LoneStar Metal Work, Denver Findley & Sons, and Ostrich Racing Engines, Rod End Supply, Weld Wheels, HRP Wings,
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