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Following in her Father’s Footsteps, Kody Brusso Looks to Leave Mark at Five Flags in New Outlaw Stock Class

By Chuck Corder

Kody Brusso remembers the moment racing rushed back into her life. That is, if it ever truly left.

See, the 24-year-old daughter of Donnie Brusso, a former local late model hotshoe, grew up in and around the family business. Kody Brusso raced go-karts from ages 4 to 11 when she decided to chase other passions, such as riding sorting horses and playing basketball.

After finishing playing a few years of college basketball at a small, south Georgia school, Kody Brusso returned to her native Pensacola where her father awaited with a simple message: “We’re going to race.â€?

“OK, load it up!â€? Kody Brusso said needing little convincing.

She made up for lost time rather quickly, winning the 2015 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state title of Louisiana.

This year, the younger Brusso is hoping to leave her mark at Five Flags Speedway, the same track where her father left his years ago.

Kody Brusso is a part of the new Faith Chapel Outlaw Stock series, which makes its Pensacola debut on a special Sunday afternoon of racing.

“(The sport) runs in my blood,� Kody Brusso said. “It’s cliché, but true. I’ve been around it forever.�

Festivities kick off at 2 p.m. Sunday when the Beef “O� Brady’s Pro Trucks officially christen the 2017 racing season at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

The Dock on Pensacola Beach Sportsmen and the newly-branded Lloyd’s Glass Pure Stocks join the Opening Day lineup. The season opener also marks Fan Appreciation Day, meaning all fans get through the gates for a pocketbook-friendly $5 (kids 5 and under are free).

After nearly a decade away from racing, most figured Kody Brusso would have a hard time knocking the rust off. But the West Florida High graduate experienced relatively few growing pains in 2013 when she finished second in the points for Pro Late Models at Revolution Park Racing and Entertainment Complex in Monroe, La.

“We started racing up (in Monroe) because, at the time, Five Flags was only running 100-lap Pro Late Model races,� Kody Brusso said, “and it was hard for somebody starting out to learn. Up there it was twin 25s. If we learned something about the car in the first race, we could make changes for the second.�

A year later, in 2014, she was hoisting not only the track championship at Revolution, but also a prestigious NASCAR Whelen Louisiana state crown.

Kody Brusso knows her time in “Fun-roe� was a chance to prove she belonged before trying to attack the beast that is Pensacola’s high banks. She has just one career race at Five Flags, a PLM event in June 2015.

“Monroe was all about seat time,� she said. “We went up there with a mission to learn and that’s what we did. That’s what a lotta people don’t know. Somebody starting out can’t be expected to learn on the fly against the country’s best late model drivers here in Pensacola. We cut our teeth and earned our stripes in Monroe.�

Papa couldn’t have been any prouder of seeing his girl rake in such prestigious accolades. Kody is Donnie and Debra Brusso’s only child.

“That was neat for me because it’s in the history books,� Donnie Brusso said. “It’s something to tell her kids and grandkids.

“She’ll be steady in the Outlaw Stock division at Five Flags this season, just watch.�

Behind the strength of her close-knit family, Kody Brusso is optimistic about this season. Even if she is having a hard time suppressing her emotions for Sunday’s debut.

“I had a spotter once tell me: If you’re getting ready to race, and you don’t get butterflies in your belly, then the sport is not fun for you anymore,� Kody Brusso said. “I’m definitely excited. I don’t know what it’s going to be like. Different rules, different class, different tires — we’re gonna have to learn all of that. You’ve gotta learn every day. If you’re not learning, then maybe that’s another reason to quit.�

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