Most college students use senior year as a time to narrow their focus, complete final requirements and prepare for the transition into their careers. For senior Cole Bruce, his race to the finish line is not limited to crossing the graduation stage, but also in the professional racing world as well.
When he’s not on campus studying aircraft systems and flight procedures, Bruce is behind the wheel of a racecar. He has had opportunities to race legends like driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. while navigating seat-gripping speeds on the track.
Originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia, Bruce grew up surrounded by the racing world. His grandmother served as a scorekeeper for Dale Jarrett, a celebrated NASCAR driver and three-time Daytona 500 champion. That connection placed Bruce’s father, Robert, in the heart of racing culture. It wasn’t long before his father hit the road himself.
“I am a second-generation racer,” Bruce said. “My dad had been racing since the late 90s. I basically grew up around the racetrack and took onto that very quick. I started when I was eight.”
When Bruce’s father passed away from a sudden heart attack in the summer of 2025, the loss shook the family to its core. Not only was his father his biggest supporter, but also his primary inspiration for his emerging racing career.
“I would definitely say my father (is my greatest inspiration),” Bruce said. “I always took a lot of notes from him.”
Instead of stepping back, Bruce chose to honor his father in the way he knew best — by continuing to race.
“He was the main one who got me into racing,” Bruce said. “We were always doing it together as a family thing, instead of me going to somebody else and just showing up and driving. It’s just like a family operation that we do.”
As he balances racing and adjusting to a devastating life change, Bruce also studies at Liberty University’s School of Aeronautics. Unlike racing, his interest in aviation emerged much later in life, but the desire came about with equal intensity.
“Out of high school I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Bruce said. “My neighbor is a pilot for United. We were in my backyard talking one day and he asked me if I ever thought about going the aviation route.”
When Bruce began introductory flight lessons over the summer, he found that many of the skills he learned from the racetrack can be applied in his training to become a pilot.
“You’re being hands-on with something, and I can somewhat relate it to being in a (race)car, per se,” Bruce said. “You’re just controlling an object that’s testing the laws of physics, which is pretty sick.”
As he looks ahead to graduation, Bruce has ambitions to continue racing at increasingly competitive levels. At the same time, he plans to complete his training in aviation, with the goal of earning commercial pilot certifications. Whether in the cockpit or behind the wheel, Bruce sees a future that continues to blend technical skill with high-performance decision-making.
Like many students, Bruce knows the struggle of balancing extracurricular activities and academics. To continue racing in college, it truly takes a team. Back home, his support system motivates him to pursue his academics and racing career.
“Luckily I only live two and a half hours away, making it a lot easier to go back on weekends to go home or to go to the racetrack,” Bruce said.
This year, Bruce completed his races at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia. During the season, Bruce races at Langley Speedway full time, participating in multiple races per month. This may seem like an impossible feat for a busy aeronautics student, but Bruce credits much of his success to his family and support team.
Between fixing the car, scheduling out races or making phone calls with sponsors, his family and friends have truly stepped up to the plate.
“For me and our operation, it’s all family ties … they just do it because that’s what we love to do,” Bruce said. “I feel like the success, that feeling, is a lot more rewarding because you know you all put so much time and effort into it.”
As Bruce finishes the final lap of his collegiate career at Liberty, he hopes to continue to do what he loves and inspire the next generation of drivers.
“Don’t be intimidated,” Bruce said. “For someone who is not already in a racing family, it can be very intimidating. Talk with your local racers. Because at the end of the day, we are still competitors on the track, but we want to support each other off.”
For Bruce, his story has always been about more than racing. It is about legacy, family and carrying forward what his father instilled in him from the start. As he accelerates towards graduation, the checkered flag ahead doesn’t signify the end, but rather just the beginning of the next lap.
Long is a staff writer for the Liberty Champion.