Tributes to LooseBruce and DSS3

[kickingzebra]

I got the GSXR and started visiting the track, every moment I could. Darryl and Bruce were always having some drama in the pits, gennys seizing, excessive clutch wear, broken bits, rape tape...
As I got into racing, both of them have been a huge encouragement. There are too many moments to write, but the one that stands out...

Clubmans A, Manfield, my second race ever, I had picked up 9 seconds, and they were stoked for me, so much so, that even though you can be bloody busy in the pits, and their F1 race wasn't far off, they were both out watching the mangy clubmans races. I crashed and Mikey crashed, and those two were sitting in the pitlane, when I came in on the trailer, clapping and cheering.
I felt like an honourary team muppet member.

Later they both said how great it was to see, and that they looked forward to me getting fast, but not too fast!

Darryl went out of his way to hook me up with my race fairings, tank etc.

Bruce was always in with some encouragement and advice or other.

They were both so friendly and approachable. Darryl stopped on a race day, to teach me how to use tyre warmers.

My only regret is not spending more time with the boys.

It is with great fondness and regret that I think of them, and a part of them will always travel with me.

Much love and respect.

Jonno

[Xtat1k]

My thoughts go out to the families and friends of these guys. Sorry to hear about this only now, My condolences to you all.

[EZAS]

Bruce was the only person I have meet on this forum and I have been singing his praise ever since I meet him.

My bike got dropped last year and I did a quick post up about, I then get this Private message from Bruce (who I've never meet before) saying this:

Hey mate shitty luck with ya bike n all aye.

On a side note if you can get your rearset (footpeg) bracket too me i can get it welded back up for ya (free) and if your rear brake pedal is broke chances are i jimmy that up to work again too, new lever and that will get ya riding again for next to nothing.

Catch ya

Bruce
In the PM he gave me his cellphone number. I was like WTF .. is this guy serious? Surely not.

SO I gave him a call, we txt back and forth, he tells me to bring the bracket to him, however, I've never used a spanner, so I take the whole bike out west to him.
"look for big arse Hell Pizza hearse" .. once we're out there, he pops open the garage and HOLY SHIT ... this guy has a supra in the garage, along with a TL and the remains of what appears to be a 250 frame, with a Hearse out the front. We then found out he ran a Hells Pizza as well, This guy is my idol!!
Next thing I know he's telling us about his crash out Kaiawa and shows us the remains of his old plate - "I was whipping there ass' too". Tells me about when he patched up the TL with multi coloured fairings and had everyone laugh at him at Pukekohe. I had to ask it - "whats your fastest time round Puke" ... his time still shocks me (very fast time to say the least).

He also told us about how he came flying in to over take some english guy who came over on ducati. He was so keen to over take this guy he pushed it abit to hard into the corner and ended up broadsiding around the outside of him, only to have him look at him in a "WTF do you think your doing?" kind of look.

I asked him what the GSXR fairing's were for. "I think I'm the only person who has ever blown a GSXR1000 engine", OK he's definitely "loose".

I was abit embarrased due to my lack of mechanical skill, not that Bruce made any point of it. He took the bracket off for me and then shot off to Manakau to get it welded up. He advised me that he refused to take any $$ for it.
We got back and he had fixed the bracket back up for me, I advised that I couldn't find an alcohol store as some form of payment, "I don't drink anyways" he replied, I actually had to force him to take $20. I've never had such a hard job trying to pay someone before.

Bruce advised me it was just a temp fix and to get a replacement ASAP, I got a replacement but one year on the weld is still holding strong.

Since the day I meet Bruce I have spread the word of this crazy Westie that crashed popping a wheelie at 180k, that welded up my bike for free, that blew a gixxer engine, that had a hearse out the front. I only wish I had been able to ride with Bruce, due to me not being able to hold a liscence longer than 6 months I never had the chance too.

LooseBruce, my Hero and a legend. RIP

[Two Smoker]

Another daryl story... Daryl took his bike down to rowing, had put his race bike back on the road by simply putting on a side stand.... His rowing mates didnt know much about bikes, they were like "DO A BURNOUT" Daryl replies with "tyres are too expensive, How about i pull a wheelie???" So thinking its easy to pop a wheelie up hill, he does one up a one way street the wrong way... Ofcourse being murphys law, a car started coming down the other way... What does daryl do??? Move to the side of the road on one wheel leaving enough room for himself and the car to pass while he was on the back wheel hehehe classic...

[R6_kid:Me]

Another daryl story... Daryl took his bike down to rowing, had put his race bike back on the road by simply putting on a side stand.... His rowing mates didnt know much about bikes, they were like "DO A BURNOUT" Daryl replies with "tyres are too expensive, How about i pull a wheelie???" So thinking its easy to pop a wheelie up hill, he does one up a one way street the wrong way... Ofcourse being murphys law, a car started coming down the other way... What does daryl do??? Move to the side of the road on one wheel leaving enough room for himself and the car to pass while he was on the back wheel hehehe classic...

fark yeh bro!

[adiddy]

I would just like to say a big thank you to all that were involved on saturday, with regret I did not come on the ride with Bruce. I cannot list the names of those that have helped me over the last few days as it is too momentus, but to Jen, Aaron, Sue, Jimmy, Jill, Ray, Andy, Shane (and Megan) and Sudeep, thank you.

Thank you all who have posted and for all the well wishes i have received via email, txt and phone, I will be organising with Bruce's family a gathering in Auckland for those who wish to celebrate his life in the next few weeks.

the support from the SB and KB community has blown me away, all I can say is thank you very much. Both Bruce and Daryl are a terrible loss to us all but they leave us with incredible memories and stories as they have touched so many people.


Bruce was and will forever be in my heart, my pegs are down for ya hun.
You made my life complete. Love you always.
on your favorite bit of road, I know you were happy.
Love you,
Nicki xx

it would be awesome if u kuld organise a gathering ...

Aaron

[DemonWolf]

RIP Loosebruse and DSS3

I never had the opportunity to meet either, but they both have offered so much advice on the TL that I have so much respect for both. They will be missed dearly.

Thoughts go out to friends and family.

[Hoon]

Arrived back in NZ yesterday to find this out.... so tragic. Both Bruce and Daryl were great guys and racers with so much potential. Now they've gone I wish I'd spent more time with them. I envied them both for giving it 100%, jumping straight into F1 and giving the big boys the hurry up, succeeding where many fail and just at the start of successful racing careers. They were also great characters and provided a lot of conversation and amusement. Race meets won't be the same without them.

[Lazy7]

I never got the chance to meet Bruce. But out of nowhere I received this from him via PM one day. I had been bitching about not being able to get a handle on my bike. His offer of help came came unrequested.

I really regret not taking up the offer. He sounds like the kind of guy I would have respected and really enjoyed the company of.

Hey Mate

Kinda reading through your thread etc about learning to ride etc, if you're thinking of doing a track day try and hook up with someone who knows there shit, i don't know if you're going this Saturday to puke, i'm not i have to work now, damn, but next Saturday i'm planning on going (15th i think) if you want to come along i'll be happy to help you out, i need at least 2 sessions to start dialing my new bike in before racing, but am happy to spend a couple with you to offer advice, lines, body positioning etc etc..
I can ride the first with you and then answer any queries and give you some tips for the next two sessions, then in the 4th ride with you again and show you things you've improved and can improve any problems you're still having etc.
The good thing about the track is you can take alot of the confidence away and applie it to road use as well.

Next Saturday might be a better go as well as there'd most likely be less bikes out with all the KBers' doing this weekend, which is good in my books dodgeing ZZR250's plodding along at 160kph down the back straight whuile you're over 300km on a GSXR1000 gets fun, scary fun lol.

Let me know mate, if not no biggie, but if you get out on the track try and buddy up with someone to help out.

Later

Bruce

[Loosebrucesfamily]

bruces little sister jenie here
on behalf of our parents peggy and steve id like to thank everyone for their messages of support it is so nice to be reading all these stories about bruce and how much he was loved and respected within the motorbiking family, we are so sorry for everyones loss. i could not have asked for a better brother, growing up with him was awesome he never once told me get lost (as many other big bros did to their little sisters) he was more than happy for me to tag along on his escapades and get us into mischief, of course always involving something with wheels and him trying to make whatever we were playing with go faster!
(including supermarket trollies being tied to the backs of cars lol!!!) fantastic fun times i will never ever forget! thanks bro!
our parents are devastated as i am to and we have been experiencing many tears and laughter reading your stories
we will be organising a few memorials over the next year to be held in auckland and hopefully taupo for both bruce and daryl i will make sure when i know the details that they will be posted on this website
i just want to thank all of bruces friends that have spent time with our family over the last few days you are all awesome guys
bruce we love you so much and you will be missed dearly thank you for all the good times i hope you and daryl are having a choice time and going as fast as ever and pulling the most spetacular wheelies where ever you are!

RIP loosebruce and dss3 xoxoxo

[Ultrapix]

I only met Bruce a few times, but like most of you have said, was well impressed with the guy. It's always interesting to find out about how people get into racing. There's usually some big long story about starting out in 125's, then 250's for a season, punting a dog 600 around for a few more years and then possibly, finally, making it into Superbikes. So a bit of a surprise when Bruce said he'd been riding on the road for a while, and just plain decided to go racing Superbikes. That's really cool, and I really admired that concentrated determination and self belief. Also the skill he possessed to jump in perform at that level with relatively little race experience.

And then he let slip about how he was working two fulltime jobs, (and studying as well?) all to make these racing goals come true.

It's bound to be of little comfort to those close to him, but at least Bruce was really living his life. Working hard and making his goals happen; I don't think anyone can ask for much more than that out of a guy. We need more like him around, but sadly we have one less. But it sounds like his spirit has touched and hopefully inspired everyone who knew him, and in that way we can hopefully catch glimpses of him in others around us.

[slowpoke]

I hardly knew these two great guys, just enough to say "G'day" really.
I hadn't been back in the country that long when I signed up for a KB Track day and with out a word of a lie after reading their posts and never meeting/seeing them before I instantly knew who they were when I saw them in action. If you've met them you'll know what I mean.
One of my memories from that day was Darryl dropping his bike, and coming back into the pits he did a nice high stoppie, bringing it crashing down to clear the dirt and grass caught in his bike. He pulled into the Team Muppet bay where someone points back down to where he did the stoppie and Darryl just shrugs his shoulders as though to say "How else would you clean up your bike?"
I'm hopeless when it comes to meeting people I admire...I tend to retreat into my shell like a wussy kid even though I'm frikkin' 40 years old. I'm kicking myself that I didn't just walk up and say g'day a lot earlier.

[adiddy]

Last Saturday I rode to kawakawa, where Darryl was born (according to his mother) and i felt a real sickening feeling even though i had not known the news, I wanted to leave and go home... This may be a coincidence however I think tht someone was trying to tell me something even though i had never met Darryl in the flesh....

As for Bruce, on my way home from Kawakawa I was taking off from Warkworth and I dont know how or whatr extraordinary thing I did but it was a decent wheelie!!! I feel these guys were helping me out and have only really just clicked .

RIP MEN, thinking of those at Bruces at the moment... will start my bike up at 2pm in 20 minutes

Adiddy/Aaron

[Maha]

Just been reading a Two page thread started by Darrly, and the 2nd to last post was from UncleB and the last post was from LooseBruce....mmmmmm.

[R1madness]