Here at AFR, we are constantly asking ourselves, what does the future of E.T. bracket racing look like? With EV registrations surging worldwide in 2020 and agencies like the EPA penalizing individuals who install aftermarket parts on their OEM vehicles, we have to question the uncertainty of our great American pastime. One thing we do know is, we aren’t going anywhere and neither is Gage Burch.
Gage has been described by many as the “future” of big money bracket racing after pocketing the sport’s biggest purse to date of 525K dollars at just 19 years old. Unlike many of his competitors that have real nine to five jobs that support their racing habit, Gage is a full-time student at the State College of Florida, so he relies heavily on his ability to focus round after round and on the companies that continue to support his race program.
“I’ve run AFR heads for three years now and they take my Mustang to the next level. I have put over 2,700 runs on these heads without servicing them. Which isn’t something I recommend doing but just goes to show how strong and reliable AFR’s product is,” laughed Gage. “Everywhere I go I’m usually double entered and I end up making around 900 runs a year down the track, not once have I ever doubted my AFR cylinder heads. The power and consistency that AFR heads provide is a huge contribution to my success on the track.”
Burch, a 21-year-old from Palmetto, Florida, has been hooked on drag racing from an early age and says his biggest influence and mentors have been his parents.
“It’s hard for me to just name one because I have so many people who help me out. But it would have to be my parents. They were racing long before I was born and stopped their racing program to take me all over the country racing juniors when I was a kid. I’m still thankful for that to this day.”
BJ Bianchi is another mentor who’s helped Gage tremendously. “He built the Mustang that I drive now, and he’s also my engine builder. He’s there for anything on and off the track that I need and has taught me so many things along the way.”
Gage looks to keep the early season success rolling into the second half of the season. “There’s going be millions of dollars up for grabs this year. With the help of my amazing sponsors we can hopefully make it to every one of these big-money races this year” says Burch.
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