Bobby Santos III
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bobby" Santos III (born October 3, 1985 in Massachusetts
) is an American racecar driver from Franklin, Massachusetts. He graduated in 2004 from Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School
. Santos, nicknamed "Bobby New England", is the grandson of Bobby Santos, a former modified
racer. His sister, Erica Santos, is also a racecar driver. He is the cousin of former University of New Hampshire
quarterback Ricky Santos
.
. He raced in the Northeastern Midget Association, USAC
, PRA Big Car, and ISMA
. He had the most wins of any driver in the USAC National Midget Tour in 2006, collecting five wins, including a win at O'Reilly Raceway Park on the Night Before the 500. He was signed to Bill Davis Racing
.
for Bill Davis Racing in the #02 Dodge
. He started 10th and finished 6th. Bobby returned to ARCA in 2007 for Bill Davis, now in a Toyota Camry
. He won Toyota's first stock car pole at USA International Speedway
in Lakeland, Florida
. While leading the race, he was involved in an incident with a lapped car and did not finish. He returned at Nashville Superspeedway
, but had a mid-pack run. At Kansas Speedway
, Bobby started second, but a blown engine relegated him to another DNF. Santos broke his dry spell at Kentucky Speedway
when he started fourth and finished third, behind Erik Darnell
and Erin Crocker
. Santos placed third in the next race at Kentucky, as well. The third generation racer won a pole at Pocono Raceway
in early August and qualified fifth at Talladega Superspeedway
, but was unable to back up either with a strong finish.
for the new Riley D'Hondt Motorsports
team. He qualified seventh in his #91 Toyota, but faded back to a thirtieth-place finish after running in the top 10 for the beginning of the race. He also qualified fourth for the Camping World 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and was running in the top 10 before being hit by a lapped car. He ran two additional races for RDHM, but did not finish better than 30th.
Santos has also participated in the Whelen Modified Tour
, collecting his first two wins at Thompson International Speedway
in October 2007, and the Ice Breaker, also at Thompson International Speedway
, in April 2010. He parlayed his season-opening Icebreaker win into the 2010 Whelen Modified Tour
championship, collecting a total of four wins and four poles on the season.
and Copper World Classic.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) is an American racecar driver from Franklin, Massachusetts. He graduated in 2004 from Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School
Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School
Tri-County is a technical high school in Franklin, Massachusetts. After the 2010-11 school year Barbara Renzoni retired after five years as superintendent. The school committee named Stephen Dockray, formerly the district's business manager, as the next superintendent.-Towns in District:As a...
. Santos, nicknamed "Bobby New England", is the grandson of Bobby Santos, a former modified
Modified racing
Modified stock car racing, also known as Modified racing or simply Modified, is one of the oldest types of racing in the United States, dating back to the days of the post-World War II coupes. The name for modified racing cars come from the fact that they are not stock but, rather, modified...
racer. His sister, Erica Santos, is also a racecar driver. He is the cousin of former University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
quarterback Ricky Santos
Ricky Santos
Ricky Santos is an American Canadian football quarterback for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
.
Early career
Before stock cars, Santos was a successful midget racerMidget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
. He raced in the Northeastern Midget Association, USAC
United States Automobile Club
The United States Auto Club is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500...
, PRA Big Car, and ISMA
ISMA
ISMA can refer to:* The Ikatan Siswazah Muslim Malaysia, a Malaysian NGO* The Information Systems Management Architecture* The International Securities Market Association* The International Security Managers Association...
. He had the most wins of any driver in the USAC National Midget Tour in 2006, collecting five wins, including a win at O'Reilly Raceway Park on the Night Before the 500. He was signed to Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in both the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series since 2007. Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac previously backed the team...
.
ARCA career
In 2006, Santos made his stock car debut at Iowa SpeedwayIowa Speedway
Iowa Speedway is a 7/8-mile paved oval motor racing track in Newton, Iowa, United States, approximately east of Des Moines. The track was designed with influence from Rusty Wallace and patterned after Richmond International Raceway, a short track where Wallace was very successful...
for Bill Davis Racing in the #02 Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
. He started 10th and finished 6th. Bobby returned to ARCA in 2007 for Bill Davis, now in a Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
. He won Toyota's first stock car pole at USA International Speedway
USA International Speedway
The USA International Speedway was an oval located near Lakeland, Florida, United States, that opened in 1995. The track was a .75-mile-long concrete paved oval with 14° banked turns. The USAR Pro Cup Series had a race at the speedway in early March, and the final championship race in mid to late...
in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
. While leading the race, he was involved in an incident with a lapped car and did not finish. He returned at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
, but had a mid-pack run. At Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
, Bobby started second, but a blown engine relegated him to another DNF. Santos broke his dry spell at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
when he started fourth and finished third, behind Erik Darnell
Erik Darnell
Erik Darnell is an American stock car racing driver, c He is the grandson of former USAC and NASCAR driver Bay Darnell, who also started three NASCAR races for Holman Moody...
and Erin Crocker
Erin Crocker
Erin Mary Crocker Evernham is an American race car driver. She drove the #98 Gillett Evernham Motorsports owned Dodge Charger in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. In the past, she played soccer, tennis, and varsity lacrosse on both her high school and college teams...
. Santos placed third in the next race at Kentucky, as well. The third generation racer won a pole at Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
in early August and qualified fifth at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
, but was unable to back up either with a strong finish.
NASCAR career
In 2007, Santos made his NASCAR Busch Series debut at Richmond International RacewayRichmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
for the new Riley D'Hondt Motorsports
Riley D'Hondt Motorsports
D'Hondt Humphrey Motorsports is a NASCAR Nationwide Series and ARCA team owned by Eddie D'Hondt and Randy Humphrey. The team will field the #90 car for Danny O'Quinn, Jr. and the #91 car for David Gilliland beginning in 2010.- NASCAR :...
team. He qualified seventh in his #91 Toyota, but faded back to a thirtieth-place finish after running in the top 10 for the beginning of the race. He also qualified fourth for the Camping World 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and was running in the top 10 before being hit by a lapped car. He ran two additional races for RDHM, but did not finish better than 30th.
Santos has also participated in the Whelen Modified Tour
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
, collecting his first two wins at Thompson International Speedway
Thompson International Speedway
Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Connecticut, USA, is a paved oval racetrack that was once known as the Indianapolis of the East. It was the first asphalt-paved racing oval track in the United States and is now under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banner...
in October 2007, and the Ice Breaker, also at Thompson International Speedway
Thompson International Speedway
Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Connecticut, USA, is a paved oval racetrack that was once known as the Indianapolis of the East. It was the first asphalt-paved racing oval track in the United States and is now under the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series banner...
, in April 2010. He parlayed his season-opening Icebreaker win into the 2010 Whelen Modified Tour
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
championship, collecting a total of four wins and four poles on the season.
Current career
After his stint in stock car racing, Santos returned to his roots, racing limited schedules in all three USAC divisions and the full Whelen Modified Tour for Bob Garbarino's Mystic Missile Racing team. Santos also made select appearances in the NEMA ranks in 2009. Santos' post-NASCAR career has been highlighted by wins in many of the nation's largest midget races, including the Turkey Night Grand PrixTurkey Night Grand Prix
The Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It has been held on Thanksgiving night most years since 1934. It is currently held in Irwindale, California.-Drivers:The event is considered a major event in the midget cars series...
and Copper World Classic.