Gio Bromante signs with NASCAR Driver David Gilliland’s Toyota Short Track Program

Three years ago, Giovanni Bromante was a young kid on a TruTV reality show racing karts across the country. Fast forward to the present-day and he’s already grown into a professional racecar driver who is sought after by the top teams in short track racing, the minor leagues and feeder divisions to NASCAR. As evidence of his hot prospect status, it was announced today that Bromante has signed with David Gilliland Racing to race a pro late model in their program for a select number of races in 2017.

 

Giovanni Bromante is no stranger to success in motorsports despite his relatively short career. At only 13 years of age, Bromante carries the swagger and résumé of a veteran on track and rightfully so. Bromante began racing karts when he was five years old in the parking lot of the Nassau Coliseum with a local karting club. Just two years later, he was a New York state champion in karting and rapidly ascending through the ranks.

 

After capturing multiple karting titles, Bromante moved up to Legends car racing in 2016. US Legend Cars are purpose-built racecars designed to look like racers from the 1950s but perform with some of today’s most technologically advanced parts and components. For the thousands of racers across the world who race those cars, the most prestigious event is the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In his debut year, Giovanni won 30% of the races and took home his division title.

 

At the end of 2016, Bromante tested a late model for the first time. Those in attendance were impressed with his natural ability and quickly scheduled a late-season race in Florida to see how Giovanni would fare in a true speed contest. Again, he impressed competitors and team members, prompting attention from many in the industry and soon thereafter caught the attention of David Gilliland Racing, the Toyota-backed short track racing program based just outside of Charlotte.

 

“DGR is very professional, one of the best teams in racing,” said Bromante. “I was very impressed by their shop. Right away, I knew it was where I belonged. I’m excited to have teammates who have done so well in their race careers and have experience I can draw from. I look forward to working with them and the entire DGR team.”

 

Team owner David Gilliland was equally as impressed excited to be working with Giovanni.

 

“We’re really excited to have this young, talented 13-year old driver join our development program for 2017,” he said. “J.R. and Performance Marketing Group have really turned us on to a high-caliber driver. We have a great race schedule that will allow Giovanni to race at many different race tracks this year to hone his natural talents behind the wheel.”

 

Entering its third full-time season in short track racing, David Gilliland Racing has quickly become one of the top teams in the sport as nurtured by second-generation NASCAR driver David Gilliland. DGR spawned the career of Todd Gilliland who set NASCAR records in 2016 for consecutive wins in NASCAR K&N Pro Series competition and is also the home to 2016 CARS Tour championship winning super late model driver Raphaël Lessard. Additionally, DGR fields cars for 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rookie of the Year Chase Purdy in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and various super late model events. The organization is officially affiliated with Toyota’s short track talent development program, presenting opportunities to drivers that other late model teams cannot offer.

 

Because of the team’s history of success, Bromante is optimistic about expectations for his rookie year in full size cars.

 

“The thing that really made me want to race with DGR was simply that they are great at what they do and have a very professional race team,” he said when asked about how the entire deal came together. “I’m honored they would welcome me to their team with the little amount of late model experience I have. But because of that, I have the expectation to learn a lot this year. My goal is to win at least one race and also learn much more about the team and how things work at this level.

 

“None of this would have been possible without Mr. Andrew Sandler from Sandler Capital Management in Manhattan,” Bromante continued, referencing one of his sponsors. “His amazing support and commitment to my career is second to none. My first trophy belongs to him because I have to thank him for allowing me to chase my dreams.”

 

Giovanni’s first race with David Gilliland Racing is tentatively scheduled to be the first “Show Me The Money Series” race at Montgomery Motor Speedway in Alabama on March 4. Bromante is expected to pilot the No. 98 Toyota pro late model for at least ten additional events this year with a formal schedule to be released in the coming weeks.

 

For more information about Giovanni Bromante, visit his website at GiovanniBromante.com, or follow him on Facebook (/GiovanniBromante), Twitter (@GioBromante) and Instagram (@GiovanniBromante77).