Bruce Kessler

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Bruce Kessler
Formula One Career
Nationality	American
Active years	1958
Team(s)	privateer Connaught
Grands Prix	1
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First Grand Prix	1958 Monaco Grand Prix


Last Grand Prix	1958 Monaco Grand Prix

Bruce Kessler (b. March 23, 1936) is a former racing driver from the USA. He entered one World Championship Formula One Grand Prix (Monaco 1958) with a Connaught owned by Bernie Ecclestone, but failed to qualify, although he posted the 21st fastest time of the 28 entrants.

Kessler grew up in Beverly Hills, California. He was the son of the Rose Marie Ried Clothing designer. In the early 50s he started racing his own Jaguar XK120 in the Sport Car Club of America races at sixteen years old. He raced the road race courses such as Paramount Ranch and Willow Springs in California. He was a team driver along with Chuck Daigh for the Scarab race cars built by his good friend Lance Reventlow in the late 50s.

The Scarabs won the International Grand Prix at Riverside, California beating the famous driver Phil Hill and the Ferrari team. Kessler was invited to Europe to drive at Le Mans. After a serious crash in the rain in the dark, he spent days in a coma. Soon after he retired from racing.

Kessler came back to California and became a film director. He directed many TV movies and TV series. One of his earliest efforts was a short film he directed on the Scarab race car for his friend Lance Reventlow called "The Sound of Speed". Kessler loved boats and sport fishing. He built a large fishing yacht, and is now retired in Florida.

Bruce Kessler was also a world class skeet and trap shooter.