Bruce Kessler

Bruce Michael Kessler (March 23, 1936 - April 4, 2024): An American racing driver who survived multiple near-fatal accidents before achieving greater fame as a prolific film and television director. Kessler's racing career began in the 1950s when he competed in sports car racing at the highest level, including prestigious endurance events. On March 22, 1958, he became class winner at the 12 Hours of Sebring driving a Ferrari 250 GT LWB, demonstrating his talent as a sports car racer. However, his racing career was marked by a series of terrifying accidents that would eventually force his retirement.

In 1958, Kessler suffered serious injuries in a fiery crash during the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Racing in the middle of the night in rain-soaked conditions, he crashed his Ferrari while co-driving with fellow American Dan Gurney. He was a team driver along with Chuck Daigh for the Scarab race cars built by his good friend Lance Reventlow in the late 1950s, representing American racing ambition during an era dominated by European manufacturers. A year after Le Mans, Kessler suffered another serious accident in Pomona, California, spending days in a coma.

Yet even this near-death experience did not deter him from racing. The final straw came in 1962 when he had yet another serious crash in Riverside, California. After this third major accident, Kessler made the wise decision to retire from motorsport. Returning to California, Kessler transitioned into film and television direction, where he found his true calling. One of his earliest efforts was directing a short film about the Scarab race car for Lance Reventlow called "The Sound of Speed.

" His directing credits became extensive and impressive, including work on popular series such as The Monkees, The Flying Nun, Mission: Impossible, It Takes a Thief, Marcus Welby M.D., The Rockford Files, McCloud, CHiPs, The Greatest American Hero, The A-Team, Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, Hunter, and Renegade. He also directed feature films including "Angels from Hell" (1968), "Killers Three" (1968), "The Gay Deceivers" (1969), and "Simon, King of the Witches" (1971), plus several made-for-television films.

Kessler's successful second career in entertainment far outlasted his racing days, proving that sometimes survival requires knowing when to walk away.