(Photo by Bryan Hulbert Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 14, 2014) – Tony Bruce Jr. rebounded from a sour start during the Port-A-Cool U.S. Dirt Track Championship last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
“The first night was kind of rough,” he said. “We got upside down on the start of the heat race. Obviously when you do something like that it’s an uphill battle from there.”
Bruce Jr. was unable to finish his Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour heat race on Friday at the fast track following the opening-lap flip. That relegated him to the back of a B Main. However, he finished seventh in the consolation race and was forced to use a provisional to start last in the main event.
“We just really never got going,” he said. “I was in conserve mode after tearing up stuff in the heat. The main goal after taking a provisional is to finish. Everybody was pretty much wide open. If you started up front it was definitely a gift.”
Bruce Jr. rallied from 23rd to a 15th-place result.
His One 8 Motorsports team returned to Texas Motor Speedway for the finale on Saturday, when the action kicked off with Bruce Jr. winning his heat race after starting on the outside of the front row. That earned him enough points to advance into the feature redraw and he pulled the No. 4 in the random redraw to start the main event on the outside of the second row.
“I was running third for the longest time,” he said. “I was gaining ground on the leaders. About that time it took rubber on the bottom of the track. I hadn’t really set up for rubber. I got too tight and couldn’t stay in it. It was really frustrating that we had such a good car when the race track was nice and slick and as soon as the rubber came I couldn’t stay in it at all.”
Bruce Jr. lost a handful of positions in the closing laps to finish 10th. It marked his 28th top 10 of the season.
He is slated to race this Friday and Saturday with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., for the Midwest Fall Brawl. If any driver sweeps the doubleheader he or she earns a $50,000 bonus.
“Hopefully we get there and get some good points in the heat race,” he said. “That’s going to mean everything in how you get set up for the A Main. We’re really looking forward to going up there. Hopefully we’ll be able to contend for the big money.”
Bruce Jr. finished fifth in his most recent race at the high-banked track.
QUICK RESULTS –
Sept. 12 – Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas – Heat race: DNF (8); B Main: 7 (10); Feature: 15 (23).
Sept. 13 – Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas – Heat race: 1 (2); Feature: 10 (4).
SEASON STATS –
51 races, 3 wins, 13 top fives, 28 top 10s, 35 top 15s, 47 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday and Saturday at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb., for the Midwest Fall Brawl with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour
LIVE COVERAGE –
To keep up to speed with Bruce Jr. at every Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event, visit http://www.RacinBoys.com for free, live audio. Additionally, RacinBoys will provide live Pay-Per-View video at select races.
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.TonyBruceJr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyBruceJr
VIDEO –
Here is a link of Bruce Jr. at the Front Row Challenge and 360 Knoxville Nationals in August thanks to FinishLine Studios: http://youtu.be/380-i0vVgG8
Click on the link for a video by Thriller Productions that highlights Bruce Jr.’s Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour triumph at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on March 21: http://vimeo.com/89899519
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – The Oil Medics
Located in Fort Worth, Texas, The Oil Medics services diesel trucks and distributes racing oil for sprint car engines and rear ends. For more information, visit http://www.TheOilMedics.com.
“Bill and the entire Jewell family have been more than just a great sponsor, but also great friends,” Bruce Jr. said. “They specialize in truck maintenance and fuel economy, which has saved us hundreds of dollars the past couple of years in diesel fuel.”
Bruce Jr. would also like to thank Lubbock Wrecker Service, Wheeler Metals, Briley Trucking, Hinchman Racewear, Eagle Motorsports, Smiley’s Racing Products, SWE, Maxwell Industries, Moss Racing Engines, FK Rod Ends, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Factory Kahne Shocks, DriverWebsites.com, RacinBoys.com, Wilwood, Schoenfeld Headers, Hoosier Racing Tires, HRP, Kaeding Performance, Schaeffer Oil, Fuel Safe, Bell Helmets, Four Seasons Radiator, Southern Trailer Works, KSE, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Weld Wheels, ISC Racers Tape and Pressure Tek for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program and to join Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or InsideLinePromotions@gmail.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Sep 14, 2014
- Article Date: 9/14/2014 by Inside Line Promotions