(Photo by Scott Frazier)
Inside Line Promotions – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 26, 2014) – Tony Bruce Jr. and his One 8 Motorsports team rebounded from a sour start during the 27th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals Presented by Hoosier Tires last weekend.
He kicked off the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour event at I-30 Speedway last Wednesday by competing in the Short Track Nationals Open, which featured 66 drivers at the quarter-mile oval.
Bruce Jr. advanced from seventh to fifth place in his heat race, but he finished 10th in a B Main.
“Wednesday night we were terrible,” he said. “I couldn’t get the car to get on the right rear and I had no forward bite. I was kind of nervous. We made some changes for our prelim night and we went in the right direction. We made changes to get some grip so we could get down the straightaways.”
The changes worked for the One 8 Motorsports team, which returned to I-30 Speedway on Friday for preliminary action. Unfortunately, luck was still lacking.
Bruce Jr. was sidelined midway through his heat race when the gear in the rear end broke. However, he later won a qualifier after starting on the pole and his combined points was enough to lock the One 8 Motorsports team into the feature.
“We were able to win the qualifier and lock us into the A Main starting 12th,” Bruce Jr. said. “For the way the track was, how wet it was, I felt like we actually had a really, really good car in the main event. We needed a couple of cautions. Any time a race goes green to checkered it’s hard to pass cars because everyone gets strung out at the beginning.”
Bruce Jr. advanced from 12th to eighth place during the feature, which was caution-free.
He capped the weekend at I-30 Speedway on Saturday.
“We didn’t really change much from Friday,” he said. “We started the night with the exact same setup. The car worked really well and we were fortunate enough to get a good draw.”
Bruce Jr. capitalized on drawing the pole position for a last chance qualifier, which he won. The points earned from that along with his preliminary night were enough to lock the One 8 Motorsports team into the 11th starting position for the $15,000-to-win, 40-lap feature.
“They reworked the track before the start of the main and we had to ride around until the track went away,” he said. “Once it did I felt like we had one of the best cars on the race track. Unfortunately I was feeling a little too good and pushed the issue too far. I got up too high and spun the car out.”
Bruce Jr. was running sixth with 11 laps remaining when he spun around in turn four.
“There were two cars battling in front of us side by side,” he said. “I thought I was going to be a hero and go out there and get two cars at the same time. If I’d been a little more patient, coming out with a top three was probably possible. I got in half a tire width too high and unfortunately it cost us.”
Bruce Jr. was forced to restart last following his spin. He picked up a handful of positions in the closing laps to finish 12th.
“There were still in the neighborhood of 50 cars who had to watch everybody race on Saturday,” he said. “We were fortunate to be one of the 20 who got in. It was a nice, successful weekend for us.”
Bruce Jr. will take this weekend off before competing in the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour’s Battle at the Border Nov. 7 at El Paso Speedway Park in El Paso, Texas, and Nov. 8 at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M.
QUICK RESULTS –
Oct. 22 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 5 (7); B Main: 10 (7).
Oct. 24 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: DNF (6); Qualifier: 1 (1); Feature: 8 (12).
Oct. 25 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Last chance qualifier: 1 (1); Feature: 12 (11).
SEASON STATS –
61 races, 4 wins, 16 top fives, 34 top 10s, 43 top 15s, 56 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Nov. 7 at El Paso Speedway Park in El Paso, Texas, and Nov. 8 at Southern New Mexico Speedway in Las Cruces, N.M., for the Battle at the Border 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 – Lubbock Wrecker Service
With locations in Lubbock and Synder, Texas, Lubbock Wrecker Service has more than 50 years of combined experience providing heavy duty, medium duty and light vehicle towing. For more information, visit http://www.LubbockWrecker.com.
“It’s an honor to be associated with Scott Brown and Lubbock Wrecker Service,” Bruce Jr. said. “They have been involved with racing for a long time and we are fortunate to have them on our team for the 2014 season.”
Bruce Jr. would also like to thank Wheeler Metals, Briley Trucking, The Oil Medics, 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 Oct 26, 2014
- Article Date: 10/26/2014 by Inside Line Promotions