(Photo by Vince Vellella Photos)
Inside Line Promotions – SAPULPA, Okla. (Oct. 29, 2018) – Tony Bruce Jr. made the most of his decision to do double duty last Saturday during the John Christner Trucking Fall Fling at Creek County Speedway.
Bruce Jr. piloted a Team Eights midget during the Lucas Oil POWRi West Midget League portion of the show and he drove for Mike Hayashi during the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour presented by SawBlade.com competition at the bullring.
The best performance of the night came in the midget as Bruce Jr. maneuvered from sixth to win a heat race before advancing from sixth to third place in a qualifier. That ranked him second in overall points and lined him up on the outside of the front row for the A Main.
“That car just works really well,” he said. “Maybe it’s our lack of experience that helps because we don’t know how to mess things up. Our goal was to go out there and make some laps and make sure it’s ready for the upcoming indoor season. We surprised ourselves with how well the car handled.”
Bruce Jr. battled inside the top five throughout the feature before crossing the finish line third.
It was a little more of a struggle in the sprint car all night, Bruce Jr. noted.
“We were fighting with some issues all night long,” he said. “We were working on everything making sure we got it better and we did all night long. We were having an issue with the injection. In the qualifier I was leading it and the throttle stuck going into turn one. I was having to lift the pedal with my foot.”
Bruce Jr. advanced from seventh to fourth place in a heat race and he placed third in the qualifier after losing a pair of positions because of the stuck throttle. That relegated him to a B Main, which he won to transfer into the main event. Bruce Jr. capped the night with an 18th-place run.
“I felt like it wasn’t the result we were wanting, but at the same time we were fighting engine issues,” he said. “Just to put it in the show was an accomplishment. It was a new car and new motor I hadn’t run before and neither had Mike or his team. To go out there and put it in the show with great competition, I feel like we were on the right track.”
Bruce Jr. will return to action in the Team Eights midget on Dec. 15 at Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill., with the USAC P1 Insurance National Midgets.
QUICK RESULTS –
Oct. 27 – Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. (sprint car) – Heat race: 4 (7); Qualifier: 3 (2); B Main: 1 (1); Feature: 18 (17).
Oct. 27 – Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. (midget) – Heat race: 1 (6); Qualifier: 3 (6); Feature: 3 (2).
SEASON STATS –
31 races, 0 wins, 8 top fives, 17 top 10s, 21 top 15s, 25 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Dec. 15 at Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill., with the USAC P1 Insurance National Midgets
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.TonyBruceJr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyBruceJr
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Hinchman Racewear
With more than 80 years in the industry, Hinchman Racewear prides itself on safety, experience, innovation, quality and customer service. For more information on how Hinchman Racewear can protect you, visit http://www.HinchmanRacewear.com.
“When looking for safety and innovation, look no further than Hinchman Racewear,” Bruce Jr. said. “With great customer service and a passion for keeping drivers protected, it’s no wonder why they are the leaders in the custom suit industry. I choose Hinchman to keep me safe and I encourage all drivers to do the same.”
Bruce Jr. would also like to thank Briley Trucking, Lubbock Wrecker Service, Wheeler Metals, Eagle Motorsports, The Oil Medics, 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, Pressure Tek, Tiger Towing (Dave and Paula Debates), Sorrels Auto and Truck Parts (Mitchell Sorrels), Melvin Plumbing (Billy Melvin), Engler Machine & Tool, Inc., Maxim Chassis, Wulff Pumps, Miller Auto Supply and Jeff Smith Racing Engines 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 by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Oct 29, 2018
- Article Date: 10/29/2018 by Inside Line Promotions