News

(Photo Courtesy of ASCS)

Inside Line Promotions – TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 22, 2015) – Tony Bruce Jr. summed up his first weekend of racing this season with the word “solid.”

Bruce Jr. and his One 8 Motorsports team overcame a mechanical issue on the opening night of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour tripleheader before powering to a pair of top 10s last weekend at East Bay Raceway Park for the Ronald Laney Memorial.

“I feel like we had a solid week,” he said. “Whenever there are 70 cars in the pit area you have to have a lot of things go your way and have a fast car at the same time. I felt like we had a top-10 car all weekend long.”

The event started on a sour note for Bruce Jr., who advanced from fourth to second place during a heat race last Thursday before a mechanical failure on the final lap didn’t allow him to finish the race. That relegated him to the tail of a B Main. Despite rallying from 17th to seventh, Bruce Jr. missed a transfer position and he was forced to use a provisional to start at the back of the 25-lap feature.

“We were fortunate to have a provisional, but we only finished 22nd because we had a water line issue,” he said. “We definitely dug ourselves a fairly deep hole going into the next night. We had to perform well on Friday after all of our mishaps on Thursday.”

The One 8 Motorsports team responded on Friday as Bruce Jr. maneuvered from fourth to win a heat race. That locked him into the feature and a trip to the feature redraw, where he pulled the No. 5 to line up on the inside of the third row for the main event.

“The race track took rubber quickly and you had to get in line,” he said. “For the guys in the back they could take chances, but up in the front everybody got in line and never got out of the rubber. It was a good solid top 10 though.”

Bruce Jr. earned a seventh-place result, which – combined with his overall points total from Thursday night – put him starting on the pole of a qualifier to start Saturday’s finale. He led from start to finish to lock himself into the feature starting on the outside of the fourth row.

“We were solid all night long,” he said. “We got tight toward the center to the end of the main event and couldn’t advance any further than seventh, but any time you can put yourself in the top 10, especially when there are 70 cars, that’s a good night. We put ourselves in the hunt.”

Bruce Jr. maintained a top 10 throughout the 40-lap, $10,000-to-win feature before ending seventh.

He will return to action with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour this Friday and Saturday at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.

“It’s going to be one of those deals where we’ll probably have 50 cars there,” he said. “We’ll have to do what we need to do when we get there. I’ve only been there once in my entire life. We’re going to have to be quick learners.”

QUICK RESULTS –

Feb. 19 – East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla. – Heat race: DNF (4); B Main: 7 (17); Feature: 22 (23).

Feb. 20 – East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla. – Heat race: 1 (4); Feature: 7 (5).

Feb. 21 – East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla. – Qualifier: 1 (1); Feature: 7 (8).

SEASON STATS –

3 races, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 2 top 10s, 2 top 15s, 2 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Friday and Saturday at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.TonyBruceJr.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyBruceJr

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.

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 2015 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 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.