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(Photo by Steve Eichelberger)

Inside Line Promotions – LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Oct. 16, 2017) – Tony Bruce Jr. scored his best Short Track Nationals finish since winning the marquee event in 2009 last Saturday when I-30 Speedway hosted the 30th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires.

Bruce Jr. guided the Smith Family No. 86 to a podium finish on Thursday during preliminary action before he finished fifth on Saturday in the ASCS Mid-South Region event finale.

“Having won the race before it’s something that I want to do again, but at the same time if you take a step back and look at the fact that we ran top three on a prelim night and got locked in and we were able to have a strong run and get a top five on Saturday, at the end of the day it was a pretty successful weekend,” he said.

The event began on Thursday with Bruce Jr. advancing from fourth to second place in both a heat race and a qualifier. That ranked fourth most out of the 70-plus competitors and lined him up on the outside of the second row for the 25-lap main event.

“We fell back at the beginning,” he said. “We fell back to eighth within the first five or six laps. As the race went on the car really came around and I was able to make some good moves and get to a lock-in spot. The longer we went the better we got. Everybody else moved up the track to get faster and I moved down to get faster. In turns three and four I was able to work the top getting in and turn down to come off the bottom on the exit. That was where I was making up my ground.”

Bruce Jr. rebounded from the slow start to climb back into the top five as the laps began to wind down. He was running fourth when the white flag was waved.

“I knew we were close (to one of the three lock-in positions to Saturday),” he said. “I didn’t know if that was the final lock-in spot in front of me. I knew the more cars I got the better chances we had. Aaron Reutzel saw me coming out of turn two. He dove in and ran to the bottom in turn three. I was able to open up my entrance. I turned it down and it stuck so well. I had such a great run. Everything played out perfect. He slipped off the bottom and left me just enough room.”

Bruce Jr. made a last-lap pass to score the third-place finish, which locked him into the dash on Saturday.

“It makes the rest of the weekend a lot less stressful,” he said. “We were focused in on trying to make sure we had a good car. We had a great car through hot laps, the dash and the feature. We just came up a little short. Everybody in the top five was just fast.”

Bruce Jr. placed fifth in the dash to start fifth for the main event. He battled for a top five throughout the 40-lap main event before ending fifth, which was his 11th top five of the season and third straight top five.

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 12 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Heat race: 2 (4); Qualifier: 2 (4); Feature: 3 (4).

Oct. 14 – I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark. – Dash: 5 (3); Feature: 5 (5).

SEASON STATS –

25 races, 1 win, 11 top fives, 17 top 10s, 23 top 15s, 24 top 20s

UP NEXT –

TBD

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.TonyBruceJr.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyBruceJr

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Wheeler Metals

Established in 1968, Wheeler Metals is a sheet metal business that offers a variety of products for professional and amateur builders. Wheeler Metals has three locations in Muskogee, Okla., Rogers, Ark., and Springfield, Mo. For more information, visit http://www.WheelerMetals.com.

“When I moved to the Tulsa area a few years back we built a brand new shop,” Bruce Jr. said. “We always strive as a race team to find the best products for the situation and that was no different selecting the company to build our building. Wheeler Metals was the perfect fit for our needs. From 10x10 pole barns to 100x100 full metal buildings, they have it all. I challenge anyone to find a building company that will work the customers’ needs like they do.”

Bruce Jr. would also like to thank Briley Trucking, Lubbock Wrecker Service, 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, 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.