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(Photo by Casey Jones)

Inside Line Promotions – DU QUOIN, Ill. (Dec. 19, 2017) – Tony Bruce Jr. made his first start in a midget in approximately 11 months last Saturday during the Junior Knepper 55.

“We don’t get to race the midget very often, but each time we do we gain on it,” he said. “We were pretty good to start the night and I was able to get back in the swing of things fairly quickly.”

Bruce Jr. guided his Team Eights entry from sixth to second place during a heat race inside the Southern Illinois Center, which hosted the USAC National Midget Series event. He then placed fourth after starting sixth in a qualifier to rank fifth in overall points out of more than 50 competitors.

“We put up a good result in the heat race and in the qualifier to lock ourselves into the A Main on points, which is the first goal,” he said. “I felt like we were in a good position. The main event was 55 laps and starting on the third row anything can happen.”

Bruce Jr. battled for a top five throughout the opening stage of the race before a couple of restarts bit him.

“We were really tight at the beginning of the race,” he said. “One of the things we’ve struggled with is not getting the car tight enough at the end of the race. We got really aggressive with the setup and honestly went too far. It was one of those deals where we were trying to learn.”

Bruce Jr. hung inside the top 10 until the final restart of the race with only a couple of laps remaining. He ended with an 11th-place result, which was his second-best finish in the event.

“We had someone run out of fuel in front of us and it bottled us up,” he said. “I was running seventh and got into the back of someone, which shoved us up the track. The results don’t show how good we were. We would like to have finished better in the main event, but we had a good night and learned more that we can apply at the Chili Bowl next month. That was our ultimate goal and I think we succeeded.”

Bruce Jr. will return to midget competition Jan. 9-13 at the Spirit River Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla., for the 32nd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

QUICK RESULTS –

Dec. 16 – Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill. – Heat race: 2 (6); Qualifier: 4 (6); Feature: 11 (5).

UP NEXT –

Jan. 9-13 at Spirit River Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla., for the 32nd annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

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, Wheeler Metals, Lubbock Wrecker Service, The Oil Medics, 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.