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(Photo by TeeJay Crawford)

Inside Line Promotions – CALIFORNIA, Mo. (July 3, 2018) – Tony Bruce Jr. earned a trio of top-10 finishes last weekend in Missouri during an ASCS Warrior Region tripleheader.

The action began on Friday at Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, where Bruce Jr. and the Smith Family No. 86 sprint car advanced from third to second place during a heat race. That garnered a spot into the feature redraw. Bruce Jr. pulled the No. 2 to start the 25-lap A Main on the outside of the front row.

“Toward the end of the race we started to get a little loose coming out of turn two,” he said. “We got slid for the lead in turns three and four. I turned back underneath him and we drove down the frontstretch side by side. We got chopped getting into turn one. I lifted to not run into anyone or the guardrail. We still made contact and it knocked the right front down. We had to go to the work area to get it fixed. At the end of the day he didn’t do anything I wouldn’t have done. It was two guys going for a win and unfortunately we came out on the wrong end of it.”

Bruce Jr., who led the first 23 laps of the race, ended the night with a ninth-place result after restarting at the rear.

He returned to competition the following night at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, where he finished third in a heat race to line up 10th for the A Main.

“We didn’t start off that great,” he said. “We made some adjustments on the car for the feature. We were really, really good early and got to fourth. Then the last six or seven laps we were hanging on. Everything that I’d done to get to fourth went away and unfortunately we weren’t able to maintain.”

Bruce Jr. settled for a sixth-place finish.

The busy weekend wrapped up on Sunday at Double X Speedway, where a charge from seventh to fourth place in a heat race earned a spot into the feature redraw. This time Bruce Jr. pulled the No. 4 to start the main event on the outside of the second row.

“We were pretty good, but the track was one lane around the top in the A Main,” he said. “When we got to lapped cars I tried to run the bottom a couple of times. I could stay there with the leaders, but wasn’t able to get where we needed to be to make a pass.”

Bruce Jr. scored a third-place result, which tied his best finish of the season.

“I look back and think what could have been,” he said. “We should have had a better finish in Sedalia. To lead all those laps and come up short is disappointing. We were able to finish strong at Lake Ozark and Double X, but I look back and feel like we gave away a win.”

Bruce Jr. will be off this weekend before venturing to Montana for an ASCS Frontier Region doubleheader on July 13 at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls and July 14 at Big Sky Speedway in Billings.

QUICK RESULTS –

June 29 – Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Mo. – Heat race: 2 (3); Feature: 9 (2).

June 30 – Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo. – Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 6 (10).

July 1 – Double X Speedway in California, Mo. – Heat race: 4 (7); Feature: 3 (4).

SEASON STATS –

15 races, 0 wins, 2 top fives, 10 top 10s, 12 top 15s, 14 top 20s

UP NEXT –

July 13 at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Mont., and July 14 at Big Sky Speedway in Billings, Mont., with the ASCS Frontier Region

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.