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(Photo by Brandon Young Photography)

Inside Line Promotions – MESQUITE, Texas (Oct. 18, 2016) – Tony Bruce Jr. showed improvement throughout the Winter Nationals last weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

Bruce Jr., who was driving for the Smith Family, kicked off the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour action by finishing fourth in a heat race on Friday.

“The biggest problem we had was I got a bad start,” he said. “The track was pretty heavy so we lost a spot there and that hurt us in points. If you don’t get through the heat race well enough you will be buried all night long.”

Bruce Jr. narrowly made a qualifier, which he advanced from ninth to seventh in before finishing third in a B Main to garner a transfer position into the back of the main event.

“When the track widened out we were able to earn a transfer spot and make the show,” he said. “We had a good car all night. It just took a while for the track to widen out.”

Bruce Jr. then charged from 21st to a 13th-place result in the feature.

“I feel like we could have been in the top 10,” he said. “There were a couple of mistakes that I made that cost us, but any time you go forward it’s a good night. There were a lot of cars and good drivers there.”

The weekend concluded on Saturday at the half-mile oval, where Bruce Jr. maneuvered from sixth to fourth place during a heat race before he won a qualifier.

“We got a good start and went from sixth to fourth on the initial start,” he said. “The biggest problem there was we were in the first heat with a lot of good cars. We had to ride fourth and maintain to take what we could get and then we did the best we could in the qualifier by winning from the pole.”

That lined Bruce Jr. up on the inside of the fifth row for the main event.

“It was unfortunate that the track wasn’t ideal to race on come A Main,” he said. “A few guys missed the bottom getting into turn one and I knew that I had to make sure I stuck the bottom because it was locked down rubber.”

Bruce Jr. picked up a trio of positions on the opening lap and he maintained sixth for the remainder of the race to earn his 14th top 10 of the season.

“Being able to always go forward is key to anything in racing,” he said. “It gives us a lot of momentum and shows we’re going in the right direction.”

He will take the next couple of weeks off before returning to action with the Smith Family Nov. 3-5 at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., for the 29th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires.

QUICK RESULTS –

Oct. 14 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Heat race: 4 (3); Qualifier: 7 (9); B Main: 3 (3); Feature: 13 (21).

Oct. 15 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas – Heat race: 4 (6); Qualifier: 1 (1); Feature: 6 (9).

SEASON STATS –

24 races, 1 win, 8 top fives, 14 top 10s, 21 top 15s, 21 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Nov. 3-5 at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., for the 29th annual COMP Cams Short Track Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires

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 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.