PETERSEN MEDIA- Tony Bruce, Jr and his one8 Motorsports team invaded the Golden State of California this past week and the driver simply known as TBJ had an up and down weekend, as he closed the West Coast swing out with a sixth place finish in Santa Maria, CA.
Kicking off the action was a Wednesday night stop at the Placerville Speedway in Placerville, CA.
Lining his Oil Medics/Pro Auto/Hinchman machine up in the second row of his heat race, Bruce was able to use the high-side of the speedway to his advantage as he rocketed up to the second spot as he chased down Willie Croft.
TBJ’s second place effort was good enough to put him in the redraw where he ended up pulling the two, and sharing the front row with Gary Wright.
With the initial restart being called back, TBJ was a rocket on the second restart, as he grabbed an early advantage as he utilized the low side of the track.
Clicking off laps in rapid fashion, Bruce found himself in heavy traffic by the sixth lap.
Weaving in and out of slower cars, Bruce was able to fend off second running, Mason Moore.
On lap 13 it all came unraveled as a group of cars spun in front of the leaders, and Bruce slid into the pile thus forfeiting the lead.
When it was all said and done, TBJ would be scored with a 15th place finish.
“It just sucks to lose one like that,” said Bruce. “We had a great car, and had an awesome chance at picking up a win, but we just got stuck in somebody else’s mess.”
Saturday night the scene headed down south to the Kings Speedway in Hanford, CA.
Drawing the front row for his heat race, Bruce picked up the win, and then proceeded to pull the six pill for the feature event.
In the feature event, TBJ was running comfortably in the fifth spot as he battled with Brad Loyet, until he noticed something amiss under the hood, and retired to the pit area where he would be scored in the 22nd spot.
Sunday closed out the series’ California stop as they made their first ever appearance at the Santa Maria Speedway in Santa Maria, CA.
Starting in the second row of his heat, Bruce used a strong restart to jump into the second spot, where he chased leader, Steven Tiner.
The second place run put him in the redraw for the third straight night, and he would pull the seven pill, putting him in the front row.
During the feature, Bruce would fight a tight racecar, as the track still had some moisture left.
With the feature event having a long 13-lap green flag run, TBJ was able to get as high as the fourth spot, but as the race wore on he slipped back to the sixth spot as the race concluded.
“We thought the track was going to slick off a little more than it did, and we guessed wrong,” he explained. “I could of done a little better job, but we will take the sixth and move on to Knoxville,”
Bruce would like to thank all of his sponsors, Hinchman Racewear, Pro Auto, The Oil Medics, Smileys, SWE, Maxwell Industries, FK Rod Ends, Butlerbuilt, Factory Kahne Shocks, Randy’s Racing Filters, DriversWebsites.com, Racinboys.com, Wilwood, Zemco Headers, Hoosier Tires, Gaerte Engines, Pro Powder Coating, Fuel Safe, Bell, Weld Wheels, and ISC Racer’s Tape for their support through the 2012 season.
ON TAP: TBJ and the one8 motorsports team will now head to Knoxville, IA for the 360 Nationals, as they are scheduled to qualify Friday night.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay updated with TBJ by visiting his website at
www.tonybrucejr.com, or by following him on twitter @tonybrucejr
SPONSOR SHOUT OUT: FK ROD ENDS
FK Rod Ends is back again in 2012, and one8 Motorsports couldn’t be more proud to partner with such a strong company. For over 24 years, FK Rod Ends can be found from anywhere from racecars, to lawn mowers, and even to gym equipment you use to take care of your body. As the company continues to grow, they currently offer over 10,000 combinations on rod ends and spherical bearings.
“When the only thing that connects the steering gear to the front axle is two Rod Ends, they better be top quality. And FK is the company we chose to make sure we get turning in the right direction. Every Rod End on our car is a FK for a reason.”
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- Petersen Media on Jul 30, 2012
- Article Date: 7/30/2012