Contact: Shawn Miller
Inside Line Promotions
sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com | (541) 510-3663

Bruce Jr. Passes Series-Best 46 Cars During ASCS National Tour Speedweek to Finish Fifth

Inside Line Promotions - WHEATLAND, Mo. (June 23, 2013) - While a fifth-place finish in the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek points wasn't what Tony Bruce Jr. had imagined, he is impressed with the direction of his program as the summer is beginning to heat up.

"I feel like it wasn't exactly what we wanted as far as the finish in the points, but our team showed a lot of resilience," he said. "I think we're finding speed at the right time. We kinda struggled at the beginning of the year to get rolling. We passed more cars than anybody in the features during Speedweek. I'm pretty satisfied with where things are going."

In the six Speedweek races, Bruce Jr. officially passed a total of 46 cars. He finished with three top-five finishes and five top 10s, including a trio of solid performances this past weekend.

"We only made the redraw once," he said. "To have top fives and almost a win and finish in the top 10 almost every single night showed how fast we were."

Bruce Jr. started the second half of the Speedweek on Wednesday at Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla., by winning his fifth heat race of the season from the pole.

"We really haven't been drawing good," he said. "We finally drew good. It put us on the pole for a heat race. The only problem is it put us on the pole for the sixth heat race. If there was absolutely no passing the best we could have been in points was sixth."

Bruce Jr. had the 12th-most points after the heat races, which started him on the outside of the sixth row for the main event.

"The track had two lanes, but it was kind of weird because it wasn't really racy," he said. "Neither lane would be faster than the other. We were all the exact same speed. We just caught some cars trying different lines and they made a mistake and I was able to capitalize on it. We were really one of the only cars to go forward."

Bruce Jr. finished eighth as he was one of only six drivers to pass four or more cars during the feature.
Speedweek continued on Thursday at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla., where Bruce Jr. nearly picked up his third victory of the season.

After maneuvering from seventh to fourth in his heat race, Bruce Jr. began the feature 11th. Within a handful of laps he had climbed into the top five and was up to second halfway through the main event. Chasing eventual Speedweek champion Jeff Swindell, Bruce Jr. made the pass for the lead on Lap 24 only to have a caution disallow the lead swap and put him back to second.

"We actually had him passed one time in lapped traffic and unfortunately the caution fell and they put us behind him," Bruce Jr. said. "Out in open air it's hard to pass a guy. We were all over him and I think we had a better car, but we needed the race to stay in traffic really bad."

Bruce Jr. made one last-ditch effort with a slide job in turns three and four on the final lap, but too much momentum carried him off the track and Swindell was able to hold onto the win.

"It was just another typical quarter mile and for some reason I roll really nice on quarter miles," Bruce Jr. said. "Wayne got the car about as perfect as I could ask for. We just about won it. We had a last-lap try for the win and unfortunately I threw too hard of a slider, drove over the cushion and into the wall. You've gotta try to make the move and make it happen."

Speedweek wrapped up on Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway, where he drove from fourth to third in his heat race. That started Bruce Jr. on the outside of the seventh row for the main event.

"I wasn't aggressive enough on the start," he said. "I missed the bottom a couple of times and fell back to 20th at the beginning of the race. I just slowly picked our way back to the front. I felt if we had more laps we could have been sixth or seventh. I just didn't get the job done early in the A Main."

Bruce Jr. salvaged a 10th-place finish - his 18th of the season.

He plans to take this weekend off before embarking on a month-long road trip with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour to the West Coast, which begins on Saturday, July 6, at I-90 Speedway in Hartford, S.D.

QUICK RESULTS -
June 19 - Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla. - Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 8 (12).
June 20 - Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. - Heat race: 4 (7); Feature: 2 (11).
June 22 - Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. - Heat race: 3 (4); Feature: 10 (14).

SEASON STATS -
27 races, 2 wins, 11 top fives, 18 top 10s, 25 top 15s, 27 top 20s

UP NEXT -
Saturday, July 6, at I-90 Speedway in Harford, S.D., with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS -
Website: http://www.tonybrucejr.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonybrucejr

VIDEO -
Here is a link for RacinBoys' footage of Bruce Jr.'s victory at Boyd Raceway on April 26: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Wx3nrOFTDyg

APPAREL -
Bruce Jr. has black and white t-shirts in adult sizes for sale at his race trailer at each of his races. For his schedule, visit TonyBruceJr.com/schedule.

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 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 Lubbock Wrecker Service, The Oil Medics, Wheeler Metals, Eagle Motorsports, Smiley's Racing Products, SWE, Maxwell Industries, FK Rod Ends, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Factory Kahne Shocks, DriverWebsites.com, RacinBoys.com, Wilwood, Schoenfield Headers, Hoosier 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, media management and merchandising services for sprint car teams. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and your sponsors' return on investment.

Contact: Shawn Miller
Inside Line Promotions
sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com | (541) 510-3663

Wood Places Sixth During Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek

Inside Line Promotions - WHEATLAND, Mo. (June 24, 2013) - Cole Wood put together one of his best nights of the season following one of his worst.

Wood opened the second half of the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek with a frustrating event last Wednesday at Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla. After starting on the pole of his heat race, the mag box went out and he was forced to the pits with a last-place finish.

That put him at the back of a B Main, where he charged from 15th to eighth only to have a u-joint break on the final lap. However, only the top three transferred and Wood was forced to use a provisional to start at the back of the main event.

"I was trying to follow Tony Stewart around the top," he said. "We got a few cars. A car came off the bottom and pushed me into the wall. It was a pretty hard hit."

Approximately five laps into the feature the collision ended with Wood upside down. It damaged the front axel, both wings and the right rear wheel among other things and forced Wood to the pits with a 22nd-place finish.

It appeared the tough luck would continue the following night when Wood drew the highest number - 72 - during the pill draw to line him up eighth in his heat race at Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla.
But Wood charged to fifth to earn enough points to start on the front row of a B Main. He finished second in the consolation to advance to the feature, where he rallied from 20th to a fifth-place finish.

"In the feature I pretty much ran around the top," he said. "The car was really good. I was following (Brad) Loyet and (Johnny) Herrera. A lot of people were trying to run the bottom. I think it gained us a lot of positions."

The Speedweek concluded on Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway, where Wood drove from seventh to fourth in his heat race to qualify for the feature redraw. A child in the stands picked the No. 5 to put him on the inside of the third row for the main event.

"Early in the race I was trying to find a line," Wood said. "Our car was pretty loose. It worked out for 20 something laps and then the top kinda went away. A couple of cars ended up getting by me on the bottom."

Wood finished eighth to wrap up the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Sizzlin' Summer Speedweek sixth in points.

"If we could have taken out a couple of the mechanical failures I know we could have gotten two more top fives," he said. "I think we had a good week. We made every feature and ran toward the front of most of them. I got a bunch of practice running on a bunch of different tracks and saw a lot of different track conditions.

"I also really want to thank Jason Johnson for letting us stay at their shop."
Wood has another busy week scheduled beginning Wednesday at Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minn., for the Spring Sprint Car Nationals. On Friday, he will compete with the ASCS Warrior Region at U.S. 36 Raceway near Cameron, Mo., before a trip to Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, on Saturday. The weekend ends on Sunday at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

QUICK RESULTS -
June 19 - Lawton Speedway in Lawton, Okla. - Heat race: 8 (1); B Main: 8 (15); Feature: 22 (23).
June 20 - Creek County Speedway in Sapulpa, Okla. - Heat race: 5 (8); B Main: 2 (1); Feature: 5 (20).
June 22 - Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. - Heat race: 4 (7); Feature: 8 (5).

SEASON STATS -
30 races, 0 wins, 6 top fives, 11 top 10s, 18 top 15s, 26 top 20s

UP NEXT -
Wednesday at Jackson Speedway in Jackson, Minn., for the Spring Sprint Car Nationals; Friday at U.S. 36 Raceway near Cameron, Mo., with the ASCS Warrior Region; Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa; and Sunday at Huset's Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

MEDIA LINKS -
Website: www.ColeWoodRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wood17w
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cole-Wood-Racing/246046125428603?fref=ts

APPAREL -
Wood has t-shirts and hats available at his race car trailer at every race. For a schedule of events, visit ColeWoodRacing.com.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Wion's Body Shop
Wion's Body Shop is an auto body and paint shop located in Sacramento, Calif.
"Wion's Body Shop does a bunch of work for us to keep the cars looking sharp," Wood said.
Wood would also like to thank Elk Grove Ford, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Roush Yates Racing Engines, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Awesome Racewear, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems and The Joie of Seating for their continued support.

Contact: Shawn Miller
Inside Line Promotions
sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com | (541) 510-3663

Wheatley Earns Hard Charger Award at 42nd annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup
Inside Line Promotions - ALGER, Wash. (June 24, 2013) - Better late than never.

Austen Wheatley missed the first preliminary night of action at the 42nd annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup last Friday at Skagit Speedway because his new car wasn't quite ready.

"We started building it on Monday and with my schedule at Downforce Designs and my dad's work schedule, we couldn't make it out," he said. "There was no seat, no tail tank, the wing wasn't lettered. There was a bunch of stuff we had to do to it."

Wheatley and his team worked throughout the night to get it ready for Saturday, when the second preliminary event was held prior to the $20,000-to-win finale that night.

"I was up for like 27 hours," he said. "On the way to the track I took a nap and that's only a 45-minute car ride.

"We missed hot laps. I showed up and barely made it out for qualifying. I hadn't raced in Skagit in two years and I hadn't raced overall in two months."

Wheatley qualified 23rd quickest to narrowly miss the heat race inversion. After starting fifth in his heat, he powered to a third-place finish to earn a transfer to the main event. Since the drivers who advanced through the heat races were fully inverted for the feature, Wheatley started on the pole for the 30-lap race.
"I thought it was pretty cool," he said. "I thought we had a shot to win it. I gave it all I had. We were pretty quick. Early on I was running the bottom. In lapped traffic everybody was running the bottom. The first lap I got to lapped traffic I went to the top. It felt to me I was faster on the top than the bottom so I kept ripping it."
Wheatley led the first 27 laps before Peter Murphy took over the top spot with less than three laps remaining.

"He passed me on the bottom of turn two," Wheatley said. "When he passed me he got a good lead on me. The top went away real quick. Shane Stewart snuck by me with two to go in (turns) three and four. I got by him coming to the white flag and he passed me back in (turns) one and two."

Wheatley finished third to earn his first podium of the season.

Since he wasn't able to compete in Friday's preliminary event, Wheatley was 29th in overall points heading into Saturday night's features. That placed him 15th in the B Main, which transferred the top eight to the main event.

It didn't take long for Wheatley to charge into a transfer position as he picked up eight positions in the first couple of laps. He finished sixth to earn a transfer and start the main event 20th.

"It was a long day," he said. "We ran pretty decent. I could maneuver top to bottom. We were slowly but surely picking them off. The track was really, really fast. There were vapor trails coming off the nose wings."
Wheatley drove from 20th to 13th to earn the Hard Charger Award and his best career finish at the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup.

"It was two good races," he said. "There was a lot of speed and definitely something to build on."

QUICK RESULTS -
June 22 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - Qualifying: 23; Heat race: 3 (5); Feature: 3 (1).
June 22 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - B Main: 6 (15); Feature: 13 (20).

SEASON STATS -
13 races, 0 wins, 1 top five, 1 top 10, 2 top 15s, 4 top 20s

UP NEXT -
TBA

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS -
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiniWheats44w
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DownForceDesigns?fref=ts

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Downforce Designs
Downforce Designs is an apparel company established and operated by Austen Wheatley. For information on apparel options, prices, clientele and more, visit www.DownforceDesigns.com.
"It's good to have a fresh take on shirts in the sport," Wheatley said. "My goal is to provide something unique and diverse, and I think I know what a driver wants to see on his or her apparel. It's a racer helping racers."

Wheatley would also like to thank Redlined Welding & Construction, BR Motorsports, The Oil Medics, Fire-Down Graphics, Astro Titanium, Bell and King Racing Products for their continued support.

Contact: Shawn Miller
Inside Line Promotions
sprintcarreporter@yahoo.com | (541) 510-3663

Rilat Records Fourth-Place Finish at 42nd annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup

Inside Line Promotions - ALGER, Wash. (June 24, 2013) - Travis Rilat is very happy with his performance during the 42nd annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup last weekend in Richard Saumure's car at Skagit Speedway.

"It was a pretty good weekend all in all," Rilat said after placing fourth overall. "We had two top fives and a top 10. (Jonathan) Allard's got that track figured out. We've got a little bit of work to do to fine-tune the car and driver."

After Thursday's preliminary night was postponed to Saturday afternoon because of rain, Rilat initially hit the 3/10-mile track on Friday. He qualified 17 th quickest to earn the pole of a heat race, which he won. That locked Rilat into the feature, which he started third after the inversion.

"Dirt Cup is one of those places where I'm horrible at timing in and they almost reward you for that," he said. "If they started straight up by time I'd have been in the back."

Rilat quickly advanced to second place and he chased Shane Stewart for most of the feature until a late-race incident nearly stalled Rilat's bid for the win.

"Coming through (turns) three and four I could see the crash happen," he said. "I got the car slowed down as best as I could. They were yelling red flag on the RaceCeiver. There was no way to get through the wreck. I got the car stopped and fortunately I didn't get anything tore up. The red flag was already out and they were calling for the red flag over the RaceCeiver before I even stopped. I just pitched it sideways trying to miss the crash. There was probably six cars involved in that deal."

Rilat restarted second and finished a close runner up to Stewart during the first of two preliminary events.
"He might have been a tad better than us," Rilat said. "I think if we had really got into lapped traffic I might have had something."

Rilat qualified 13th and finished second in his heat race during Saturday's preliminary event to advance to the feature, which he started on the inside of the fifth row.

"I moved up a few spots," he said. "I believe we were running sixth. I made a couple of bad lane choices in that race. I moved around a couple of times trying to get around lapped cars and some guys were able to pass me."

Rilat finished 10th, which gave him the sixth-most points during preliminary action. The top six drivers competed in a scramble to determine the lineup for the first three rows of the 40-lap, $20,000-to-win feature.

"We had the car tuned up pretty good for that, just didn't get it quite right for the feature," he said. "I'd say we needed a little more forward drive. The car was a little bit free."

After placing third in the scramble and starting on the inside of the second row for the finale, Rilat maintained a top-five for the entire race and finished fourth.

He will return to the Northwest this weekend for an ASCS Northwest Region doubleheader on Friday and Saturday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash.

QUICK RESULTS -
June 21 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - Qualifying: 17; Heat race: 1 (1); Feature: 2 (3).
June 22 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - Qualifying: 13; Heat race: 2 (2); Feature: 10 (9).
June 22 - Skagit Speedway in Alger, Wash. - Scramble: 3 (6); Feature: 4 (3).

SEASON STATS -
13 races, 0 wins, 5 top fives, 9 top 10s, 10 top 15s, 13 top 20s

UP NEXT -
Friday and Saturday at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash., with the ASCS Northwest Region

MEDIA LINKS -

Twitter: www.twitter.com/TravisRilat29
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT - Xtreme Oilfield Technology
Located in St. Paul, Alberta, Canada, Xtreme Oilfield Technology began in 2000 by providing general and specialized tank cleaning (door pulls), fluid transfers, well loads and rig work. Xtreme Oilfield Technology has expanded to include body vac units, flushby units, combinations units (vacuum/steamer), water trucks and hydro vac units, and offers equipment rental. For more information, visit XtremeOilfield.ca.
"The people with Xtreme Oilfield Technology are very cool people to hang out with it and we really appreciate their partnership," Rilat said.

Rilat would also like to thank Carlan Services, Northern Provincial Pipelines, Matt's Oilfield Services, Shark Racing Engines, TriJet Manufacturing Services, Northern Lights Welding, Camex VP, Rob Wright Building Supplies, Scott Safety, Max Fuel, Jaron Water Hauling, Maxim, Factory Kahne, HRP, Ti22, Weld Wheels, Ben Cook Racing and Smiley's Racing Products among others for their continued support on Richard Saumure's No. 39c Maxim.