Last lap pass propels Tony Bruce, Jr. to Great Falls victory
Bryan Hulbert – GREAT FALLS, Mont. (July 10, 2013) For the first time in 2013, Tony Bruce, Jr. parked his Roush/Yates powered No. 18 in victory lane with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real with a stirring last corner pass on Brad Loyet to become the season’s thirteenth different winner.
“It’s kind of hard to judge what the track is doing when you out front most of the race and I knew it was going to take rubber; I just didn’t know how far down so I just kept riding right in the middle but then Brad passed me, then Jason passed me and I thought, damn, this sucks. Fortunately it just played out” said Bruce of his Protect the Harvest A-Feature win.
Starting sixth, Bruce jumped to the third on the start. Trailing Dustin Morgan and Joe Perry the first two revolutions, the TBJ Promotions No. 18 shot to the race lead on Lap 3.
Running into slower traffic on Lap 10, Bruce began mingling amongst the back markers until a caution on Lap 11 diminished a nearly two second lead over Dustin Morgan. At speed, Bruce again began to pull away.
Racing back into slower traffic on Lap 16, the field began closing in with drivers beginning to come through the lineup. Starting eighteenth, Joe Ramaker worked the high groove; taking second from Morgan on Lap 16. From seventeenth, Jeff Swindell worked the MVT No. 94 into seventh.
Caution on Lap 19 for the spun No. 28 of Joe Perry brought the field nose, to tail, with Ramaker making his bid for the lead only to have Brad Loyet shoot into the runner up spot. Followed by eighth starting Jason Johnson on Lap 22, the pair began their assault on the Inside Line Promotions No. 18.
Falling to second on Lap 27, then third the following lap, Bruce appeared out with Brad Loyet looking to have his second victory of 2013 in hand. To the final lap, Jason Johnson set the Stenhouse, Jr. Motorsports No. 41 up for the pass entering turn one but instead saw his chance at victory thwarted by a slower car, allowing Bruce to race back into second with Ramaker in tow.
Surrounded by slower cars, Brad Loyet raced into three with Tony Bruce, Jr. carrying a full head of steam to the bottom line. Side by side exiting turn four, Tony Bruce, Jr. captured the win by 0.755 seconds. Still sliding up the track, Joe Ramaker raced to a runner up finish with Brad Loyet ending up third. Jason Johnson’s last lap attempt ended with a fourth place followed by the night’s FSR Radiator High Point Driver of the Night, Dustin Morgan, to complete the top five.
The top ten rounded out with Logan Forler from fourteenth, Jeff Swindell from seventeenth, Johnny Herrera, Brock Lemley, and David Hoiness who recovered from an early spin that relegated the Billings driver to the back of the field.
With 30 cars on hand, Heat Race wins belonged to Jason Johnson, Dustin Morgan, Johnny Herrera, and Cole Wood.
The Joie of Seating B-Feature went to Jeff Swindell who took he win from Ramaker on the final lap.
The Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real competes next at the Grays Harbor Raceway on Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13 against the ASCS Northwest Region.
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real
ASCS Frontier Region
Electric Motor Speedway – Great Falls, Mont.
Wednesday, July 10, 203
Car Count: 30
Wesmar Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 41-Jason Johnson[2]; 2. 27DD-David Hoiness[3]; 3. 9R-Reece Goetz[4]; 4. 23-Seth Bergman[7]; 5. 98-Joe Ramaker[6]; 6. 72-Phil Dietz[8]; 7. 21-Ryder Olson[5]; DNF 44-Kelly Miller[1]
Ti22 Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 93-Dustin Morgan[8]; 2. 23N-Brock Lemley[2]; 3. 28-Joe Perry[7]; 4. 2-Shad Peterson[6]; 5. 94-Jeff Swindell[3]; 6. 2W-Wheeler Boys[1]; 7. 44M-Damon McCune[4]; DNS 29-Brandon Hahn
Rod End Supply Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 45X-Johnny Herrera[5]; 2. 37-Trever Kirkland[3]; 3. 90-Randi Miller[7]; 4. 2L-Logan Forler[6]; 5. 77-Mark Sweet[2]; DNF 19-T.J. Hartman[4]; 7. 0J-Jeremy McCune[1]
BMRS Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 17W-Cole Wood[3]; 2. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[5]; 3. 05-Brad Loyet[4]; 4. 1-Bill Boyce[6]; 5. 2X-Rick Tessemaker[1]; 6. 1X-Vernon Hill[7]; DNF 11-Cliff Nelson[2]
Joie of Seating B Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. 94-Jeff Swindell[4]; 2. 98-Joe Ramaker[1]; 3. 72-Phil Dietz[2]; 4. 19-T.J. Hartman[7]; 5. 2X-Rick Tessemaker[6]; 6. 1X-Vernon Hill[3]; 7. 0J-Jeremy McCune[14]; 8. 2W-Wheeler Boys[8]; 9. 21-Ryder Olson[10]; 10. 44M-Damon McCune[9]; 11. 77-Mark Sweet[5]; DNS 29-Brandon Hahn; DNS 11-Cliff Nelson; DNS 44-Kelly Miller
Protect the Harvest A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[6]; 2. 98-Joe Ramaker[18]; 3. 05-Brad Loyet[12]; 4. 41-Jason Johnson[8]; 5. 93-Dustin Morgan[2]; 6. 2L-Logan Forler[14]; 7. 94-Jeff Swindell[17]; 8. 45X-Johnny Herrera[5]; 9. 23N-Brock Lemley[9]; 10. 27DD-David Hoiness[10]; 11. 9R-Reece Goetz[11]; 12. 23-Seth Bergman[16]; 13. 90-Randi Miller[7]; 14. 72-Phil Dietz[19]; 15. 1X-Vernon Hill[22]; 16. 37-Trever Kirkland[3]; 17. 19-T.J. Hartman[20]; 18. 17W-Cole Wood[4]; 19. 1-Bill Boyce[15]; 20. 2X-Rick Tessemaker[21]; 21. 2-Shad Peterson[13]; DNF 28-Joe Perry[1]
Lap Leaders: Dustin Morgan (1-2), Brad Loyet (27-29), Tony Bruce, Jr. (3-26, 30),
PitstopUSA.com Hard Charger: Joe Ramaker +16
FSR High Points of the Night: Dustin Morgan
Hawk Performance Products Fastest Lap of the Night: Brad Loyet – 13.094 seconds
Provisionals: N/A
2013 “A” Feature Winners: Jason Johnson-5, Johnny Herrera-3, Jeff Swindell-2, Logan Forler-2, Brian Brown-1, Roger Crockett-1, Kyle Bellm-1, Brad Loyet-1, Danny Lasoski-1, Jack Dover-1, Seth Bergman-1, Jonathan Cornell-1, Tony Bruce, Jr.-1
Lucas Oil ASCS Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Johnny Herrera 2,657; 2. Jason Johnson 2,645; 3. Jeff Swindell 2,550, 4. Brad Loyet 2,513; 5. Tony Bruce, Jr. 2,454; 6. Logan Forler 2,441; 7. Seth Bergman 2,336; 8. Dustin Morgan 2,169; 9. Cole Wood 2,154; 10. Brandon Hahn 1,687;
The 2013 season marks the twenty-second year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing for the American Sprint Car Series, which brings the best of Sprint Car racing to dozens of different tracks throughout the nation and into Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of nine different Regions throughout the nation.
Lucas Oil Products is the title sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. More information can be found on Lucas Oil Products at www.lucasoil.com. MAVTV is the presenting sponsor of the American Sprint Car Series. Log onto www.mavtv.com for information regarding availability and listings in your area.
Associate sponsors for the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV include: Hoosier Racing Tire and Brodix
Team Lucas Sponsors for the American Sprint Car Series consist of Protect the Harvest, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, PitstopUSA.com, Engler Machine and Tool, Roush Yates Racing Engines, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Fuel Safe, Saldana Racing Products, SBI Fuel Bladders, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Xtreme Accu-Tach, Simpson, LeJoie Seating, Ti 22 Performance, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, DMI Rear Ends, Rod End Supply, Smiley’s Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.