By Bryan Hulbert
MUSKOGEE, Okla. (June 20, 2014) – A blown engine, a flip, and an overall terrible night the first three nights of Speedweek all turned around for Tony Bruce, Jr. on Friday night, coming from thirteenth to win at the Outlaw Motorsports Park with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by MAVTV American Real.
The fourth winner in as many nights of the 2014 Bob Westphal Memorial Cup ASCS Speedweek, Bruce worked past race long leader Brad Loyet with three laps to run for his second score of the 2014 season.
“We’ve had a terrible Speedweek to say the least. Had a motor failure at Devil’s Bowl, got upside down at Lawton, and just looked like a complete idiot last night; luckily, I don’t look like an idiot here tonight,” said a joyous Tony Bruce, Jr.
Making his advance to the front via the bottom line, Bruce was one of the few drivers able to make the hub of the Outlaw Motorsports Park work, “I paid attention the last time I was here. The car was real good all the way around the racetrack, bottom or top.”
Battling early with Jeff Swindell for the lead, Brad Loyet held the point but unfortunately, a spark plug wire worked loose on the Vacuworx No. 05, putting Loyet on seven cylinders in the closing laps after originally fearing the engine was going flat.
“On that one restart, I’m sure everyone heard a different tone in the engine. Just lost a spark plug wire. I guess it’s pretty good to run second and not get passed until three to go when running on seven cylinders,” commented Loyet on finishing second.
Jason Johnson worked to the final podium step after starting sixth in the Curb Records No. 41.
“We were committed to the top. When Tony found the bottom and was getting the moisture off the bottom, I tried it once or twice but just couldn’t get a good run so we stayed up top, then with about two to go, we started running out of fuel and were just trying to hang on.”
Johnny Herrera rolled up to fourth from eighth. After running second for 24 laps, and challenging several times for the lead, contact with the wall nearly ended the night for Jeff Swindell, who put together a strong final showing, despite a damaged race car, to cross fifth.
Dustin Morgan worked out of the B-Feature, and rolled to sixth after starting seventeenth. Seth Bergman climbed from tenth to seventh with Tim Crawley eighth. Aaron Reutzel came back to ninth after losing a left rear tire on Lap 16, forcing the BC Funds No. 87 to sixteenth in the last half of the A-Feature. Matt Covington came from twentieth to complete the top ten.
Drivers numbering 33 drew in at the Outlaw Motorsports Park, yielding four Heat Races. Aaron Reutzel, Tim Crawley, Christopher Bell, and Jeff Swindell each grabbed wins. The night’s B-Feature was won by Dustin Morgan.
Paired with the American Bank of Oklahoma ASCS Sooner Region, Dustin Morgan earned high points for the region. Alex Sewell seconds, Harli White third, Mike Goodman fourth, with Danny Wood rounding out the top five in point earners for the region.
The Bob Westphal Memorial Cup concludes on Saturday, June 21 at the Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo. For continued updates, log onto http://www.ascsracing.com.
Lucas Oil ASCS presented by MAVTV American Real
Outlaw Motorsports Park – Muskogee, Okla.
Speedweek Round 4
Friday, June 20, 2014
Car Count: 33
Heat Races presented by SpeedMart – 8 Laps, winners plus top 12 in passing points to A-Feature.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2]; 2. 05-Brad Loyet[6]; 3. 11AM-Mike Goodman[1]; 4. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[5]; 5. 17W-Harli White[7]; 6. 33-Kris Miller[3]; 7. 8-Alex Sewell[8]; 8. 92-Jordan Weaver[4]; 9. 14K-Kyle Bellm[9]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 4J-Tim Crawley[1]; 2. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[4]; 3. 48-Jake Martens[3]; 4. 93-Dustin Morgan[2]; 5. 14Z-Zach Pringle[6]; 6. 7X-Shane Sellers[8]; 7. 57-Kyle Chady[5]; 8. (DNF) 36-Jonathan Beason[7]
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 31B-Christopher Bell[1]; 2. 77X-Wayne Johnson[3]; 3. 23-Seth Bergman[4]; 4. 45X-Johnny Herrera[8]; 5. 81W-Danny Wood[5]; 6. 85-Forrest Sutherland[2]; 7. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[7]; 8. (DNF) 1-Sean McClelland[6]
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 94-Jeff Swindell[2]; 2. 41-Jason Johnson[5]; 3. 17-Blake Hahn[4]; 4. 7S-Robert Sellers[1]; 5. 17X-Josh Baughman[3]; 6. 95-Matt Covington[7]; 7. 3H-Brandon Hanks[8]; 8. 58-Gary Floyd[6]
Smiley’s Racing Products B-Feature – Top 6 advance to the A-Feature.
B Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 93-Dustin Morgan[1]; 2. 7X-Shane Sellers[2]; 3. 81W-Danny Wood[4]; 4. 95-Matt Covington[5]; 5. 8-Alex Sewell[7]; 6. 17X-Josh Baughman[6]; 7. 92-Jordan Weaver[16]; 8. 7S-Robert Sellers[3]; 9. 85-Forrest Sutherland[10]; 10. 21X-Taylor Velasquez[11]; 11. 33-Kris Miller[9]; 12. 14K-Kyle Bellm[17]; 13. 58-Gary Floyd[15]; 14. (DNF) 57-Kyle Chady[12]; 15. (DNF) 3H-Brandon Hanks[8]; DNS 1-Sean McClelland; DNS 36-Jonathan Beason
Protect the Harvest A-Feature
A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 18-Tony Bruce Jr[13]; 2. 05-Brad Loyet[1]; 3. 41-Jason Johnson[6]; 4. 45X-Johnny Herrera[8]; 5. 94-Jeff Swindell[3]; 6. 93-Dustin Morgan[17]; 7. 23-Seth Bergman[10]; 8. 4J-Tim Crawley[4]; 9. 87-Aaron Reutzel[2]; 10. 95-Matt Covington[20]; 11. 17-Blake Hahn[11]; 12. 8-Alex Sewell[21]; 13. 17W-Harli White[15]; 14. 3H-Brandon Hanks[23]; 15. (DNF) 31B-Christopher Bell[5]; 16. (DNF) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[7]; 17. (DNF) 77X-Wayne Johnson[9]; 18. (DNF) 11AM-Mike Goodman[14]; 19. (DNF) 81W-Danny Wood[19]; 20. (DNF) 48-Jake Martens[12]; 21. (DNF) 14Z-Zach Pringle[16]; 22. (DNF) 7X-Shane Sellers[18]
Lap Leader(s): Brad Loyet 1-27; Tony Bruce, Jr. 28-30
FSR High Point: Brad Loyet
KSE Hard Charger: Tony Bruce, Jr. +12
Hawk Performance Fastest Lap: Brad Loyet 16.665 seconds
CSI Rebound: Sam Hafertepe, Jr.
Provisional(s): Brandon Hanks (P2)
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2014 A-Feature Winner(s): Aaron Reutzel -2, Rico Abreu – 2, Tony Bruce, Jr. – 2, Patrick Stasa – 1, Derek Hagar – 1, Jeff Swindell – 1, Brad Loyet – 1, Seth Bergman – 1, Sam Hafertepe, Jr. – 1, Christopher Bell – 1
2014 Lucas Oil ASCS Driver Standings (Top 10): 1. Brad Loyet 1,616; 2. Jason Johnson 1,606; 3. Jeff Swindell 1,552; 4. Johnny Herrera 1,524; 5. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 1,520; 6. Aaron Reutzel 1,517; 7. Seth Bergman 1,438; 8. Blake Hahn 1,437; 9. Tony Bruce, Jr. 1,434; 10. Matt Covington 1,396;
2014 Speedweek Driver Standings (Top 10) 1. Jason Johnson 518; 2. Brad Loyet 504; 3. Jeff Swindell 494; 4. Seth Bergman 486; 5. Blake Hahn 486; 6. Aaron Reutzel 481; 7. Dustin Morgan 470; 8. Sam Hafertepe, Jr. 466; 9. Matt Covington 451; 10. Johnny Herrera 447;
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The 2014 season marks the twenty-third 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. Anchored by the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series, ASCS also consists of ten 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, iON Camera, Smokey Mountain Moonshine, C&R Radiator, Hawk Performance Products, Geico, E3 Spark Plugs, and General Tire.
Product and Contingency Sponsorship provided by: K&N Filters, KSE Racing Products, SpeedMart, Competition Suspension, Engler Machine and Tool, FSR Radiator and Racing Products, Schoenfeld Headers, Driverwebsites.com, Weld Wheels, Saldana Racing Products, Maxwell Industries, Print Place, Simpson, The Joie of Seating, Wesmar Racing Engines, Hinchman Indy Racewear, Rod End Supply, Smiley’s Racing Products, Speedway Motors, and Hilborn Injection Systems.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com as well as Twitter (@LucasOilASCS) and Facebook. News and information can also be sent to you with the ASCS E-News by texting ASCS to 22828 with any mobile device.