WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa — From the moment he climbed into a sprint car for the first time 12 years ago, Tony Bruce, Jr. dreamed of winning an Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series event.
That dream became a reality in the series’s inaugural visit to 34 Raceway July 30, as he led all 35 laps and picked up the win over 20-time series champion Steve Kinser.
Bruce started on the pole after winning the Crane Cams Dash, with local favorite Josh Schneiderman next to him, and quickly jumped out to an eight-car-length lead. He then endured three cautions and on each restart used a strong jump to stay ahead of Kinser to pick up the $10,000 triumph.
“It’s unbelievable to lead all 35 laps and to hold off Steve Kinser to win my first World of Outlaws A-main,” said an ecstatic Bruce. “I am so stoked. It will definitely take a few days to sink in. This is amazing. We have been working so hard and to win one means everything.”
The race began with Bruce jumping to a quick lead over Kinser, who gained two spots on the opening lap. He opened about an eight-car-length lead, as he approached traffic on the fifth lap, when the first caution of the race waved.
On the ensuing restart, the second-year driver, who was piloting the Best Well Service Maxim, kept his focus and did not worry about who was behind him, but rather on the open track ahead of him and running smooth, consistent laps.
“Of course you are going to be nervous, but I knew that I had to do my own thing,” noted Bruce, who is a native of Liberal, Kan. “The only person that could have beat me was me at that moment. I just had to hit my marks. I actually got above the cushion on one of those restarts and packed the left rear with mud and it vibrated the last five laps. As long as that car stayed together when that white flag came out, we were going to win.”
Several times Bruce lost ground as he tried to lap cars, allowing Kinser to close back in on him.
“It was very hard to pass lapped cars when you got to them,” said Bruce. “We were out front and I just had to hold on. We had a good starting spot up there and I just had to do my job and run a smooth race.”
Bruce has been shorthanded recently and has been doing a majority of the work on his race car himself, along with driving the truck and trailer.
“We recently parted ways with our crew chief and there were no hard feelings or anything,” he explained. “We just couldn’t get going. I just have one kid who is 18 years old right now as my crew and whoever we can pick out of the pits right now to help us change tires and put fuel in.”
Kinser finished second.
“We’re still plugging away and running in the top five,” said Kinser, who began the night by setting a track record in time trials. “I think if we wouldn’t have had so many yellows we would have been all right, but you never know. Tony (Bruce) ran a real good race and we ran second. The laps clicked away quicker than I thought they did, but I don’t think I could have done anything to him. Maybe in traffic I would have had something for him.”
Schneiderman finished third, with Jason Sides, who had veteran driver Terry Gray helping in his pits, and Jason Meyers rounding out the top five.