(Photo by Casey Jones)

Inside Line Promotions – OWASSO, Okla. (Dec. 11, 2018) – Team Eights will operate a two-car midget team during a pair of marquee events the next month.

Tony Bruce Jr. is slated to be behind the wheel of a race car along with sprint car racing veteran Seth Bergman, who is taking the place of car owner Chad Wheeler when the team races this Saturday inside the Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill., during the Junior Knepper 55 with the USAC P1 Insurance National Midgets and next month at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

“I have mixed emotions,” Wheeler said. “I really enjoyed racing it and doing it. I felt like I didn’t race them enough throughout the year to be as competitive as I wanted in the Chili Bowl. We started selling a lot of our simulators through WR1 Sim Chassis. I wanted to spend the offseason when we’re not mod racing to put my focus on that. We make a race ready iRacing setup that has everything you need. We’ve built around 70 units since the start of last year and we’ll have a booth at the Chili Bowl. We wanted a sprint car driver to fill the seat so Tony and I decided Seth would be a good option.”

Saturday will mark Bergman’s debut at the Junior Knepper 55. However, he has raced at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals three times and has one other career midget start.

“I want to thank Chad and Tony for the opportunity as well as Oilfield Equipment & Manufacturing and Young Tool Company for their continued support,” he said. “I know Team Eights has great equipment so that’s a huge part of it. I haven’t been able to race a midget very often, but I do feel like I’ve gotten more comfortable and confident each time I’ve been able to run one the last few years. I’m looking forward to seeing how it plays out this Saturday and how that will prepare us for the Chili Bowl next month. We’re using it as a chance to get some laps, but it’s still a race and we want to be competitive. I have a race car so I’m showing up to a competition wanting to win.”

Meanwhile Bruce Jr. is entering this weekend with a load of confidence after producing strong runs during the Junior Knepper 55 each of the last two years. He posted a career-best result of sixth in 2016 and was in contention for a top five last year before a racing incident relegated him to an 11th-place run.

“The biggest key to this is having confidence in the team and myself,” he said. “I know that we have the best equipment that you can have and I have a good team working on the car and I’m confident in my driving. It’s exciting to go to a place we’ve run well at.

“I used to look at the race in Du Quoin as kind of a test. A lot of times we looked at it as something to do to make sure everything is running properly. Now it’s morphed into a race we want to try to win.”

UP NEXT –

Saturday at Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill., for the Junior Knepper 55 with the USAC P1 Insurance National Midgets

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.TonyBruceJr.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyBruceJr

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Wheeler Metals

Established in 1968, Wheeler Metals is a sheet metal business that offers a variety of products for professional and amateur builders. Wheeler Metals has three locations in Muskogee, Okla., Rogers, Ark., and Springfield, Mo. For more information, visit http://www.WheelerMetals.com.

“When I moved to the Tulsa area a few years back we built a brand new shop,” Bruce Jr. said. “We always strive as a race team to find the best products for the situation and that was no different selecting the company to build our building. Wheeler Metals was the perfect fit for our needs. From 10x10 pole barns to 100x100 full metal buildings, they have it all. I challenge anyone to find a building company that will work the customers’ needs like they do.”

Bruce Jr. would also like to thank Briley Trucking, Lubbock Wrecker Service, Eagle Motorsports, Hinchman Racewear, The Oil Medics, Smiley’s Racing Products, SWE, Maxwell Industries, Moss Racing Engines, FK Rod Ends, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Factory Kahne Shocks, DriverWebsites.com, RacinBoys.com, Wilwood, Schoenfeld Headers, Hoosier Racing 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, Pressure Tek, Tiger Towing (Dave and Paula Debates), Sorrels Auto and Truck Parts (Mitchell Sorrels), Melvin Plumbing (Billy Melvin), Engler Machine & Tool, Inc., Maxim Chassis, Wulff Pumps, Miller Auto Supply and Jeff Smith Racing Engines for their continued support.

INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –

Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.

To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.