[JessicaJ]

Great Start for Bruns Turns into a Crazy Night at Macon
By Jessica Jenkins

Coming off of what has started to feel like a long season, Patrick Bruns and team pulled into Macon Speedway for the final time this year. Still recovering from bruises sustained in the lap one flip his previous time out at the 1/5th mile and with an engine that still isn't quite right, Bruns was ready to get on track.

Hot laps had a hiccup or two and the driver from Champaign, IL described the car as being tight, but his talented crew went right to work as soon as he returned to the pits. After adjustments and working on the left rear, they were ready to take to the track for the sole heat race of the night. And that was where Bruns returned to his early season (and usual) form. From the drop of the green flag he stuck right to the bottom lane and did not stay in his fifth-place starting spot for long. On lap two he was four wide for third in turns one and two and quickly moved to second position. Still staying glued to the lowest possible line, he took the lead on the next lap and did not look back for the final five circuits on the dirt track. He was easily the smoothest driver on track and it showed with no one else on the track being able to even think about challenging him. That run from fifth to first earned him all the passing points he needed to easily sit on the pole for the feature. But the night was about to take a strange and unusual twist.

Once back in the pits again it was discovered by the crew that he had run the race without power steering. While the fitting had worked fine at the shop, once all the pressure got put on it in the race, it began leaking out fluid and he wheeled that car around purely by his strength and expertise. But, while eight laps was a possibility, running double that in the feature wasn't an option for his already sore shoulders. With no backup available and attempts to fix the power steering impossible to do, the 10B MWR team picked up an unprecedented option: switch cars with another team. Parked next to Bruns all weekend was brand new team Teare Racing, a family that knows Bruns' team very well as they both come from Champaign-Urbana. They generously offered their yellow #5 to the points leader so that he wouldn't lose as much to his closest competitor.

With the switch agreed upon, the MWR team instantly jumped from their orange and white car to setting up the new car to Bruns' tastes. All while they also did what was possible so Wyatt Teare could run the #10B. As the 6 other classes ran their races, they thrashed hard as drivers and mechanics set the inside and outside of the cars to the highest comfort level they could achieve in a short amount of time. It is a marvel to watch good teams work, but to watch them address, accept and adjust to an unexpected situation is incredible and each member of the MWR team certainly deserves a huge prize at the end of this season. And that prize could be the championship that they are drawing nearer and nearer to obtaining.

With darkness draped across the Central Illinois speedway and the call going out to lineup for the POWRi/ILLINI D2 feature, the drivers each climbed into their new ride. Instead of starting on the pole, Bruns would now start from the rear of the field. But the way it worked out, he started inside row three with his typical-colored car right behind him. By the end of lap one, the 4-time, defending ILLINI Racing Series champion had already taken over fourth position, once more running the bottom of the track. That accomplished, he immediately started attacking the car ahead of him to gain a second spot. For a few laps the field stayed close together but by lap 6 the top two began to put distance over the rest of the field. Bruns was still on the tail tank of the third position, but by the 2/3rds mark he had begun to lose some ground to the car ahead of him. With two to go the leader, Bruns' closest points competitor, began to lap the back of the field, but that didn't matter to Bruns as he was still well ahead of sixth place. When the checkered waved, Bruns finished fourth and only lost about 20 points to the race winner.

With the wild, crazy night now over, Bruns and team began to pack up and already had plans for fixing the car before the season finale. Bruns and each member of his MWR team want to offer a heartfelt thank you to Wyatt Teare and his father for generously donating the use of their car to help in the championship battle when they got caught in a tough spot. He also expressed a lot of gratitude to each member of his own team that immediately jumped in and did what needed to be done without a second thought. And of course this all could not happen without sponsors like Cain's Marine Welding, Triple T Car Wash & Lube, Mobil 1 and a host of other supporters.

With a solid points lead heading into the doubleheader finale, Patrick Bruns just needs two more good finishes to take home the championship. They have just about three more weeks to get the car in tip-top shape for Jacksonville Speedway on October 14th and 15th. For updates from the team each weekend and to see what all they are doing, visit them at Facebook.com/MWRtech, follow them on Twitter @MWRTechnology or stop by their website MWRtechnology.com for more information about Bruns and his teammates.