Ocala Speedway
After jolt, Bruening keeps priorities in check
By Kyle McFadden
DirtonDirt staff reporter
Tyler Bruening during Speedweeks. (heathlawsonphotos.com)
OCALA, Fla. (Feb. 28) — Tyler Bruening has taken his share of tough licks over the years. His two hardest impacts to date came at last September’s Knoxville Late Model Nationals at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway and a few years earlier at dirt-covered Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, both when he “smoked the wall” after right-front tire failures.
When the 40-year-old took another hard impact in Thursday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heat race at Ocala Speedway, he didn’t initially lump it in with those collisions. But not long after he emerged from his damaged Skyline Motorsports machine — after showering and trying to do ordinary tasks like simply putting on new clothes — the Decorah, Iowa, driver knew something was off.
"After that, I don't know if my adrenaline was going so much or what … I got out and just felt a little uneasy,” Bruening said. “Like, my neck just felt a little off or wrong, or something. So I came in, took a shower and changed, and just felt like I couldn't support my head. Like, my neck was kind of a little bit crunchy and clicky, and just didn't seem right.”
That’s when Bruening took a non-urgent ambulance ride to a nearby hospital, mainly as a precaution, where he underwent a CT scan among other tests administered by medical specialists. He learned he suffered “some soft tissue damage and some muscle tears” in his neck region, news Bruening didn’t want to hear. But doctors ruled out any serious injuries to his neck, spine or back, bringing Bruening relief.
Bruening said he’s mostly managed the soreness by loading up on Tylenol and plenty of rest, adding that he declined a prescription for a muscle relaxer because he’s leery of the medication’s potential side effects.
As an added precaution, Bruening sat out Saturday’s Wieland Winternationals finale at Ocala Speedway with hopes of returning to action for Wednesday’s first of four Lucas Oil Series events at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Ga., the very place he picked up his first career national touring victory last January.
“Honestly, I wanted the peace of mind to know that everything was OK,” Bruening said. “Like I said, the concerning things were crossed off. So that's good. I'm feeling better today, just not quite 100 percent. I was a little concerned getting in there tonight with all the rain. It could be smooth as glass. I don't know, but I was just concerned about it, rushing back and then pushing it.
“I think these next couple days will just allow me to recover physically, and then let the guys get the cars right, and, you know, we won’t skip a beat come Wednesday.”
That 48-hour span — Friday’s rainout at Ocala and Saturday when he chose to sit out — gave Bruening time to reflect on the risks of racing and how they stack up against the responsibilities he carries as a father and in his family’s business. He’s by no means ready to walk away from racing — after all, the hopes are he returns to action Wednesday at Golden Isles Speedway — but the accident did put things into perspective.
“Yeah, I got a lot of stuff going on that’s more important than driving a race car,” said Bruening, the health and safety director at Decorah, Iowa-based Bruening Rock Products. “You do reflect on it. I think, when I was young and didn't have kids, I wasn't to where I'm at now. But honestly, if I were gonna answer you truthfully, it does, you know? Like, you don't want to get hurt. You don't want to be affected the rest of your life.”
It marked Bruening’s second significant impact in a five-month span, the other being what he described as “the hardest hit ever” September at Knoxville. Running third that night, a cut tire sent him into the turn-three wall, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him sore.
“That stuff, your body absorbs it. It takes a toll on you, too,” Bruening said. “Also playing football in college, that doesn't do your body any favors either. That's what I think about, you know, when you wake up sore and hurting. It's not that you question your decisions, but you do evaluate what's important for sure.”
Bruening, who vacationed at Walt Disney World with his two kids — 16-year-old Alayna and 12-year-old Bennett — between Feb. 14’s DIRTcar Nationals finale at Volusia Speedway Park and Feb. 18’s practice night at All-Tech Raceway, said those moments with his children are ones he wouldn’t risk losing.
“So, yeah, I gotta be there for my family and my kids and do what's right for them,” Bruening said.
Bruening’s first three races of the season Feb. 9-11 at Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals started him off on the right foot with finishes of eighth, 18th and eighth against a 50-plus-car field. But since then, he’s failed to qualify for three of seven features and posted an average finish of 24.8 over that stretch.
Stepping aside Saturday allowed Bruening’s Skyline Motorsports team to devote its full focus to 21-year-old rookie Dallon Murty, a driver Bruening thinks highly of, while continuing to get acquainted with Austin Kirkpatrick’s emerging AK Race Cars brand.
“I also want to let my guys get the cars right, too. It's been kind of up and down for me in Speedweeks with some luck and honestly, figuring out the race cars, what they like and don't like,” Bruening said. “I got to give credit to Dallon and his crew. The nice thing about when you're off a little bit is you're willing to try some things and, and they discovered a little thing that we implemented. It seems to have really picked up the pace of the race cars. So I'm looking forward to the rest of Speedweeks here at Brunswick.”
For Bruening, this marks the first time he’s served as a mentor to a driving teammate at Skyline Motorsports. When veteran figures Chris Madden and Shane Clanton raced for the team, Bruening, of course, was the mentee. Mike Marlar also had a positive influence on Bruening during his two full seasons with Skyline from 2024-25, though Bruening was less in a mentee role by that point.
With Murty, however, Bruening feels compelled to guide the promising rookie as he finds his footing in the wide and daunting world of Dirt Late Model racing.
“I’m really proud of Dallon and what he's been able to achieve already,” Bruening said. “Super pumped for him; a fast time already (on Thursday at Ocala). That's awesome. That's super cool and we're super proud of him. I’ll do whatever I need to do to help him continue to progress and get better, and make all these shows.”
In Bruening’s eyes, Murty is just the latest crop of young talent to reach the sport’s highest level. And with this being his first full season in his 40s, Bruening is more aware than ever of the age gap that comes with it. He still hopes to keep pushing forward at this stage of his career, but the past few days in Ocala have offered a sobering perspective.
“This racing is really a young man's sport. There are plenty of drivers that are 40-plus that still are very dominant and can win and are very good,” Bruening said. “But it's just the young guys really can hustle, and they can really push it. They’re just good wheelmen. So, I’m trying to hang on a little bit and enjoy myself, and ride this out a little bit. And yeah, the future is Dallon Murty, and the young guys in the sport. I’m gonna be an ambassador for them and for all the young guys to come, for sure.”
