3/28/2019
Aaron Reutzel
Reutzel Finishes Out World of Outlaws California Swing after Best Finish of the Year
Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (March 28, 2019) – Aaron Reutzel and the Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports No. 87 Sprint Car team are set to finish out this month’s NOS Energy Drinks California swings with a pair of events this weekend after last weekend’s double fell early to rain.
This week’s action for the Folkens Brothers Trucking/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution Triple-X team takes place at Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds on Friday night and then the Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday night.
While it will be the reigning All Star Circuit of Champions titlist first visit to Perris on Saturday, it will be his second visit to the Kings Fairgrounds after posting a 17th place finish with the Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour eight years ago in February of 2011.
Reutzel enters the weekend after another pair of strong runs with the World of Outlaws at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway and then the Stockton Dirt Track on March 15-16. After early Chico struggles, Reutzel salvaged a solid 11th-place finish that netted Hard Charger honors and the rallied from 12th to capture fourth atop a rough Stockton surface the following night aboard the Precision Catalyst/Hollywood Blasting & Coating/Beard Equipment entry.
His first visit to Silver Dollar Speedway got off to an inauspicious start before rallying through the “B” Main to earn the 24th starting position for the feature.
“We struggled until the end of the night,” Reutzel comments. “We were so tight early that I couldn’t hardly stay on the racetrack.”
The Nattress Construction/Momentum Racing Suspensions crew made improvements as the night progressed though.
“We finally got freed up enough by the ‘B’ Feature and went from tenth to get the final transfer,” Reutzel recalls.
From there, Reutzel sliced through the feature field, cracking the top ten at one point before ultimately settling for 11th at the stripe and Hard Charger honors.
“We got up to ninth, then I hit a hole really bad and bottomed out the right front and broke the shaft off of the shock,” Reutzel explains.
Moving on to Stockton on Saturday the 16th, a qualifying effort of 16th was followed up by a third-place heat race run that found the team gridded 12th in the feature event.
“We were too tight again in qualifying, so we had some work to do again,” Reutzel recalls.
Starting 12th, an opening lap mishap put Reutzel back to 20th. Reutzel was on the wheel from there, ripping through the field all the way to fourth by race’s end on a rough surface with the top three within reach at the line.
“We got freed up for the ‘A” and the car was really good,” Reutzel says. “On the first lap, everyone checked up and I swerved to miss and slid off the track. That put us way back, but we came back up through the field. It was rough, but I was able to drive right through the holes. It was a blast to race on.”
With his first top-five of the season in the books, Reutzel will look to add more and perhaps a first win of the season in this weekend’s events at Hanford and Perris.
(Photo courtesy of DB3 Imaging)
2019 Quick Stats: 14 races, 1 top-five, 6 top-tens.
Next Up: World of Outlaws Sprint Cars at Hanford, California’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds on Friday and then Perris (CA) Auto Speedway on Saturday. Those unable to attend in person can call all the action live via PPV at www.dirtvision.com.
Keep Track: Keep track of Aaron Reutzel’s on-track action including schedule and results at http://www.aaronreutzelracing.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aaron-Reutzel-Racing/117666254913127 or on Twitter at @AaronReutzel. You can also e-mail Aaron at aaronreutzel@yahoo.com.
If you would like Aaron Reutzel Racing press releases e-mailed directly to you, send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.'
Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on www.sprintcarmania.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley
Submitted By: Lonnie Wheatley
