Reutzel in Command of ASCS Title Chase
CLUTE, Texas (October 2, 2015) – Aaron Reutzel is moving that much closer to the 2015 Lucas Oil National Tour championship after two recent weekends of competition in Nebraska and Missouri.
With only the Devil’s Bowl Winter Nationals and I-30 Speedway’s “Short Track Nationals” remaining on the ASCS slate, Reutzel holds a 45-point advantage aboard the Shark-powered BC Fundz/Basic One Services No. 87 Triple X Sprint Car in the $60,000 championship chase.
It’s a lead that could have dwindled more after two trying weekends.
“We’ve had plenty of speed, but just no luck at all,” Reutzel explains.
Case in point, I-80 Speedway’s “Fall Brawl” that was compressed into one day on September 19 after Friday rains.
“We had it won hand down, we were leading coming to the checkered flag,” Reutzel said of the preliminary feature in the Wren Motorsports/Momentum Racing Suspensions machine.
But a last-second caution proved costly.
“The left rear went flat under the caution,” Reutzel said of the costly caution. “Then that set me up bad for the second feature.”
With the first feature finish setting the field for the second feature, Reutzel had to battle through “B” Main action rather than have a shot at the $20,000 bonus for sweeping the night. Reutzel made the cut, but there was little to be done from 13th in the Dissolvealloy Frac Ball Revolution machine.
“It was rubbered up for the second feature, you couldn’t really go anywhere,” Reutzel explained.
From there, it was on to Wheatland, Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway, a track that’s similar to I-80 Speedway in at least one respect. “It’s like I-80, we’ve been fast there but no luck,” Reutzel commented prior to the Hockett/McMillin Memorial.
That luck held to be unfortunately true for Reutzel and the Danny Sander Construction/ButlerBuilt team.
The weekend started out in promising fashion with Reutzel racing through his heat race field with ease. But, after contact while trying to slide a car for second, the uphill battle was on.
“It popped the right rear and also tore up the radius rods and arm,” Reutzel said.
Troubles carried over to the “B” Main. “We thought it just jumped out of gear, but it turned out that it broke the yoke.”
After hasty repairs, Reutzel made the call for the “A” Main. “They tilled the top and then it was just one-lane around the top the entire race.”
Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway was similar, with Reutzel again transferring from the “B” Main after being in a stout heat.
“Then they tilled it again, it was one lane around the top,” Reutzel says. “You couldn’t really go anywhere, we managed to pick off a few.
Reutzel picked off enough positions to climb to 11th from 20th after finishing 15th in Friday’s feature.
Now, a pair of familiar ovals in Mesquite, TX, and Little Rock, AR, are all that stand between the $60,000 title for Reutzel and the Lone Star Hydro Maintenance/Wright Way Logistics team.
A weekend or two off to prepare for the final two events should work to Reutzel’s advantage.
“As long as we get through Devil’s Bowl with no parts failures and run top five both nights, then we should be okay,” Reutzel wraps up.
2015 Quick Stats: 62 races, 11 wins, 30 top-fives, 40 top-tens.
Up Next: Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour action resumes with the Devil’s Bowl Speedway “Winter Nationals” in Mesquite, TX, on October 16-17.
Keep Track: Keep track of Aaron Reutzel’s on-track action including schedule and results athttp://www.aaronreutzelracing.
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 onwww.sprintcarmania.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted atlonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Sources: Lonnie Wheatley/Aaron Reutzel PR