6/28/2018
Aaron Reutzel
Another Win for Reutzel Highlights Ohio Sprint Speedweek – All Star Title Chase Continues this Weekend
Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (June 28, 2018) – Aaron Reutzel and the Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports No. 87 Sprint Car team got their first dose of an All Star Circuit of Champions “Ohio Sprint Speedweek”.
And with a strong car over each of the seven nights that were completed, a win at Waynesfield Raceway Park on Sunday, June 17, highlighted a week that included three top-fives and four top-tens along the way.
After a few days off to recoup, the Folkens Brothers Trucking/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution Triple-X Sprint Car team are right back to All Star title chase action with a pair of events this weekend beginning at Indiana’s Plymouth Speedway on Friday night and then the Dirt Oval at Route 66 in Joliet, IL, on Saturday.
Both will be first-time stops for the driver of the Precision Catalyst/Hollywood Blasting & Coating/Beard Equipment entry.
“We’ve been pretty good at first-time tracks for the most part, we need to keep that going this weekend,” Reutzel says.
Reutzel’s first Ohio Sprint Speedweek began on Friday, June 15, at Attica Raceway Park. And Reutzel was right there battling for the lead with Paul McMahan until engine woes slowed his charge.
“We were really good, but then broke the motor,” Reutzel says. “We broke a spark plug on the second laps but were still going alright. I’m not sure if that’s what led to the problem later in the race when it shut down or not.”
Reutzel bounced back by racing to a fifth-place finish aboard the Nattress Construction/Momentum Racing Suspensions entry the next night at Rossburg’s Eldora Speedway.
“We started the night really fast,” Reutzel said after timing in quickest among the 46-car field and then winning his Dash to earn the pole position for the feature. “We tried something to get better in the middle and that was the wrong move. We were lucky to hang on for fifth.”
Reutzel kept climbing up the charts with his third series win of the year on Sunday night, June 17, at Waynesfield Raceway Park. And it was one that seemed unlikely in the early portion of the night.
“We weren’t very good in the heat or the Dash, so we just threw something at it for the feature,” Reutzel explains even after winning the Dash to start on the pole of the feature. “I could run anywhere, that’s what made it possible for me to get by Kyle (Larson) before the rubber came in late.”
Misfortune over the next two nights resulted in finishes of 21st at both Wayne County Speedway on Monday, June 18, and Sharon Speedway on Tuesday.
The Wayne County outing resulted from a hole in the fuel tank early in the night. “We changed it, but it must not have been cleaned out right,” Reutzel says. “The motor wasn’t going good, the nozzles clogged up and it finally quit with a few laps to go.” Reutzel had worked his way into a solid position just outside the top five when it finally shut down.
Sharon Speedway was trying as well. “I got into the fence at the start, then got back to fourth before we had a problem that put us to the back,” Reutzel says. Reutzel worked his way forward again until a cut tire just three laps shy of the checkered flag cut his run short.
Action continued on Wednesday night, June 20, at Chillicothe’s Atomic Speedway with Reutzel earning the eighth starting position before the skies opened up, postponing the feature to Saturday night.
“We were good in the heat and then we were good in the Dash too, I just didn’t get a good start,” Reutzel says.
Rain continued over the next two days, washing out Thursday and Friday events at Muskingum County Speedway and Limaland Motorsports Park before racing resumed with twin features at Atomic Speedway on Saturday night.
Reutzel finished out the week on a strong note, racing to an eighth-place finish in the makeup feature from Wednesday night and then rallying from 10th to capture fifth in the Rick Ferkel Classic that finished off the week.
“Overall, we had a good week,” Reutzel says. “We had a fast car each night out, we just have to keep that going.”
Reutzel and crew look to keep up the strong outings at Plymouth and Joliet this weekend.
2018 Quick Stats: 33 races, 4 wins, 13 top-fives, 18 top-tens.
Quick Results: All Star Circuit of Champions Ohio Sprint Speedweek
Friday, June 15 – 22nd at Attica Raceway Park
Saturday, June 16 – 5th at Eldora Speedway
Sunday, June 17 – 1st at Waynesfield Raceway Park
Monday, June 18 – 21st at Wayne County Speedway
Tuesday, June 19 – 21st at Sharon Speedway
Wednesday, June 20 – 8th at Atomic Speedway (Feature run on Saturday, June 23)
Thursday, June 21 – Rained Out at Muskingum County Speedway
Friday, June 22 – Rained Out at Limaland Motorsports Park
Saturday, June 23 – 5th at Atomic Speedway
Up Next: All Star Circuit of Champions at Plymouth (IN) Speedway on Friday night and the Dirt Oval at Route 66 in Joliet, IL, on Saturday.
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
