6/30/2017
Aaron Reutzel
Reutzel Records Third Consecutive Dirt Cup Runner-up Finish after Prelim Win; Grays Harbor this Weekend
Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (June 30, 2017) – Aaron Reutzel came close to the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup big payday once again in last Saturday night’s $15,000-to-win finale at Alger, Washington’s Skagit Speedway.
But, rather than cashing the big check, Reutzel and the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/BC Fundz No. 87 Triple-X Sprint Car team settled for runner-up Dirt Cup honors for the third year in a row.
The second-place run in the Dirt Cup finale came after winning the Thursday night prelim and then a fourth-place showing in the Friday card to earn a front row starting berth for the finale.
Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour action for Reutzel and the Wren Motorsports/Momentum Racing Suspensions team continues with this weekend’s Fred Brownfield Classic at Elma, Washington’s Grays Harbor Raceway.
Last weekend’s Dirt Cup started out in promising fashion for Reutzel and the Nattress Construction/Wings Unlimited team, earning the pole position and then ultimately posting the fourth win of the year after putting the finishing touches on the ASCS Speedweek title just five nights earlier.
Starting on the pole didn’t prove to be advantageous though. “I knew Seth (Bergman) would get the jump,” Reutzel related. “He was about the same speed as us, so I knew we had to wait for traffic. Traffic usually gets pretty hairy there.”
It did indeed, with Reutzel taking advantage to slide by in the Wright Way Logistics/Walker Performance machine and then escaping with the win after trading a couple more sliders before the finish.
“I slid him for the lead with about ten laps to go,” Reutzel recalls. “He slid me back, but then I was able to get back by him and set sail from there.”
Friday’s card got off to a rough start when contact from another car knocked the front end down at the start of heat race action. “We were able to get back out and lucky to get back to where we started in fifth,” Reutzel says.
A charge from eighth to third in his qualifier set Reutzel tenth in Friday’s feature starting grid.
“Coming in leading points after Thursday, we decided to try some stuff for Saturday,” Reutzel says.
It wasn’t exactly what the team was looking for, but Reutzel still worked his way up to fourth to secure a front row starting position for the Saturday main event.
“It wasn’t too bad, but it was a little too rolled up to really race,” Reutzel says of the Friday experiment. “It was something good to learn.”
As it was time for Saturday night's $15,000-to-win Dirt Cup finale to push off, some last minute track work changed the game.
“They left standing water all around the bottom of the track,” Reutzel comments.
After Roger Crockett slid into the lead in the opening pair of corners, Reutzel tried to return the favor in turns three and four. “I went through the water, that let Sam (Hafertepe, Jr.) and (Jason) Solwold get by.”
“It took a while to get back by Solwold because he’s fast and then it took a while to get back by Crockett because he’s fast,” Reutzel says of the race. “By the time I got by them, there was only about ten laps to go, there wasn’t enough time to get to Sam.”
While not satisfied with the runner-up placing at Dirt Cup for a third time in a row, it was yet another solid weekend for Reutzel and team. “Overall, it was a good money-making weekend,” Reutzel surmises.
Another weekend of action in the State of Washington unfolds Friday and Saturday at Grays Harbor Raceway, a track at which Reutzel hasn’t found previous luck.
“We have had good speed there, but zero luck,” Reutzel says. “It’s time to change that.”
2017 Quick Stats: 40 races, 4 wins, 13 top-fives, 20 top-tens.
Up Next: Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour “Fred Brownfield Classic” at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, WA, on Friday and Saturday, June 30 and July 1.
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