3/7/2019
Aaron Reutzel
Reutzel Eager for Thunderbowl Return with the World of Outlaws after Vegas Double Last Week
Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (March 7, 2019) – Just one year ago, Aaron Reutzel and the Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports No. 87 Sprint Car team raced to their first World of Outlaws Sprint Car feature win at Tulare, California’s Thunderbowl Raceway in only their third night out as a newly-formed team.
Now, the reigning All Star Circuit of Champions titlist and the Folkens Brothers Trucking/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution Triple-X team hope to duplicate last year’s Thunderbowl effort as the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car series takes to the lightning-fast, high-banked 3/8-mile clay oval.
“That place has been good for us,” said Reutzel, who also won the 2015 edition of the Peter Murphy Classic at Tulare. “It’s just my kind of racetrack, I always look forward to racing there.”
Reutzel and the Precision Catalyst/Hollywood Blasting & Coating/Beard Equipment team kick off the California portion of the month after showing excellent speed during World of Outlaws events at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas last Wednesday and Thursday.
Reutzel battled for the lead in the Wednesday feature before running short of fuel and then settled for 14h in rubber-down conditions on Thursday.
Wednesday kicked off with Reutzel timing in third-quickest among his group and then posting a dominant heat race win aboard the Nattress Construction/Momentum Racing Suspensions entry.
After a runner-up Dash finish, Reutzel battled among the lead pack throughout after starting on the front row outside. Slipping back to fifth at one point, Reutzel raced back up to second and was poised to challenge for the point in the closing handful of laps before jumping the turn three cushion and slipping back to fifth before a caution flag flew moments later.
Several cautions later in a caution-plagued feature that was still four laps shy of the checkered flag, Reutzel’s car stumbled on the restart as his tank ran dry to precipitate an open red flag that allowed the rest of the field to refuel.
“We were really fast all night, we had a good car,” Reutzel says. “Our fuel was topped off for the feature, there were just too many cautions that extended the race. Everyone was running out of fuel by that time.”
After only qualifying eighth among his group on Thursday, Reutzel nearly salvaged a Dash position in his heat race.
“We didn’t qualify very well, but then I went from fourth to second in the heat,” Reutzel recalls. “But then a couple of guys found the rubber before I did and got back by me.”
Gridding Thursday’s feature in 14th, there was little opportunity to make up ground.
“It rubbered up and locked down about five laps in and that was pretty much it,” Reutzel said after maintaining a 14th-place showing among the stout field.
Sitting ninth in World of Outlaws points after four rounds of action, Reutzel and the BRM No. 87 team are set for four weekends of WoO action in California during the month of March beginning with this weekend’s double at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway.
2019 Quick Stats: 11 races, 4 top-tens.
Next Up: World of Outlaws Sprint Cars at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, CA, on Friday and 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.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley