4/5/2019
Aaron Reutzel
Reutzel Guns for Air Capital Shootout Loot after Dominant World of Outlaws Triumph at Perris
Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (April 5, 2019) – Aaron Reutzel and the Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports Sprint Car team are Kansas-bound for this weekend’s $14,000-to-win “Park City Cup/Air Capital Shootout” at Wichita’s 81 Speedway.
The event atop the 3/8-mile clay oval takes place on Friday and Saturday. Reutzel will be wheeling teammate Josh Baughman’s No. 17 entry during the event rather than the familiar No. 87 machine.
Reutzel and the Folkens Brothers Trucking/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution Triple-X team enter the weekend after perhaps the most dominant performance of Reutzel’s Sprint Car racing career at California’s Perris Auto Speedway last Saturday, where the reigning All Star Circuit of Champions titlist dominated every portion of the night en route to his second career World of Outlaws victory.
And it was pure dominance. Reutzel set the tone early, turning in the quickest time in hot laps aboard the Precision Catalyst/Hollywood Blasting & Coating/Beard Equipment entry. He then proceeded to set quick time in qualifying, win his heat race and the Dash before leading all 30 laps of the feature.
It was all the result of one change for the Nattress Construction/Momentum Racing Suspensions team.
“It was a last-minute decision,” Reutzel recalls. “We had done our regular maintenance, and then we decided to pully down one of ours from last year and see if that would make a difference.”
It made a difference indeed.
“It was night and day,” Reutzel says.
The impressive Perris Auto Speedway triumph came after a solid 11th-place run at Hanford, California’s Keller Auto Speedway the previous night from the 23rd starting position.
“I got up to about 12th or so passing everyone on the bottom, then I felt like I needed to get to the top,” Reutzel says. “I lost a couple of spots up there before I got back to the bottom and got some back. I should have just stayed down there the whole time.”
The decision to compete at this weekend’s NCRA Sprint Car “Air Capital Shootout” comes after scrapping original plans of an Arizona weekend of World of Outlaws competition before kicking off his All Star Circuit of Champions title defense next weekend.
“We went straight back to the shop in Knoxville after the Perris race, we need to try to figure out our car a little better before the All Star races get going next weekend,” Reutzel explains. “That’s a good payday at 81 Speedway this weekend and we’ve had success there before, so we’re hoping to have a shot at it this weekend.”
Reutzel raced to victory lane in his first visit to 81 Speedway in 2014 and then posted an eighth-place finish in World of Outlaws competition at the Kansas oval in 2017. He looks to add another win or two to the 2019 ledger this weekend.
2019 Quick Stats: 16 races, 1 win, 2 top-fives, 7 top-tens.
Next Up: NCRA Sprint Car “Park City Cup/Air Capital Shootout” at 81 Speedway in Wichita, KS, on Friday and Saturday. Those unable to attend in person can call all the action live via PPV at https://www.speedshifttv.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.
(DB3 Photo)
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley