From Lonnie Wheatley
CLUTE, Texas (December 7, 2016) – Aaron Reutzel put the wraps on a strong 2016 season with yet another top-five finish in the recent Copper Classic finale at Queen Creek’s Arizona Speedway on November 26.
Just one night after another near win was nixed by a cut tire, Reutzel rallied to his 33rd top-five of the year and 50th top ten in a season that included 99 overall starts.
“We had the speed we needed, it was just a really unlucky weekend,” the driver of the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/BC Fundz No. 87 Triple-X Sprint Car said of the ASCS Southwest “Copper Classic” double.
Reutzel battled for the lead in the Friday prelim aboard the Wren Motorsports/Momentum Racing Suspensions machine.
“We took the lead from third and battled back and forth,” Reutzel relates.
Misfortune would soon strike.
“There’s a chunk of the wall that sticks out about four inches from the rest of it,” Reutzel explains. “I guess we hit that and cut the right rear.”
Reutzel and the Danny Sander Construction/ButlerBuilt team regrouped for the Saturday, November 26, finale and set quick time in their group. “We were out too early though, so it put us pretty far back.”
Reutzel was set to start the final feature of the year in the Wright Way Logistics/Walker Performance Filtration Sprint Car from 12th.
“They tilled the top of the track right before the feature,” Reutzel says. “It was one lane for a while and then it rubbered up.”
Reutzel still took advantage of others’ mistakes enough to work his way up to fourth by the time the checkered flag flew.
“It was a lot better finish than the way the year started,” Reutzel surmises. “And it gives us some momentum going into next year, so we’ll take it.”