From Lonnie Wheatley
Clute, TX — (April 1, 2014) — Just when it looked as if Aaron Reutzel was poised to snare a podium finish in ASCS National action, a mechanical gremlin emerged from nowhere to stop the Clute, Texas driver’s run short in Saturday’s Devil’s Bowl Spring Nationals finale.
With a new Stafford Performance powerplant plugged into the Bob and Christie Miller’s Car Parts Machine/Wren’s Motorsports No. 87 Triple-X chassis, Reutzel won his heat race handily and was ready to challenge for the top step of the podium in the 30-lap feature atop the storied ½-mile clay oval in Mesquite, TX.
But before Reutzel could even get the Momentum Racing Suspensions/Danny Sander Construction/ButlerBuilt machine into the mix of things, an ignition box failure forced him pitside in the early going.
“The new motor was really good, I was impressed with it,” Reutzel commented. “Hopefully it helps with our heat race situation when it’s locked down, I could really tell a difference.”
This time, the draw worked in the past ASCS Gulf South champion’s favor. After winning his heat race from the front row outside, Reutzel redrew the second row outside for the feature.
“We finally got a decent draw for the heat race and we did something with it,” Reutzel commented.
Holding down third in the early going, ignition box failure ended his feature run after just four laps.
“We were gonna hold down at least a top three,” Reutzel explains. “The car was a little tight, but we were on a full fuel load, I was just trying to bide my time early.”
Unfortunately, the time to bide was too short.
“We have the speed, now we just need a little luck,” Reutzel surmised.
Even with his second DNF of the season, Reutzel has climbed to eleventh in ASCS National points. “We were gonna make up a lot of points with a top three finish and then that happens,” Reutzel laments. “You can’t have DNF’s racing with these guys and now we’ve already got two, we’re definitely starting behind the eight ball. Hopefully we’ve got that all out of the way now though.”
With the ACS National Tour idle until Saturday, April 12, at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway, Reutzel and the Lone Star Hydro Maintenance/BC Fundz/Wright Way Logistics team are set for two nights of ASCS Gulf South combat at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, TX, this Friday and Saturday.
A $1,000 bonus is up for grabs for the driver that can sweep both ASCS Gulf South nights at Battleground. And that’s what Reutzel will be gunning for.
“I’m really looking forward to two nights at Battleground, it’s a place where we’ve had some success,” Reutzel explained of the 3/8-mile Battleground clay oval where he picked off the first of his five 2013 ASCS Gulf South triumphs last March. “Hopefully we can have some more success this weekend.”
2014 Quick Stats: 12 races, 3 top-fives, 7 top-tens, 1 heat race win, 2 “B” Main wins.
Up Next: ASCS Gulf South action at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, TX, this Friday and Saturday. ASCS National Tour action resumes on Saturday, April 12, at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway.
Keep Track: Keep track of Aaron Reutzel’s on track-action including schedule and results at http://www.aaronreutzelracing.