Reutzel gets 1st ASCS National win, eyes 3rd Wren Classic score

[rebelracewriter]

Reutzel Lands First ASCS National Win; Eyes Third Consecutive Wren Classic Score!

Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (April 15, 2014) It couldnt have been a better night, weve been trying to get that one for a long time, Aaron Reutzel exclaimed after bagging his first career ASCS National Tour feature win at Little Rocks I-30 Speedway on Saturday.

Reutzel had good reason to be excited about the Stafford Performance-powered Bob and Christie Millers Car Parts Machine/Wrens Motorsports No. 87 Triple-X machine wrenched by crew member Ryan Beechler after Saturday nights triumph over a stellar 43 car field.

We knew going in that this was probably one of our best opportunities to win, the STN last year showed weve really got our car rolling good around that track, Reutzel explained. We unloaded fast. It was one of those things that was just meant to be, everything went just right.

Reutzel and crew carry that momentum into this weekends ASCS Gulf South double at Heart O Texas Speedway and then the Gator Motorplex, where he is the two-time and defending winner of the Nolan Wren Classic.

At I-30 Speedway this past weekend, Reutzels evening began in familiar fashion with a big draw number. Unphased, Reutzel raced forward from ninth to fourth to put the Momentum Racing Suspensions/Danny Sander Construction/ButlerBuilt machine in the redraw.

Reutzel redrew the pole position for the 30-lap feature. The opportunity was there.

We watched the Bs, the guys up top were decent but the bottom looked a lot better, Reutzel explains. We set up to put the right rear where it would never see the moisture, I wasnt going to get off the bottom unless I could hear someone or traffic forced us.

Reutzel jumped into the lead and narrowly avoided the first caution just as he approached the tail of the field. The guys car went one way and the wheel went the other, we split it. Leading and trying to get that first win, you think everything is out to get you, Reutzel laughs.

The tension thickened as the laps clicked off and Reutzel was ever closer to parking the Lone Star Hydro Maintenance/BC Fundz/Wright Way Logistics machine in victory lane.

We ran down traffic again, we kept slowing down more and more it seemed like, Reutzel explains of the closing laps. I could hear a motor, someone running the middle, I started getting nervous and just barely clipped one of the tires exiting two. I told myself, Dont start that!.

Closing in to lap Seth Bergman in the final handful of laps, Reutzel put the No. 23 car to good use. He was running up top and we would meet on the straightaway. I could hear someone back there still so I tried to slide up next to him on the straights (Bergman) to block the track.

The white flag flies and the Clute, TX, driver is just one-quarter mile from that breakthrough victory.

Now Im really nervous. Im thinking someone is gonna dive bomb me for the lead so I go in really hard and just smoke a couple of infield tires getting into one, I thought for sure the front end would go down.

But the front end stays up through turns one and two and Reutzel powers down the backstretch.

That last lap was the longest lap of my life, I was just waiting for the front end to collapse getting into three, Reutzel exclaimed.

But it doesnt and Reutzel negotiates the final pair of corners without incident to finally nab that first career ASCS National win after accumulating ten previous ASCS Gulf South wins.

Thank goodness we had a Triple-X left front radius rod, it held up. It bent the axle and the tie rod, but we hung on.

Relief is just one of the many emotions that run through a guys head after a monumental win like Reutzels at I-30 Speedway on Saturday night. You start to wonder if it will happen. You come so close so many times, you start to wonder if its meant to be, Reutzel explains.

That was one of our goals for the year, to get that first National win, Reutzel comments. The further you go into the season, the more anxious you get about it and start to wonder. We got that one out of the way so maybe theyll start coming easier now.

Thats the confidence booster we needed, especially before we head out to Oregon next month. Now if we can just be consistent and get good finishes we can reach our other goal for this year of finishing top five in points.

Reutzel is well on his way to that other goal as well, climbing to tenth in a tightly-bunched points race.

Reutzel points out that, We had a horrible points start having to use a promoters provisional the opening weekend, and now were just 62 points out of the lead. String together some top fives and were right there.

And for Reutzel, the first win couldnt have come at a better place than I-30 Speedway. I love that place, from Micros to Sprint Cars its always been a fun place to race at.

Reutzel and crew have little time to enjoy the spoils of victory as Gulf Coast Ford comes on board for this weekends ASCS Gulf South events at Wacos Heart O Texas Speedway on Friday and then the Nolan Wren Classic at the Gator Motorplex in Willis, TX, on Saturday.

Reutzels second career Gulf South win came at Heart O Texas early in 2011 with two more wins in the initial two editions of the Nolan Wren Classic at the Gator Motorplex in 2012 and then last April. Both places are racy, one of my wins at Willis was on the top and the other was on the bottom, they usually have a good track when the Gulf South is there.

Reutzel says of the Nolan Wren Classic, Thats always a big race for us, weve known the family a long time and were good friends with Nolan so its always means a lot to us to do well at that one.

Reutzel beat Christopher Bell and Jason Johnson to the line in last years Nolan Wren Classic. And Reutzel would love nothing more than to be standing in victory lane for the second consecutive Saturday night this weekend as a three-time Nolan Wren Classic champion.

2014 Quick Stats: 15 races, 1 win, 6 top-fives, 10 top-tens, 1 heat race win, 2 B Main wins.

Up Next: ASCS Gulf South this weekend including Wacos Heart O Texas Speedway on Friday and then the Third Annual Nolan Wren Classic at the Gator Motorplex in Willis, TX, on Saturday.

Keep Track: Keep track of Aaron Reutzels 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.