Aaron Reutzel scores seventh All Star victory of 2019 with wire-to-wire performance at Plymouth

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Aaron Reutzel scores seventh All Star victory of 2019 with wire-to-wire performance at Plymouth

Story By: Tyler Altmeyer/ASCOC

Photo By: TJ Slideways

PLYMOUTH, Ind. (August 18, 2019) – After a frustrating outing one night prior that ultimately resulted in a ‘DNF’ finish, Clute, Texas’ Aaron Reutzel redeemed himself completely during his Saturday night stay at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana, and secured his seventh Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 victory of the 2019 season; his first since Utica-Rome Speedway in mid-July.

A convincing victory to say the least, Reutzel led every lap of the 30-lap program at the Plymouth short track, utilizing patience to maneuver through periods of heavy lapped traffic all while holding off a fast closing Brock Zearfoss, as well as an eighth starting Greg Wilson. The $5,000 triumph also allowed Reutzel to chop into Dale Blaney’s championship points lead, cutting the advantage down to ten markers. Blaney entered the evening with a 26-point advantage, all of which built from Reutzel’s ‘DNF’ result at I-96 Speedway.

“Top, bottom, middle; we were comfortable all over tonight. That’s something we have been working really hard on,” Aaron Reutzel said in Plymouth Speedway victory lane, driver of the Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports/Folkens Brothers Trucking/Fischer Body Shop/Dissolvalloy/No. 87 sprint car. “It was one hell of a team effort tonight. I’m just thankful that my group of guys have stuck behind me.”

Although the Texan was able to control every circuit of the 30-lap main event, Reutzel was never completely on his own. In fact, a blanket could have been thrown over the top four during the midpoint of the main event, a pattern that continued for nearly five circuits. Reutzel eventually escaped into traffic, but Zearfoss, who drove into second from fourth with a bold move through turns one and two on lap nine, remained persistent.

The final four circuits saw the battle between Reutzel and Zearfoss intensify yet again. With slower cars bunching up two and three wide ahead of the leader, Reutzel was forced to check up which allowed Zearfoss to close the gap to a car length by the two-to-go signal.

Solidifying his place on top of the podium, Reutzel perfected a slider through turns one and two to place a slower car between himself and Zearfoss on the final lap. The move worked, allowing Reutzel to cruise home ahead of Zearfoss, Greg Wilson, Gerard McIntryre, and Justin Peck.

“I felt like I was ok through the first set of lapped cars, then I got to a group that I absolutely did not want to have to lap. I was actually praying for a caution so I didn’t have to work around them,” Aaron Reutzel continued. “I was a little timid in traffic tonight, for sure. I didn’t want to get knocked out.”

The All Star Circuit of Champions will continue their 2019 campaign with a four-pack in the Keystone State; four events in four days across much of Posse Country. The four-day invasion of Central Pennsylvania will ignite on Thursday evening, August 22, at the always-racey Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. Action will move to the historic Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg on Friday, August 23, followed by a visit to the ‘Fabulous’ Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown on Saturday, August 24. The weekend will conclude on Sunday, August 25, at BAPS Motor Speedway near York Haven.

The events at Grandview Speedway, Lincoln Speedway and BAPS Motor Speedway will each award $5,000 top prizes. The format at Williams Grove Speedway will feature twin main events, each awarding $4,000 paydays.

In addition, MAVTV Motorsports Network, the official television home of the All Star Circuit of Champions in 2019, will be on hand to capture action from Grandview, Williams Grove and Lincoln. All three programs will be broadcast via tape-delay on October 13, October 20 and October 27, respectively.

Contingency Awards/Results: Plymouth Speedway – August 17, 2019:
Entries: 26
C&R Racing All Star Warm-Ups: Aaron Reutzel – 12.375 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Aaron Reutzel – 12.233 seconds
Ford Performance Heat #1: Paul McMahan
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Buddy Kofoid
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Justin Peck
JE Pistons Dash presented by Fatheadz Eyewear: Aaron Reutzel
Classic Ink USA Screenprinting B-Main Winner: Chad Boespflug
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet A-Main Winner: Aaron Reutzel
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Tony Stewart (+6)
Cometic Gasket Most A-Main Laps Led: Aaron Reutzel (1-30)
Rayce Rudeen Foundation First Non-Transfer: Michael Summers
(Lincoln Electric, MSD Performance, Fatheadz Eyewear, Rayce Rudeen Foundation, Cometic Gasket: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)

Qualifying

Group (A)

11-Dale Blaney, 12.427; 2. 99-Skylar Gee, 12.546; 3. 70-Brock Zearfoss, 12.664; 4. 13-Paul McMahan, 12.791; 5. 21-Brinton Marvel, 12.802; 6. 16c-Gregg Dalman, 13.082; 7. 97-Max Stambaugh, 13.288; 8. 14S-Garrett Saunders, 13.294; 9. 40-George Hobaugh, 13.472

Group (B)

26-Cory Eliason, 12.490; 2. 71P-Parker Price-Miller, 12.510; 3. 11N-Buddy Kofoid, 12.751; 4. O7-Gerard McIntyre, 12.777; 5. 14-Tony Stewart, 12.933; 6. 98-Chad Boespflug, 12.941; 7. 4-Danny Smith, 13.354; 8. 18-Josh Shantz, 13.519; 9. iO7-Mark Coldren, 14.052

Group (C)

87-Aaron Reutzel, 12.233; 2. 70X-Justin Peck, 12.387; 3. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.732; 4. 71m-Paul May, 12.828; 5. 49-Shawn Dancer, 12.854; 6. 4K-Kody Kinser, 13.256; 7. 71E-Tyler Esh, 13.570; 8. 18S-Micheal Summers, 13.753

Heat #1 – Group (A) (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer

13-Paul McMahan [1]; 2. 70-Brock Zearfoss [2]; 3. 99-Skylar Gee [3]; 4. 11-Dale Blaney [4]; 5. 21-Brinton Marvel [5]; 6. 97-Max Stambaugh [7]; 7. 16C-Gregg Dalman [6]; 8. 40-George Hobaugh [9]; 9. 14S-Garrett Saunders [8]

Heat #2 – Group (B) (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer

11N-Buddy Kofoid [2]; 2. O7-Gerard McIntyre [1]; 3. 26-Cory Eliason [4]; 4. 14-Tony Stewart [5]; 5. 71P-Parker Price-Miller [3]; 6. 4-Danny Smith [7]; 7. 98-Chad Boespflug [6]; 8. 18-Josh Shantz [8]; 9. IO7-Mark Coldren [9]

Heat #3 – Group (C) (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer

70X-Justin Peck [3]; 2. W20-Greg Wilson [2]; 3. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4]; 4. 71M-Paul May [1]; 5. 49-Shawn Dancer [5]; 6. 71E-Tyler Esh [7]; 7. 18S-Micheal Summers [8]; 8. 4K-Kody Kinser [6]

Dash #1 (6 Laps)

87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 2. O7-Gerard McIntyre [1]; 3. 11-Dale Blaney [3]; 4. 70-Brock Zearfoss [4]; 5. 13-Paul McMahan [5]; 6. 70X-Justin Peck [7]; 7. 11N-Buddy Kofoid [6]; 8. W20-Greg Wilson [8]

B-Main (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer

98-Chad Boespflug [1]; 2. 16C-Gregg Dalman [2]; 3. 40-George Hobaugh [5]; 4. 14S-Garrett Saunders [7]; 5. IO7-Mark Coldren [8]; 6. 18-Josh Shantz [6]; 7. 18S-Micheal Summers [3]

A-Main (30 Laps)

87-Aaron Reutzel [1]; 2. 70-Brock Zearfoss [4]; 3. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 4. O7-Gerard McIntyre [2]; 5. 70X-Justin Peck [6]; 6. 14-Tony Stewart [12]; 7. 13-Paul McMahan [5]; 8. 11-Dale Blaney [3]; 9. 99-Skylar Gee [10]; 10. 26-Cory Eliason [9]; 11. 11N-Buddy Kofoid [7]; 12. 71M-Paul May [11]; 13. 71P-Parker Price-Miller [13]; 14. 97-Max Stambaugh [16]; 15. 49-Shawn Dancer [15]; 16. 4-Danny Smith [17]; 17. 98-Chad Boespflug [19]; 18. 21-Brinton Marvel [14]; 19. 16C-Gregg Dalman [20]; 20. 40-George Hobaugh [21]; 21. 71E-Tyler Esh [18]; 22. 14S-Garrett Saunders [22]; 23. 18-Josh Shantz [24]; 24. IO7-Mark Coldren [23] Lap Leaders: Aaron Reutzel (1-30)

2019 All Star Circuit of Champions Driver Standings (After 8/17/2019):