Reutzel Rallies to another ASCS Podium Finish!

Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (July 22, 2014) – Aaron Reutzel finished off the ASCS journey to Montana and South Dakota by rallying from deep in the field to another podium finish Friday night at Rapid City’s Black Hills Speedway.

Reutzel’s charge from 14th to third aboard the Bob and Christie Miller’s Car Parts Machine/Wren Motorsports No. 87 Triple-X entry marked his 30th overall top ten of a season that has included six wins and now 21 top-fives.

And before getting to Rapid City on Friday, Reutzel very nearly added win number seven to the ledger in the Momentum Racing Suspensions/Danny Sander Construction/ButlerBuilt machine at Wyoming’s Gillette Thunder Speedway on Wednesday night.

“We won the heat and won the dash, then we were checked out in the feature,” Reutzel said of the unsanctioned Gillette Thunder Speedway event.  In full command, Reutzel’s run was cut short when a pair of bolts were sheared from the right front combo arm.

While apparent bad luck denied another win, there was a silver lining in this cloud.

“It was lucky it happened there and not at Rapid City,” Reutzel says.  “If it would have happened on that big half-mile, it could have been ugly.”

Reutzel’s first visit to Black Hills Speedway on Friday didn’t get off to the best of starts with Reutzel finishing fourth in his heat race after starting third.  “We just didn’t have the car right and we really put ourselves behind the eight ball.”

Making the proper adjustments, Reutzel wasted little time racing forward from the 14th starting position in the Lone Star Hydro Maintenance/BC Fundz/Wright Way Logistics mount.

“We basically stayed out of trouble, just rolled the bottom and let the other guys make mistakes,” Reutzel explains.  “We were just in the right place at the right time the whole time, we got up there really quick.”

Very quick indeed, working his way up to third within a half-dozen laps on the dusty half-mile.

“I really thought we had something for them (Brad Loyet and Jason Johnson), I don’t know if they got better as the race went on or if something changed under the red flag,” Reutzel says.  “I got by Loyet once but then he got back by, I think I may have showed him the line.”

Reutzel kept pace and settled for a strong third-place finish after starting deep in the pack under treacherous conditions.  “It was the dustiest I’ve raced in, you couldn’t see ten feet ahead.”

With a second consecutive third-place finish to go along with an eighth-place run to finish off the three-race set of ASCS National Tour action in Montana and South Dakota, Reutzel still holds down a strong fifth position in National points with at least a couple of more positions within easy striking distance.

“Overall, it went pretty well,” Reutzel said of the trip to the north.  “We had some good finishes, car was good, really nothing to complain about at all.”

2014 Quick Stats:  40 races, 6 wins, 21 top-fives, 30 top-tens, 9 heat race wins, 4 “B” Main wins.

Up Next: A Knoxville Raceway outing Saturday is a possibility before next week’s Knoxville 360 Nationals on July 31, August 1 and August 2.

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 racinboys.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.

Bell Bolsters Schedule after another Strong Weekend!

Lonnie Wheatley, NORMAN, Okla. (July 22, 2014) – Just one week ago, Christopher Bell had about come to terms with the likelihood that he would be spectating rather than racing at the upcoming Knoxville Nationals.  He also had an off night slated when the USAC Silver Crown series takes to the Belleville High Banks next Friday.

Both of those things have changed just that quickly, as the 19-year-old from Norman, OK, will wheel a Silver Crown car in the midst of the Belleville Midget Nationals before throwing his hat in the ring for Rookie of the Year honors at the 54th Annual Knoxville Nationals on August 6-9.

Bell will pilot Brandon Berryman’s No. 31 All Pro Auto Reconditioning JR1-chassis at the Knoxville Nationals after taking the seat of the RPM/Gormly No. 99 for USAC Silver Crown competition at Belleville.

“It looked like the schedule might kind of lighten up some in August, now all of this has come together,” Bell commented.  “I’m excited about it, I have at least 12 races now over the next couple of weeks.”

The busy stretch begins with Bell aboard the Fox Brothers No. 53 for this week’s MOWA Speedweek events in Illinois that get under way Wednesday at Highland Speedway before moving on to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach on Thursday, Jacksonville Speedway on Friday and then Macon Speedway on Saturday.

From there, it’s on to Kansas Midget aboard the potent Keith Kunz Motorsports No. 67 Midget for USAC Midget action including a Tuesday night (July 29) stop at Beloit’s Solomon Valley Raceway and then the Belleville Midget Nationals on July 31 and August 2.

With the USAC Silver Crown series tackling the High Banks for the second year during Friday of the Midget Nationals weekend, Bell jumps into the RPM/Gormly No. 99 with ace crew chief Rob Hart turning the wrenches.

From Belleville, it’s directly on to Knoxville Raceway for the Sunday, August 3, Capitani Classic aboard Berryman’s No. 31.  “Brandon just got a 410 so we’re ready now, it’ll be nice to get some laps in it on the Sunday before the Nationals so I can get adjusted.”  Bell will also take in the Monday, August 4, Front Row Challenge event at Oskaloosa’s Southern Iowa Speedway.

With several large events looming in four different cars including USAC Midgets, USAC Midgets, winged 410s and winged 360s, Bell comes off another weekend that included a runner-up finish on Friday at Attica before another run towards the front was cut short at Fremont.

“We just weren’t quite good enough at Attica,” Bell explains.  “We had a white and checkered together, I didn’t really have the run I wanted but I tried it, we just came up a little bit short.

One night later at Attica Raceway Park, Bell was on the move once again in the Fox Brothers No. 53.  “We got up to third and I darned near turned it over,” Bell explains.  “I banged off the cushion, when it came down it broke the bead off the left rear so we were done.”

It was another good weekend of racing to build on.  “We were fast both nights, hopefully we can carry that over into the MOWA shows this week.”

2014 Quick Stats:  62 races, 16 wins, 32 top-fives, 40 top-tens.

Next Up:

Wednesday, Highland Speedway (Highland, IL) – Fox 53 Winged Sprint Car

Thursday, Tri-City Speedway (Pontoon Beach, IL) – Fox 53 Winged Sprint Car

Friday, Jacksonville Speedway (Jacksonville, IL) – Fox 53 Winged Sprint Car

Saturday, Macon Speedway (Macon, IL) – Fox 53 Winged Sprint Car

Keep Track:  Keep track of Christopher Bell’s on-track action including schedule and results at http://www.christopherbellracing.com/.

If you would like to keep up with all of Christopher Bell’s racing action by having press releases e-mailed directly to you, simply send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.

Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on racinboys.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.