Reutzel Tops I-30 Speedway’s 600 Nationals Opener!
by: Lonnie Wheatley
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (September 23, 2010) – I-30 Speedway’s Fifth Annual 600
Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires kicked off with perhaps the most
intense feature in event history on Thursday night.
And, when the
checkered flag flew on Thursday night’s 25-lap main event atop the
high-banked, ¼-mile clay oval, it was 20-year-old Clute, TX, shoe Aaron
Reutzel standing in I-30 Speedway victory lane after sliding past two cars
for the lead on the 23rd circuit. The 2009 ASCS Gulf South
champion collected $1,100 for the win, including a $100 bonus from Pro
Tire.
While Reutzel
gridded the feature field inside the third row, it was fellow Texas
contender Jeb Sessums outgunning New Jersey’s Tyler Devault for the lead at
the drop of the green flag with fourth-starter Scott Sawyer moving into
second by the second round.
Reutzel was on the
move early, taking third away from Devault on the fifth circuit and then
moving past Sawyer for second on the eighth round.
After a brief
challenge for the point on the tenth round, Reutzel laid back for several
rounds before turning up the heat on Sessums after the midway point.
Reutzel slid into
the lead entering turn one on the 17th lap, only to have Sessums
charge back by exiting the corner. The pair traded the lead again in the
next pair of corners and then two more time on the next lap before Reutzel
took command on the 19th lap only to have the move negated when a
caution flew for past 600 Nationals champion Jerrod Wilson, who came to a
stop in turn two with race-ending woes.
It was more of the
same on the restart, with Sessums and Reutzel swapping the lead another pair
of times on the 20th round. While Sessums retained a tenuous
lead, Tyson Hall of Longview, TX, entered the mix as well and was second
behind Sessums when one last caution flew with 21 laps complete for a turn
three spin by Michael Dicely.
Set for a four-lap
dash to the checkered flag, Sessums led the way in front of Hall, Reutzel,
Dusty Young and Sawyer, with all vying for the win in the closing circuits
with ambitious slide jobs in every corner.
Running third as
the lead pack thundered down the backstretch on the 23rd lap,
Reutzel made the winning move by diving to the bottom of turn three and
successfully sliding past both Hall and then Sessums for the lead.
Reutzel raced on to
the checkered flag in front of Dusty Young, with Sessums settling for show
honors after leading the initial 22 circuits. Hall was fourth at the line,
with Sawyer rounding out the top five.
Ryan Greth rallied
from 22nd to sixth at the finish, with 18th-starter
Michael Wickham, Nathan Benson, Devault and Todd McWilliams completing the
top ten.
Reutzel, Garrett
Abrams, Luke Thomas, Dicely, Hall, Devault and Sessums topped Thursday
night’s heat race action, with Nate Fleming, Wickham and Joe B. Miller
winning the 15-lap “B” Mains.
After starting
tenth, Delaware’s Thomas was eliminated on the second lap of the main event
when collected by a spinning Nick Bailey in turn four. Jerrod Wilson was
caught up in the incident as well and rejoined the field at the tail.
A total of 61
competitors from 16 different states took part in the opening night of the
Fifth Annual 600 Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires at I-30 Speedway.
Action continues
with another full card of heat races, “B” Mains and an $1,100-to-win “A”
Main on Friday night before finishing out with Saturday’s $3,500-to-win 600
Nationals championship finale.
The Landers Harley
Davidson Horizon Mini Sprints join in on the action on both Friday and
Saturday, with the I-30 Speedway Sprint Car championship to be determined on
Saturday night as well.
I-30 Speedway’s
Fifth Annual 600 Nationals presented by Hoosier Tires Thursday Results:
Heat Races (Top 16
in Passing/Finishing Points to “A” Main; Balance to Three “B” Mains):
First Heat (10
Laps): 1. 4w-Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX), 2. 69r-Clayton Robertson (Osceola,
AR), 3. 2b-Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO), 4. 10a-Zach Alley (Tulsa, OK), 5.
55s-Sammy LaMothe III (Yardville, NJ), 6. 1x-Bobby Zaiontz (Columbus, MS),
7. 1z-Brock Zearfoss (Jamestown, PA), 8. 1a-Alex Sewell (Broken Arrow, OK),
9. 14mc-Thomas McCann (Hensley, PA).
Second Heat (10
Laps): 1. 1g-Garrett Abrams (Rushville, IN), 2. 7-Nick Bailey (Cabot, AR),
3. X4-Caleb Martin (Lewisberry, PA), 4. 22j-Josh Rehm (Conway, AR), 5.
42-Jimmy McClain (Byhalia, MS), 6. 1j-Ryan Greth (Harrisburg, PA), 7.
10e-Matt Ebarb (Bossier, LA), 8. 08-Logan Martin (West Plains, MO), 9.
49-Mark Parker (West Memphis, AR).
Third Heat (10
Laps): 1. 2T-Luke Thomas (Camden, DE), 2. 1y-Dusty Young (Benton, AR), 3.
7j-Jerrod Wilson (Tulsa, OK), 4. 56h-Dean Hathman (Columbia, MO), 5.
13-Triston Tidmore (Hernando, MS), 6. 71-Blake Jenkins (Bryant, AR), 7.
13m-Chance McCrary (Farmersville, TX). DNS: 70b-Tim Brothers (Little Rock,
AR), 85c-Jason Goodwin (Princeton, KY).
Fourth Heat (10
Laps): 1. 44-Michael Dicely (Lewisberry, PA), 2. 60x-Chance Terrel
(Oklahoma City, OK), 3. 70w-Michael Wickham (Ramona, OK), 4. 16-Nate Fleming
(Great Bend, KS), 5. 96-Samantha Gargus (Memphis, TN), 6. 56-Scott Hathman
(Columbia, MO), 7. 2d-Dennis Carrier (Phoenix, AZ). DNS: 07-Dylan Wickham
(Ramona, OK), 48-Josh Center (Surprise, AZ).
Fifth Heat (10
Laps): 1. 5x-Tyson Hall (Longview, TX), 2. 51b-Joe B. Miller (Millersville,
MO), 3. 29-Scott Sawyer (Broken Arrow, OK), 4. 10m-Eric Sandage (Alexander,
AR), 5. 69-Stacy Veuleman (Many, LA), 6. 22T-Travis Senter, Jr. (Osceola,
AR), 7. 9x-Bradley Meyer (Little Rock, AR), 8. 64-Chad Boone (Great Bend,
KS), 9. 88w-Eric Wright (Goodlettsville, TN).
Sixth Heat (10
Laps): 1. 18T-Tyler Devault (Delran, NJ), 2. 23m-Howard Moore (Memphis,
TN), 3. 83-Karlas Stephens (Benton, AR), 4. 21-Christoper Bell (Norman, OK),
5. 33a-Andrew Teuscher (Nesbit, MS), 6. 88d-Brandon Darlington (Bossier,
LA), 7. 8-Allen Barker (Eldorado, AR), 8. 31z-Brent Zimmerman (Great Bend,
KS).
Seventh Heat (10
Laps): 1. 01j-Jeb Sessums (Burleson, TX), 2. 8z-Frederic Fezard (Bonnedale,
AR), 3. 28-Todd McWilliams (Conway, AR), 4. 32x-Brad McDaniel (Carbondale,
IL), 5. 0-Marty Hargroder (Opelousas, LA), 6. 6g-Dustin Gates (Haughton,
LA), 7. 6x-Chris Meyer (Little Rock, AR). DNS: 20-Jeremy Postlethwait
(Benton, AR).
B Mains (Top 2 from Each Advance to “A” Main):
First “B” Main (15
Laps): 1. 16-Nate Fleming (Great Bend, KS), 2. 22T-Travis Senter, Jr.
(Osceola, AR), 3. 60x-Chance Terrel (Oklahoma City, OK), 4. 23m-Howard Moore
(Memphis, TN), 5. 33a-Andrew Teuscher (Nesbit, MS), 6. 1a-Alex Sewell
(Tulsa, OK), 7. 55s-Sammy LaMothe III (Yardville, NJ), 8. 13m-Chance McCrary
(Farmersville, TX), 9. 71-Blake Jenkins (Bryant, AR), 10. 49-Mark Parker
(West Memphis, AR), 11. 13-Triston Tidmore (Hernando, MS), 12. 14mc-Thomas
McCann (Hensley, AR), 13. 69-Stacy Veuleman (Many, LA). DNS: 1z-Brock
Zearfoss (Jamestown, PA), 20-Jeremy Postlethwait (Benton, AR).
Second “B” Main (15
Laps): 1. 70w-Michael Wickham (Ramona, OK), 2. 1x-Bobby Zaiontz (Columbus,
MS), 3. 10a-Zach Alley (Tulsa, OK), 4. 08-Logan Martin (West Plains, MO), 5.
96s-Samantha Gargus (Memphis, TN), 6. 0-Marty Hargroder (Opelousas, LA), 7.
10e-Matt Ebarb (Bossier, LA), 8. 69r-Clayton Robertson (Osceola, AR), 9.
8z-Frederick Fezard (Bonnedale, AR), 10. 42-Jimmy McClain (Byhalia, MS), 11.
64-Chad Boone (Great Bend, KS), 12. 85c-Jason Goodwin (Princeton, KS). DNS:
6g-Dustin Gates (Haughton, LA), 8-Allen Barker (Eldorado, AR), 07-Dylan
Wickham (Ramona, OK).
Third “B” Main (15
Laps): 1. 51b-Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO), 2. 1j-Ryan Greth
(Harrisburg, PA), 3. 21-Christopher Bell (Norman, OK), 4. 6x-Chris Meyer
(Little Rock, AR), 5. 10m-Eric Sandage (Alexander, AR), 6. 22j-Josh Rehm
(Conway, AR), 7. 83-Karlas Stephens (Benton, AR), 8. 88d-Brandon Darlington
(Bossier, LA), 9. 56-Scott Hathman (Columbia, MO), 10. 70b-Tim Brothers
(Little Rock, AR), 11. 9x-Bradley Meyer (Little Rock, AR), 12. 48-Josh
Center (Surprise, AZ). DNS: 2d-Dennis Carrier (Phoenix, AZ), 31z-Brent
Zimmerman (Great Bend, KS), 88w-Eric Wright (Goodlettsville, TN).
Fifth Annual 600
Nationals Thursday “A” Feature
A Feature (25
Laps): 1. 4w-Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX), 2. 1y-Dusty Young (Benton, AR), 3.
01j-Jeb Sessums (Burleson, TX), 4. 5x-Tyson Hall (Longview, TX), 5. 29-Scott
Sawyer (Broken Arrow, OK), 6. 1j-Ryan Greth (Harrisburg, PA), 7. 70w-Michael
Wickham (Ramona, OK), 8. 2b-Nathan Benson (Concordia, MO), 9. 18t-Tyler
Devault (Delran, NJ), 10. 28-Todd McWilliams (Conway, AR), 11. 32-Brad
McDaniel (Carbondale, IL), 12. X4-Caleb Martin (Lewisberry, PA), 13.
56h-Dean Hathman (Columbia, MO), 14. 1x-Bobby Zaiontz (Columbus, MS), 15.
44-Michael Dicely (Lewisberry, PA), 16. 1g-Garrett Abrams (Rushville, IN),
17. 7-Nick Bailey (Cabot, AR), 18. 16-Nate Fleming (Great Bend, KS), 19.
7j-Jerrod Wilson (Tulsa, OK), 20. 51b-Joe B. Miller (Millersville, MO), 21.
22T-Travis Senter, Jr. (Osceola, AR), 22. 2T-Luke Thomas (Camden, DE).
Lap Leaders; Jeb
Sessums 1-22, Aaron Reutzel 23-25.
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