Reutzel Becomes First Williams Grove All Stars Winner In 50 Years; Dewease Scores Gunn Memorial
Story By: SHAWN BROUSE / WILLIAMS GROVE SPEEDWAY – MECHANICSBURG, PA – The streak has ended. For the first time in 50 years of All Stars races at Williams Grove Speedway dating back to 1970, an All Stars driver has won an All Stars main event at the oval. And his name is Aaron Reutzel.
Reutzel, of Clute, Texas, and local driver Lance Dewease were the stars of the shows Friday night at Williams Grove in the Jack Gunn Memorial Twin 20s for the All Stars Circuit of Champions Sprint Cars.
Reutzel would end up leading all 20 laps of the first main event at the line each time around but Dewease had the lead more than once and would nearly sweep the twins as he went on to claim the second feature event.
Reutzel was chased by fellow All Star Paul McMahan when the first twin got started with McMahan drawing to his outside for control on the second lap as Dewease raced in third.
By lap seven, a fleet-running Reutzel entered the rear of the field as Dewease tested McMahan with an outside move in the third and fourth turns.
Traffic would prove quite challenging for McMahan and especially Reutzel but McMahan held on to the second spot until lap 11 when Dewease was able to power by and then set his sights on the leader.
It only took two laps until Dewease was on Reutzel’s fuel cell and the pair was racing just yards apart as they crossed the line on laps 13 and 14 before Dewease went under Reutzel in the first and second turns with five laps to go.
But Reutzel was not to be denied as he ripped the cushion out of the second corner and drew even with Dewease as the pair raced side by side down the backstretch and into the third turn.
By this point Dewease was exercising a lethal swoop maneuver into the corner but Reutzel put four wheels above the cushion and purely out-powered Dewease around the top and regained control back onto the frontchute.
A well-timed move around two lapped cars then gave Reutzel the breathing room he needed with a pair of laps to go in order to preserve his $4,000 payday and his first ever win at WilliamsGrove Speedway.
The Texas driver’s margin of victory was .389 seconds. The win was his ninth of the season overall and the 18th All Stars win of his career.
McMahan, Ryan Smith and Adam Wilt completed the top five finishers.
The second main event saw Kyle Moody take control at the start over Adam Wilt and Ryan Smith while Dewease started fifth in the field thanks to a six inversion from the first feature finish.
The only caution flag of the race unfurled with four laps complete for a stopped Robbie Kendall.
Just before the yellow, Dewease had driven by McMahan for fourth but he was forced to go back for the restart due to the lap not being completed.
Both McMahan and Smith advanced on the restart for second and third respectively and Dewease was soon to follow, taking over fourth spot with six laps in the book.
After that, the Fayetteville flyer found his rhythym around the oval, mowing down Smith for second with eight laps to go before using a low move in the third and fourth corner with six laps to go to take the lead and run to the 97th win of his Williams Grove career worth $4,000.
Dewease noted in victory lane that he might not have been aggressive enough in the first main event.
The win was the 39th All Stars win of his career.
Smith rode home second by 1.943 seconds, followed by Moody, Wilt and Chad Trout.
Heats went to TJ Stutts, McMahan, Moody and Wilt with Cory Haas taking the B Main.
The twin dashes went to Reutzel and McMahan.
Fast time was set by Dale Blaney with a lap of 16.717 seconds.
Feature finishes:
8/23/19
410 sprints, 20 laps, feature one: 1. Aaron Reutzel, 2. Lance Dewease, 3. Paul McMahan, 4. Ryan Smith, 5. Adam Wilt, 6. Kyle Moody, 7. Logan Wagner, 8.Chad Trout, 9. Dale Blaney, 10. Cory Eliason, 11. Danny Dietrich, 12. Brian Montieth, 13. Brock Zearfoss, 14. Freddie Rahmer, 15. TJ Stutts, 16. Anthony Macri, 17. Kyle Reinhardt, 18. Justin Peck, 19. Greg Wilson, 20. Cory Haas, 21. Gerard McIntyre Jr., 22. Jeff Halligan, 23. Skylar Gee, 24. Troy Fraker, 25. Robbie Kendall, 26. Steve Buckwalter
DNQ: Kody Lehman, George Hobaugh, Rodney Westhafer, Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney
410 sprints, 20 laps, feature two: 1. Dewease, 2. Smith, 3. Moody, 4. Wilt, 5. Trout, 6. Dietrich, 7. Montieth, 8. McMahan, 9. Reutzel, 10. Wagner, 11. Rahmer, 12. Eliason, 13. Macri, 14. Zearfoss, 15. Stutts, 16. Reinhardt, 17. Peck, 18. Haas, 19. McIntyre Jr., 20. Halligan, 21. Buckwalter, 22. Wilson, 23. Fraker, 24. Gee, 25. Blaney, 26. Kendall
