Aaron Reutzel Scores 15th All Star Victory Of ’19 In Dominating Fashion At Hagerstown

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – HAGERSTOWN, MD – For the first time in over 36 years, the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 made their presence at the half-mile at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Maryland.

The near-four decade hiatus may have created some uncertainty for many of the full-time All Stars attempting to tackle the northern Maryland oval, but if one thing was for certain at the conclusion of Sunday’s visit, nobody was a match for Clute, Texas’ Aaron Reutzel.

Reutzel, driver of the familiar Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports/Folkens Brothers Trucking/Dissolvalloy/Fischer Body Shop/Hollywood Blasting & Coating/No. 87 sprint car, started from the pole position on the Hagerstown grid and never missed a beat, eventually leading all 30 circuits while maintaining a lead pushing four circuits during different segments of the main event. For Reutzel, the $5,000 triumph increases his season win count to 15, five of which taking shape during the month of September.

In addition, the Hagerstown Speedway victory all but sealed Reutzel’s 2019 All Star championship fate. Taking into consideration his 148-point lead over Dale Blaney, a simple qualifying attempt during the Eldora Speedway finale on Saturday, September 28, will make his title official.

“We had a phenomenal race car, that’s for sure,” Aaron Reutzel explained in Hagerstown Speedway victory lane. “I felt like I could go anywhere. When you have a car that good, you can kinda go around there at your own pace and save your stuff. Having a tire at the end is a big deal in racing today. The way these race tracks are out here, you have to have a tire at the end.”

Reutzel’s campaign at the front of the field was interrupted by a pair of cautions, one on lap seven and another on lap 21. Despite each of the stoppages snapping commanding leads, just over two seconds on lap six and just under three seconds on lap 20, Reutzel remained collected. In fact, the only instance of pressure from a fellow competitor occurred during a segment of green flag action in traffic when Danny Dietrich, who started third on the grid, drove into second on lap 15, next setting his aim on Reutzel. The Gettysburg, Pennsylvania-native was able to continue to use slower cars to a slight advantage, ultimately chopping Reutzel’s four-second command down to 2.9 seconds just before the lap 21 caution.

Although the ensuing restart set-up a prime opportunity for Dietrich to pounce, his speed proved no match for Reutzel’s mobility in clean air. The Texan quickly escaped and built a lead that equaled 2.59 seconds by the time the final checkers flew.

Freddie Rahmer followed Dietrich and Reutzel to the finish, with Dale Blaney and Brian Brown in tow.

“I have bills to pay,” Aaron Reutzel laughed when discussing a successful last few weeks. “We are all out here having fun, but we continue to work really hard. We want to win. The whole team wants to win. And we have a lot of people who help make this all possible, my crew, Cheeseburger and Jim Bob, included.”

Last on the schedule, but packed with plenty of prestige, Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions will conclude their 2019 campaign with one final stop in the Buckeye State, set to invade the World’s Greatest Dirt Track for the 48th running of the 4-Crown Nationals.

Joining the stage with all three national touring divisions of the United States Auto Club (USAC), Tony Stewart’s All Star Circuit of Champions will invade the highbanks of Eldora Speedway on Saturday, September 28. Not only will the Series crown a 2019 champion, but the 4-Crown Nationals program will award a $5,000 payday.

Those seeking additional news and notes pertaining to Eldora Speedway’s 4-Crown Nationals should visit Eldora Speedway live on the Web at www.eldoraspeedway.com.

Contingency Awards/Results: Hagerstown Speedway – September 22, 2019:
Entries: 31
C&R Racing All Star Warm-Ups: Cory Eliason – 16.224 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Danny Dietrich – 16.588 seconds
Ford Performance Heat #1: Aaron Reutzel
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Logan Wagner
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Brock Zearfoss
Mobil 1 Heat #4: Christopher Bell
JE Pistons Dash #1: Aaron Reutzel
Fatheadz Eyewear Dash #2: Dale Blaney
Classic Ink USA Screenprinting B-Main Winner: Trey Starks
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet A-Main Winner: Aaron Reutzel
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Anthony Macri (+11)
Cometic Gasket Most A-Main Laps Led: Aaron Reutzel (1-30)
Rayce Rudeen Foundation First Non-Transfer: Greg Wilson
(Lincoln Electric, MSD Performance, Fatheadz Eyewear, Rayce Rudeen Foundation, Cometic Gasket: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)

Qualifying

Group (A)
1. 48-Danny Dietrich, 16.588; 2. 71-Gio Scelzi, 16.609; 3. 11-Dale Blaney, 16.613; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 16.715; 5. 69K-Lance Dewease, 16.875; 6. 99M-Kyle Moody, 17.189; 7. W20-Greg Wilson, 17.505; 8. 12w-Troy Fraker, 18.370

Group (B)
1. 2M-Kerry Madsen, 16.665; 2. 26-Cory Eliason, 16.770; 3. 1-Logan Wagner, 16.949; 4. 55-Mike Wagner, 17.157; 5. 44-Trey Starks, 17.161; 6. 70X-Justin Peck, 17.175; 7. 42-Sye Lynch, 17.202; 8. 39M-Anthony Macri, 17.243

Group (C)
1. 21-Brian Brown, 16.867; 2. O7-Gerard McIntyre, 16.942; 3. 9-James McFadden, 16.961; 4. 70-Brock Zearfoss, 17.047; 5. 13-Paul McMahan, 17.122; 6. 99-Skylar Gee, 17.219; 7. 11S-TJ Stutts, 17.282; 8. 14T-Tyler Walton, 17.503

Group (D)
1. 98H-Dave Blaney, 17.186; 2. 51-Freddie Rahmer, 17.310; 3. 91-Anthony Fiore, 17.382; 4. 21B-Christopher Bell, 17.461; 5. 5-Dylan Cisney, 17.546; 6. 49H-Bradley Howard, 17.742; 7. 40-George Hobaugh, 18.046

Heat #1 – Group (A) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [1]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 3. 71-Gio Scelzi [3]; 4. 69K-Lance Dewease [5]; 5. 11-Dale Blaney [2]; 6. 99M-Kyle Moody [6]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [7]; 8. 12W-Troy Fraker [8]

Heat #2 – Group (B) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 1-Logan Wagner [2]; 2. 55-Mike Wagner [1]; 3. 26-Cory Eliason [3]; 4. 2M-Kerry Madsen [4]; 5. 39M-Anthony Macri [8]; 6. 70X-Justin Peck [6]; 7. 42-Sye Lynch [7]; 8. 44-Trey Starks [5]

Heat #3 – Group (C) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 70-Brock Zearfoss [1]; 2. 9-James McFadden [2]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [4]; 4. 13-Paul McMahan [5]; 5. O7-Gerard McIntyre [3]; 6. 99-Skylar Gee [6]; 7. 11S-TJ Stutts [7]; 8. 14T-Tyler Walton [8]

Heat #4 – Group (D) (8 Laps) – Top 5 Transfer
1. 21B-Christopher Bell [1]; 2. 51-Freddie Rahmer [3]; 3. 98H-Dave Blaney [4]; 4. 5-Dylan Cisney [5]; 5. 91-Anthony Fiore [2]; 6. 49H-Bradley Howard [6]; 7. 40-George Hobaugh [7]

Dash #1 (4 Laps)
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [2]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [3]; 3. 21B-Christopher Bell [4]; 4. 1-Logan Wagner [5]; 5. 9-James McFadden [1]

Dash #2 (4 Laps)
1. 11-Dale Blaney [2]; 2. 71-Gio Scelzi [3]; 3. 55-Mike Wagner [1]; 4. 51-Freddie Rahmer [4]; 5. 70-Brock Zearfoss [5]

B-Main (12 Laps) – Top 4 Transfer
1. 44-Trey Starks [1]; 2. 99-Skylar Gee [4]; 3. 70X-Justin Peck [2]; 4. 49H-Bradley Howard [5]; 5. W20-Greg Wilson [8]; 6. 42-Sye Lynch [6]; 7. 14T-Tyler Walton [10]; 8. 11S-TJ Stutts [7]; 9. 40-George Hobaugh [9]; 10. 12W-Troy Fraker [11]; 11. 99M-Kyle Moody [3]

A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [1]; 2. 48-Danny Dietrich [3]; 3. 51-Freddie Rahmer [8]; 4. 11-Dale Blaney [2]; 5. 21-Brian Brown [12]; 6. 71-Gio Scelzi [4]; 7. 55-Mike Wagner [6]; 8. 39M-Anthony Macri [19]; 9. 26-Cory Eliason [11]; 10. 5-Dylan Cisney [17]; 11. 70-Brock Zearfoss [10]; 12. 1-Logan Wagner [7]; 13. 98H-Dave Blaney [13]; 14. 9-James McFadden [9]; 15. 21B-Christopher Bell [5]; 16. 2M-Kerry Madsen [14]; 17. 70X-Justin Peck [23]; 18. 44-Trey Starks [21]; 19. 99-Skylar Gee [22]; 20. 13-Paul McMahan [16]; 21. O7-Gerard McIntyre [18]; 22. 49H-Bradley Howard [24]; 23. 40-George Hobaugh [25]; 24. 91-Anthony Fiore [20]; 25. 69K-Lance Dewease [15] Lap Leaders: Aaron Reutzel (1-30)