PERRIS, Calif — From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, Aaron Reutzel’s opening week on tour with Kubota High Limit Racing was simply unforgettable.
Considered an instant contender when he joined the roster of 14 full-time High Rollers, it was no shock when the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 came out of the gates at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as one of the fastest cars in the pit area.
What was a shock, was when he left the track that night in an ambulance with his future uncertain.
The 34-year-old native of Clute, Texas, suffered a broken nose, experienced notable blood loss and severe swelling in his eyes, and required multiple stitches to his face. Not exactly how you want to start a 60-race campaign.
Proudly sporting his battle scars on Saturday night in Perris, California, Reutzel fought through the pain and found his way to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane – one week to the day of that hospital trip.
The Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 was the car to beat all night long. Reutzel was the fast qualifier, won the dash and led every lap of the feature.
It didn’t come easy for the now two-time winner with the series as he had to fight off an early-race threat from rising star Tanner Holmes in the Tarlton Racing No. 21t and then methodically manage his tires on a slipping surface. It even came down to a green-white-checkered finish, but there was no stopping Reutzel from finishing this epic comeback story.
Behind Reutzel by 1.777 bv seconds at the checkered flag was Altoona, Iowa’s Austin McCarl in the Country Builders Racing No. 88 with a career-best finish with Kubota High Limit Racing.
After him was the defending series champion and current points leader Brad Sweet, aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 keeping his perfect podium streak in tact to start the season.
One night after his best run in the state of California with a third-place effort, Pennsylvanian Brent Marks followed that with his next-best outing on “Golden State” soil by finishing fourth. Rounding out the top five was Templeton, Calif., native Kaleb Montgomery.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 2. 88W-Austin McCarl[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[6]; 5. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[7]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[10]; 8. 88N-DJ Netto[9]; 9. 41-Dominic Scelzi[13]; 10. 9-Kasey Kahne[16]; 11. 73-Ryan Bernal[19]; 12. 10-Ryan Timms[14]; 13. 26-Justin Peck[21]; 14. 24D-Danny Sams III[23]; 15. 0-Tim Kaeding[8]; 16. 9R-Chase Randall[11]; 17. 14-Spencer Bayston[12]; 18. 21L-Landon Brooks[20]; 19. 88-Tanner Thorson[18]; 20. 10X-Dominic Gorden[15]; 21. 21-Tanner Holmes[3]; 22. 19T-Colby Thornhill[17]; 23. 42-Sye Lynch[25]; 24. 21P-Robbie Price[22]; 25. 13-Daison Pursley[24]
