LAS VEGAS — What a difference a year makes for Aaron Reutzel.
He left Las Vegas Motor Speedway in an ambulance and went to the hospital with a broken nose last year. This year, the Ridge & Sons Racing pilot leaves with the big $21,021 check, the SugarBee Blackjack Bash trophy, and the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing championship lead.
Rolling from the pole of Saturday’s 30-lap main – after earning the “Ace in the Hole” via an epic fourth-to-first heat race victory — the No. 87 took control of the early race lead and never looked back. The Clute, Texas native had amassed a 3.791-second advantage at one point, but did have a close call on one of the final restarts when Tanner Thorson slid him for the lead before a caution reset the field.
The score marked Reutzel’s ninth-career win with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing and sends him on the road with the early-season championship lead. It was his first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and gave the series three different winners during the season-opening SugarBee Blackjack Bash.
Nevada’s Tanner Thorson capped off a career weekend with a runner-up effort, giving him three top-fives in three races. The Rod Gross Motorsports No. 88 is only two-points out of the title lead as they look to turn the corner and become consistent championship contenders in 2026.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 2. 88-Tanner Thorson[5]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 4. 21-James McFadden[9]; 5. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 6. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 7. 26-Justin Peck[23]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[7]; 9. 55-Kerry Madsen[10]; 10. 9-Daison Pursley[13]; 11. 19-Brent Marks[11]; 12. 10-Ryan Timms[14]; 13. 13-Tanner Holmes[15]; 14. 5-Brenham Crouch[18]; 15. 42-Sye Lynch[8]; 16. 19JR-Joel Myers Jr[22]; 17. 17GP-Hank Davis[25]; 18. 83T-Tanner Carrick[19]; 19. 9R-Chase Randall[17]; 20. 6-JJ Hickle[21]; 21. 88N-DJ Netto[16]; 22. 88W-Austin McCarl[6]; 23. 24D-Danny Sams III[20]; 24. 34-Sterling Cling[24]; 25. 14-Corey Day[3]
