SANTA MARIA, Calif. — When last year’s west coast swing started for Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing, Aaron Reutzel was on crutches, in a boot and forced to painfully watch the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 compete without him in the seat.
One year later, Reutzel is healthier than ever and so are his chances at his first High Limit championship. As the series started the 10-race west coast swing on Thursday night, Reutzel was behind the wheel at Santa Maria Speedway and he drove to his ninth win of the season.
Starting from the pole position, it was anything but easy for the Clute, Texas, native, who didn’t lead until the second half of the 35-lap main event.
From the jump, it was all about Tanner Holmes who whipped around the outside of Reutzel and led the opening 18 laps in the Buch Motorsports No. 13.
Traffic is what shaped the full picture of the race as Holmes led Lap 18, Reutzel snuck underneath him to lead Laps 19-20, and then James McFadden snookered them both to control Lap 21 aboard the Tarlton No. 21.
That control was short-lived as Reutzel stood up in the seat and regained command on Lap 22 before driving away for good in the final stages.
Reutzel ultimately drove away to a 1.907-second margin of victory to earn his ninth trip to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane this season.
The win marked his 16th career win with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing (second all-time) and re-claimed the championship lead for the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 team.
James McFadden followed Reutzel to the stripe for his ninth consecutive top-10 finish in August with Tarlton Racing. Tanner Holmes was behind them with his fourth High Limit podium this year in the Buch Motorsports No. 13.
Tim Kaeding earned a career-best fourth-place finish aboard the Williams No. 0, while Brent Marks debuted the Chase Briscoe Racing No. 19 in High Limit action with a fifth-place effort.
The finish:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 2. 21-James McFadden[3]; 3. 13-Tanner Holmes[2]; 4. 0-Tim Kaeding[5]; 5. 19-Brent Marks[4]; 6. 42-Sye Lynch[7]; 7. 88-Tanner Thorson[9]; 8. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[8]; 9. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[12]; 10. 21L-Landon Brooks[10]; 11. 26-Justin Peck[20]; 12. 9R-Chase Randall[21]; 13. 10-Dominic Gorden[16]; 14. 5-Dominic Scelzi[23]; 15. 4-Kasey Kahne[15]; 16. 26R-Levi Hillier[17]; 17. 24-Rico Abreu[18]; 18. 9-Daison Pursley[22]; 19. 88N-DJ Netto[11]; 20. 2K-Jake Andreotti[24]; 21. 17GP-Brock Zearfoss[14]; 22. 31-Jett Yantis[19]; 23. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[6]; 24. 14-Corey Day[13]
