KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Saturday night’s 410 feature was a wash on 3M Night at the Knoxville Raceway, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of action.
Aaron Reutzel drove to his third 360 win of the season here and Eric Bridger picked up career win number 13 in the Pro Sprints class.
An hour rain delay earlier in the night slowed things, and then when it came back with the 410 feature staged, it brought everything to a halt. The 410 feature will be tentatively made up on Season Championship Night, Saturday, August 27.
Terry McCarl shot through the front row of Ryan Leavitt and Reutzel to lead the 18-lap 360 main event early in the going. Reutzel would gain second from Leavitt on lap two and used the low side of turns one and two to shoot by McCarl to lead lap three.
Brian Brown, making his lone 360 start of the season here, moved into third on lap three, while defending track champion, Clint Garner, moved into fourth on lap five. Reutzel was maneuvering through lapped traffic by the seventh circuit.
Chase Randall was also on the move and used the cushion to pass Garner for fourth at the halfway point. At that stage, Reutzel’s lead over McCarl had extended to 2.8 seconds. That was erased when Ricky Montgomery stopped on the frontstretch to bring the lone caution of the event.
Reutzel led McCarl, Brown, Randall and Garner back to green flag racing. Brown hit the low side of turn one to take second, while Kaleb Johnson gained momentum and a spot in the top five. Johnson would pass Randall for fourth on lap 13, while Reutzel was already getting back into the lappers.
With four to go, Randall jumped from fifth to third in an impressive move. Up front, it was all Reutzel the rest of the way, and he earned $2,000 ahead of Brown, Randall, McCarl and Johnson.
Eric Bridger led from the outset of the Pro Sprints feature, leading all 15 laps. The only slowdown came from a Toby Mosher spin two laps in. Bridger led Scotty Johnson, Mike Mayberry, Matthew Stelzer and Ryan Navritil back to green flag racing.
Stelzer took third from Mayberry with a move low in three. On lap seven, Tyler Groenendyk entered the top five with a pass of Navritil on the high side. Mayberry gained momentum late, and took back third with a pass high in turn three on lap 11.
Bridger’s second win of the season came ahead of Johnson, Mayberry, Stelzer and Groenendyk. Navritil, Brandon Worthington, Mike Johnston, Chase Young and Kade Higday completed the top ten
The 410 class had everything run but the feature. Brown set quick time again over the 30-car field. Josh Higday, Zach Hampton and Riley Goodno won heats. Dustin Selvage won the B.