Aaron Reutzel Pockets $30,000 Knoxville 360 Nationals Prize!
Bryan Hulbert – KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 6, 2022) Leading it all Saturday night at the 32nd annual 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank, 2015 Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Champion, Aaron Reutzel took his potential earnings to the max with a $30,000 check going to the driver of the Ridge Development No. 8.
Aaron’s fourth career 360 win at the Knoxville Raceway, the triumph is his second on the season with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network and 21st all-time.
“It was early, it wasn’t at the end. We were struggling,” commented Aaron of the car’s speed as the race went on.
“I knew someone was probably coming, but that’s how I wanted the race to play out. I just wanted to go green-to-checkered, so I could run in lapped traffic and try to hide a little bit.”
Jumping to the point through the first and second turns, Aaron quickly put distance on the field. Non-stop as traffic loomed near the race’s mid-point, Aaron was unphased as the race through the top five focused on Sam Hafertepe, Jr. Taking the green seventh, the five-time Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series National Tour Champion worked to third on Lap 14. Throwing the slide on Clint Garner, the pair tapped tires but were able to save and keep rolling.
Moving his line around the Knoxville Raceway, Sam began entering low and driving across the turns to the cushion to reel in Lynton Jeffrey. To second on Lap 16, Sam trailed Reutzel by 2.824-seconds.
Keeping his line the same as Aaron Reutzel worked the top at all points, Hafertepe closed a second over the next six laps. Down to under a second with four laps to run, Aaron had company as the pair raced to the white flag. Giving it a shot through turns one and two, the momentum wasn’t enough to deny Aaron Reutzel his just rewards.
Thanking sponsors and crew, Aaron made a point to thank his car owners, “I have to put all the attention on Brian and Lisa Ridge. This is a huge, huge, win for them and they deserve it giving me the opportunity to stay home and race the schedule that I want to race. It’s been a fun year for sure.”
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. in second, was joined on the podium by Clint Garner, who captured the spot with three laps to run. Lynton Jeffrey ended up fourth with Terry McCarl in fifth.
