Aaron Reutzel had a bad night in his preliminary night of racing at the 62nd Nos Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals in fact everyone who raced on Friday during Hard Knox Night as heard on KNIA likely had something happen Wednesday or Thursday that made them stumble, but for Reutzel and three others, they leave happy as Reutzel, David Gravel, Scott Bogucki and Davey Heskin all have qualified for tonight’s championship A-Main of the Nationals by virtue of finishing in the top four on Friday night. Reutzel won with Gravel in 2nd, Bogucki was 3rd and Heskin made a late pass on Parker Price-Miller to score the transfer. Reutzel dominated and led all 25 laps. He said it was nice not to have to worry going into Saturday.
Reutzel: “Friday is not the way we want to get locked in and it was unfortunate what happened. My guys stayed behind me, got me a new car, and we got locked in and that’s what it’s all about.”
Gravel also recovered from a bad preliminary night on Wednesday to score runner-up while Bogucki took 3rd after having a nightmare of a 360 Nationals. Heskin drove into tonight’s finale and said his time with his family on Thursday night gave him the drive he needed.
Heskin: “We blew our motor and I sat in B with my girls, I took all three of my girls and sat in 21 and 22 and watched from the outside, and I was itching to get back into the car.”
Reutzel will start 21st tonight while Gravel will line up 22nd, Bogucki will start 23rd and Heskin will start in 24th position. Four more cars will fill in starting spots 17-20 tonight after the B-Main. It has come down to the ultimate night of sprint car racing of the year, championship night of the 62nd Nos Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals. Live coverage starts at 5:00 with Live Track Side and then Race Nights Live at 7:00 on the DeYarman Automotive Radio Racing Network on KNIA.
A main (started), 25 Laps, NT: 1. Aaron Reutzel (1); 2. David Gravel (7); 3. Scott Bogucki (2); 4. Davey Heskin (10); 5. Parker Price-Miller (9); 6. Brent Marks (19); 7. Brandon Wimmer (3); 8. Ryan Timms (5); 9. Justin Henderson (8); 10. Cory Eliason (17); 11. Zeb Wise (22); 12. Kaleb Johnson (15); 13. Brady Bacon (21); 14. Jamie Ball (4); 15. Tim Kaeding (14); 16. Justin Sanders (16); 17. Tim Shaffer (11); 18. Lynton Jeffrey (18); 19. Chris Windom (12); 20. Dylan Cisney (13); 21. Robbie Price (24); 22. Shane Golobic (23); 23. Bill Balog (6); 24. Sye Lynch (20). Lap Leader: Reutzel 1-25. Hard-charger: Marks.
Saturday Lineups
A MAIN
Row 1. 57 Kyle Larson (482)
24 Rico Abreu (480)
2. 15 Donny Schatz (479)
1S Logan Schuchart (479)
3. 41 Carson Macedo (474)
39 Hunter Schuerenberg (462)
4. 55 Kerry Madsen (459)
83JR Buddy Kofoid (459)
5. 18 Gio Scelzi (458)
14 Corey Day (458)
6. 4 Ian Madsen (455)
3J Dusty Zomer (453)
7. 5 Spencer Bayston (451)
2KS Chase Randall (449)
8. 7BC Anthony Macri (449)
49 Brad Sweet (449)
9. B Main Transfer #1
B Main Transfer #2
10. B Main Transfer #3
B Main Transfer #4
11. 8 Aaron Reutzel (Clute, TX)
2 David Gravel (Watertown, CT)
12. 10 Scott Bogucki (McLaren Vale, SA, AU)
2M Davey Heskin (St. Michael, MN)
B MAIN
Row 1. 13 Justin Peck (449)
83 James McFadden (447)
2. 9 Kasey Kahne (446)
88 Austin McCarl (443)
3. 21 Brian Brown (439)
71 Shane Stewart (439)
4. 6G Garet Williamson (438)
7TAZ Tasker Phillips (437)
5. 7W Dustin Selvage (435)
17 Sheldon Haudenschild (434)
6. 9P Parker Price-Miller (Kokomo, IN)
19 Brent Marks (Myerstown, PA)
7. 7TW Brandon Wimmer (Fairmount, IN)
5T Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, OK)
8. 1 Justin Henderson (Tea, SD)
11 Cory Eliason (Visalia, CA)
9. 26 Zeb Wise (Angola, IN)
22K Kaleb Johnson (Sioux Falls, SD)
10. 21H Brady Bacon (Broken Arrow, OK)
4W Jamie Ball (Knoxville, IA)
C MAIN
Row 1. 3 Tim Kaeding (San Jose, CA)
39M Justin Sanders (Aromas, CA)
2. 49X Tim Shaffer (Aliquippa, PA)
2K Lynton Jeffrey (Sydney, NSW, AU)
3. 4CW Chris Windom (Canton, IL)
5C Dylan Cisney (Port Royal, PA)
4. 7S Robbie Price (Cobble Hill, BC, CA)
17W Shane Golobic (Fremont, CA)
5. 17B Bill Balog (Hartland, WI)
42 Sye Lynch (Apollo, PA)
6. 12X Ayrton Gennetten (Gravois Mills, MO)
18T Tanner Holmes (Jacksonville, OR)
7. 52 Blake Hahn (Sapulpa, OK)
6B Clint Garner (Sioux Falls, SD)
8. 24T Christopher Thram (Sanborn, MN)
1K Kelby Watt (Adel, IA)
9. 1C Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, TX)
1X Jake Bubak (Arvada, CO)
10. 3P Sawyer Phillips (Pleasantville, IA)
3Z Brock Zearfoss (Jonestown, PA)
D MAIN
Row 1. 11N Harli White (Lindsay, OK)
25 Lachlan McHugh (Gold Coast, QLD, AU)
2. 20G Noah Gass (Mounds, OK)
24H Kade Higday (Pleasant Hill, IA)
3. 50YR JJ Hickle (Quilcene, WA)
22 Riley Goodno (Knoxville, IA)
4. 13JT Mark Dobmeier (Grand Forks, ND)
91 Kyle Reinhardt (Neptune City, NJ)
5. 35 Zach Hampton (Plainfield, IN)
10V Cap Henry (Bellevue, OH)
6. 70 Kraig Kinser (Bloomington, IN)
101 Kalib Henry (Sacramento, CA)
7. 44 Chris Martin (Ankeny, IA)
21T Cole Macedo (Lemoore, CA)
8. 1M Don Droud Jr. (Lincoln, NE)
83T Tanner Carrick (Lincoln, CA)
9. 16A Colby Copeland (Roseville, CA)
55T McKenna Haase (Des Moines, IA)
10. 95 Matt Covington (Glenpool, OK)
17X Terry McCarl (Altoona, IA)
E MAIN
Row 1. 16 Brooke Tatnell (Sans Souci, NSW, AU)
35B Austin Bishop (Elverson, PA)
2. 44P Skylar Prochaska (Lakefield, MN)
105 Cody Ihlen (Pipestone, MN)
3. 1A Chase Dietz (York, PA)
W19 Trent Pigdon (Cardup, WA, AU)
4. 20 AJ Moeller (Rockwell City, IA)
2KK Kevin Ingle (Huron, SD)
5. 4J Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, AL)
27 Carson McCarl (Altoona, IA)
6. 17AU Jamie Veal (Warrnambool, VIC, AU)
45 Rusty Hickman (Bendigo, VIC, AU)
7. 121 RJ Johnson (Tampa, FL)
9H Landon Hansen (Newton, IA)
8. 15JR Cole Mincer (Burlington, IA)
6X Frank Rodgers III (Lucas, IA)
9. 4K2W Matt Wasmund (Jackson, MN)
65 Jordan Goldesberry (Springfield, IL)
10. 6 Bill Rose (Plainfield, IN)
37 Ayden Gatewood (Caruthersville, MO)
11. G5 Gage Pulkrabek (East Grand Forks, MN)
56 Joe Simbro (Pleasantville, IA)
12. 78 Bill Wagner (Reeder, ND)
15H Sam Hafertepe Jr. (Sunnyvale, TX)
Photo from Ryan Northcote