Aaron Reutzel was the night one feature race winner at the 2024 Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, ahead of Chase Randall (left) and Rico Abreu (right). (Eddie Guerrero Photo) (Video Highlights from Clay-Per-View)
WARNAMBOOL, VIC (January 19, 2024) — Aaron Reutzel led and American sweep of the podium during the opening night of the 51st Flying Horse Bar & Brewery Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic at Premier Speedway. Reutzel took the lead on lap five from Kerry Madsen in turns one and two just before Madsen’s engine gave up four laps later. Later in the race Reutzel held off Chase Randall through traffic for the victory.
The win was Reutzel’s first of the 2024 calendar year after coming to Australian early to tune up for this event.
“A lot of trial and error coming early,” Reutzel described the early part of his Australian tour. “That was that was a big part of it. Just being able run here for so long, there’s so much stuff you do here different. It’s ass backwards the way you guys set cars up here, it had me spun out for quite a while. We’re finally getting better though. if I can get a little bit better and traffic and quit throwing the nose I’ll feel really good about this car. In clean air I was good. I could move around which was the big deal. That’s how I got Kerry and whoever I passed for second. With lapped cars I could just run through the middle and stuff.”
Madsen and Brendan Quinn started on the front row for the 30-lap main event. Madsen took the lead with Quinn and Reutzel in pursuit. After a caution for a spin by Matthew Dumesny, Madsen continued to lead with Reutzel closing in.
After a caution for a tangle with Tate Frost and Lule Oldfield, Reutzel was able to drive by Madsen with a slide job in turns one and two. Behind them Chase Randall was moving up through the field, taking third position from Brock Hallett in turn three.
Just after Randall moved up into third, Madsen’s experienced engine issues and came to a stop between turns one and two, ending his night.
After another caution for Jack Lee and Tayler Prosser tangling in turn four, Reutzel continues to lead Randall while Jamie Veal moved into the third position. Veal’s charge to the front ended after contact with the wall flattened his right front tire and was unable to continue.
Reutzel pulled away from Randall, but further back in the field Rico Abreu was working his way through the field after having to change an engine earlier in the evening, moving into the top five on lap 18.
Just as Randall was starting to close on Reutzel in slower traffic, the final caution appeared with Brett Milburn and Scott Enderl slowing with flat right rear tires.
This gave Reutzel the clear track he needed to cruise to victory. Randall held on for second while Abreu was able to move into the final podium position at the finish. Corey Eliason and Brock Hallett rounded out the top five.
Rico Abreu rallied from having to change an engine earlier in the night to round out the podium.
For Reutzel, winning a feature for Saller Motorsports was huge for the effort they put into Reutzel’s tour every season.
“A huge relief,” Reutzel exclaimed in victory lane. “I wanted to get them a win so bad and if I had to eff up all those other ones to win a prelim night here for them. I can’t imagine how much is truly means for them to win on a prelim night of the biggest stage in Australia. This is all for them. A huge relief, I can’t thank everyone enough, it was a huge team effort. “
51st Flying Horse Bar & Brewery Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic
Premier Speedway
Warrnambool, Victoria
Friday, January 19, 2024
Qualifying Flight A:
1. V25-Jack Lee, 10.818
2. V35-Jamie Veal, 10.831
3. Q17-Luke Oldfield, 10.890
4. W2-Kerry Madsen, 10.936
5. Usa17-Corey Eliason, 10.994
6. N92-Sam Walsh, 11.027
7. USA9-Chase Randall, 11.033
8. S20-Glen Sutherland, 11.049
9. N57-Matthew Dumesny, 11.067
10. N9-Lachlan Caunt, 11.092
11. USA45-Riely Goodno, 11.150
12. USA87-Aaron Reutzel, 11.154
13. V72-Jacob Smith, 11.182
14. V98-Peter Doukas, 11.201
15. T45-Chad Gardner, 11.208
16. Q54-Randy Morgan, 11.223
17. W79-Kris Coyle, 11.270
18. V48-Adam King, 11.334
19. Q46-Dylan Menz, 11.370
20. T9-Chris Johns, 11.374
21. V9-Jordan Rae, 11.432
22. Q75-Darren Jensen, 11.495
23. NT10-Blake Walsh, 11.563
24. V28-Andrew Hughes, 11.898
25. NQ9-Nathan McFarlane, 11.944
26. N72-Coby Elliot, 13.102
Qualifying Flight B:
1. V90-Corey McCullagh, 10.943
2. V6-Cameron Waters, 11.201
3. S63-Ryan Jones, 11.242
4. V3-Kaidon Brown, 11.307
5. T62-Tate Frost, 11.348
6. S14-Brendan Quinn, 11.350
7. V68-Brett Milburn, 11.386
8. V11-Chris Solomon, 11.424
9. S11-Scott Enderl, 11.431
10. S3-Ben Morris, 11.456
11. Q5-Brock Hallett, 11.464
12. USA24-Rico Abreu, 11.471
13. V37-Grant Anderson, 11.490
14. W8-Andrew Priolo, 11.490
15. N43-Alex Orr, 11.530
16. S38-Lachlan McDonough, 11.560
17. Q91-Taylor Prosser, 11.574
18. N56-Mick Saller, 11.645
19. NS57-Brendan Scorgie, 11.676
20. V71-Marcus Green, 11.768
21. NS45-Jai Stephenson, 12.094
22. VA12-Mark Carlin, 12.235
23. V2-Domain Ramsay, 12.273
24. N49-Jamie Matherson, 12.335
25. V43-Corey Sandow, 12.368
26. VA11-Phil Micallef, 12.372
Heat Race #1:
1. 1V25-Jack Lee
2. Usa17-Corey Eliason
3. Q17-Luke Oldfield
4. USA9-Chase Randall
5. N57-Matthew Dumesny
6. V72-Jacob Smith
7. W79-Kris Coyle
8. USA45-Riely Goodno
9. V9-Jordan Rae
10. Q46-Dylan Menz
11. NT10-Blake Walsh
12. T45-Chad Gardner
13. NQ9-Nathan McFarlane
Heat Race #2:
1. V35-Jamie Veal
2. W2-Kerry Madsen
3. USA87-Aaron Reutzel
4. N9-Lachlan Caunt
5. V98-Peter Doukas
6. Q54-Randy Morgan
7. N92-Sam Walsh
8. V48-Adam King
9. Q75-Darren Jensen
10. V28-Andrew Hughes
11. T9-Chris Johns
12. N72-Coby Elliot
13. S20-Glen Sutherland
Heat Race #3:
1. V90-Corey McCullagh
2. Q5-Brock Hallett
3. T62-Tate Frost
4. V68-Brett Milburn
5. S11-Scott Enderl
6. N43-Alex Orr
7. V37-Grant Anderson
8. Q91-Taylor Prosser
9. V2-Domain Ramsay
10. V43-Corey Sandow
11. NS57-Brendan Scorgie
12. NS45-Jai Stephenson
13. S63-Ryan Jones
Heat Race #4:
1. V3-Kaidon Brown
2. V6-Cameron Waters
3. S14-Brendan Quinn
4. V11-Chris Solomon
5. USA24-Rico Abreu
6. S3-Ben Morris
7. VA12-Mark Carlin
8. S38-Lachlan McDonough
9. V71-Marcus Green
10. N49-Jamie Matherson
11. VA11-Phil Micallef
12. W8-Andrew Priolo
13. N56-Mick Saller
Heat Race #5:
1. W79-Kris Coyle
2. USA87-Aaron Reutzel
3. W2-Kerry Madsen
4. N57-Matthew Dumesny
5. V72-Jacob Smith
6. Usa17-Corey Eliason
7. V25-Jack Lee
8. V9-Jordan Rae
9. V28-Andrew Hughes
10. T9-Chris Johns
11. NQ9-Nathan McFarlane
12. Q54-Randy Morgan
Heat Race #6:
1. V48-Adam King
2. V98-Peter Doukas
3. USA9-Chase Randall
4. Q46-Dylan Menz
5. N9-Lachlan Caunt
6. V35-Jamie Veal
7. Q17-Luke Oldfield
8. T45-Chad Gardner
9. N92-Sam Walsh
10. USA45-Riely Goodno
11. Q75-Darren Jensen
12. NT10-Blake Walsh
13. N72-Coby Elliot
Heat Race #7:
1. Q91-Taylor Prosser
2. V37-Grant Anderson
3. T62-Tate Frost
4. USA24-Rico Abreu
5. S11-Scott Enderl
6. V71-Marcus Green
7. V3-Kaidon Brown
8. S38-Lachlan McDonough
9. V90-Corey McCullagh
10. V43-Corey Sandow
11. N49-Jamie Matherson
12. NS45-Jai Stephenson
13. V11-Chris Solomon
Heat Race #8:
1. S14-Brendan Quinn
2. Q5-Brock Hallett
3. N56-Mick Saller
4. V6-Cameron Waters
5. N43-Alex Orr
6. V68-Brett Milburn
7. V2-Domain Ramsay
8. W8-Andrew Priolo
9. NS57-Brendan Scorgie
10. VA11-Phil Micallef
11. VA12-Mark Carlin
12. S3-Ben Morris
C-Main:
1. T45-Chad Gardner
2. V28-Andrew Hughes
3. W8-Andrew Priolo
4. V43-Corey Sandow
5. S20-Glen Sutherland
6. T9-Chris Johns
7. NT10-Blake Walsh
8. N72-Coby Elliot
9. NS57-Brendan Scorgie
10. VA11-Phil Micallef
11. NQ9-Nathan McFarlane
12. N49-Jamie Matherson
13. NS45-Jai Stephenson
14. Q75-Darren Jensen
B-Main:
1. Q91-Taylor Prosser
2. USA45-Riely Goodno
3. W79-Kris Coyle
4. Q54-Randy Morgan
5. N92-Sam Walsh
6. V48-Adam King
7. Q46-Dylan Menz
8. V11-Chris Solomon
9. N43-Alex Orr
10. W8-Andrew Priolo
11. S38-Lachlan McDonough
12. V71-Marcus Green
13. N56-Mick Saller
14. V9-Jordan Rae
15. T45-Chad Gardner
16. V43-Corey Sandow
17. V28-Andrew Hughes
18. VA12-Mark Carlin
19. V2-Domain Ramsay
A-Main:
1. USA87-Aaron Reutzel
2. USA9-Chase Randall
3. USA24-Rico Abreu
4. Usa17-Corey Eliason
5. Q5-Brock Hallett
6. V6-Cameron Waters
7. S14-Brendan Quinn
8. V98-Peter Doukas
9. V37-Grant Anderson
10. V3-Kaidon Brown
11. USA45-Riely Goodno
12. N57-Matthew Dumesny
13. W79-Kris Coyle
14. N9-Lachlan Caunt
15. Q54-Randy Morgan
16. Q91-Taylor Prosser
17. V25-Jack Lee
18. Q17-Luke Oldfield
19. V35-Jamie Veal
20. V68-Brett Milburn
21. S11-Scott Enderl
22. W2-Kerry Madsen
23. T62-Tate Frost
24. V90-Corey McCullagh
Event Points *
1. S14-Brendan Quinn, 550
2. Q5-Brock Hallett ,546
3. USA9-Chase Randall, 544
4. V6-Cameron Waters, 536
5. USA17-Corey Eliason, 528
6. USA24-Rico Abreu, 514
7. W2-Kerry Madsen, 512
8. V98-Peter Doukas, 506
9. V3-Kaidon Brown, 500
10. V35-Jamie Veal, 498
11. T62-Tate Frost, 496
12. V25 -Jack Lee, 492
13. V37-Grant Anderson, 490
14. W79-Kris Coyle, 488
15. N57-Matthew Dumesny, 484
16. N9-Lachlan Caunt, 478
17. Q17-Luke Oldfield, 462
18. Q91-Taylor Prosser, 462
19. V90-Corey McCullagh, 454
20. V68-Brett Milburn, 450
21. S11-Scott Enderl, 444
22. V48-Adam King, 428
23. USA45-Riley Goodno, 404
24. N43-Alex Orr, 404
25. V72-Jacob Smith, 384
26. N92-Sam Walsh, 374
27. Q54-Randy Morgan, 374
28. Q46-Dylan Menz, 368
29. V11-Chris Solomon, 360
30. V71-Marcus Green, 340
31. S38-Lachlan McDonough, 338
32. N56-Mick Saller, 330
33. V9-Jordan Rae, 310
34. V2-Domain Ramsay, 308
35. W8-Andrew Priolo, 302
36. S3-Ben Morris, 294
37. T45-Chad Gardner, 288
38. VA12-Mark Carlin, 288
39. V28-Andrew Hughes, 278
40. V43-Corey Sandow, 274
41. NS57-Brendan Scorgie, 264
42. Q75-Darren Jensen, 258
43. T9-Chris Johns, 252
44. N49-Jamie Matherson, 242
45. VA11-Phil Micallef, 238
46. S20-Glen Sutherland, 230
47. S63-Ryan Jones, 224
48. NT10-Blake Walsh, 224
49. NQ9-Nathan McFarlane, 216
50. N72-Coby Elliot, 214
51. NS45-Jai Stephenson, 212