PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – Two-time defending Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions titlist Aaron Reutzel all but slammed the Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek points race shut Friday night.
It wasn’t that Reutzel’s performance was necessarily flashy – he ran second behind a dominant Kyle Larson – but it was the troubles for those chasing him that allowed Reutzel to start pulling away.
After second-ranked Cale Conley missed the feature altogether and third-ranked Paul McMahan struggled home with an 11th-place finish, Reutzel now commands an 82-point lead over the pair, who sit tied for the runner-up spot in Speedweek points with two nights remaining.
Reutzel leads Conley and McMahan 1,008-926 in the latest tally.
California’s Cory Eliason is fourth on 894 points and Indiana’s Zeb Wise has rallied from a tough start to his Speedweek to slide into fifth place in the standings with 870.
Canadian Skylar Gee (862), Josh Baughman (836), Greg Wilson (816), Tim Shaffer (812) and Stuart Brubaker (792) fill out the top 10 in Speedweek points after seven of nine races.
Should Reutzel hold on through a doubleheader weekend at Sharon Speedway, he’ll notch a long-awaited first Ohio Sprint Speedweek championship, taking over from outgoing titlist Dale Blaney.
Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek continues Saturday night with the Lou Blaney Memorial.
SPEED SPORT’s Ohio Sprint Speedweek coverage is presented by Cometic Gasket Inc., a leading worldwide supplier of gaskets and engine sealing solutions for the automotive performance, powersports, original equipment and remanufactured engine industries. No matter what you ride, Cometic Gasket can seal your machine so you can focus on the finish line.
Since 1989, Cometic has been living, breathing, and eating powersports. As a proud supporters of GNCC, AMA, NASCAR, and other race-teams across the country, Cometic understands what it takes to put everything on the line with one goal in mind. When you earn your living racing at the highest level against the best in the country, engine failures simply aren’t an option. Champions across the world continue to use Cometic Gasket for their engine-sealing solutions. Whether they’re driving a Gen-6 stock car or riding a top fuel motorcycle, Cometic Gaskets are the reliable source in extreme conditions.
For more information on Cometic Gasket Inc., visit www.cometic.com.
