KNOXVILLE: REUTZEL DOMINATES; McCARL IS THE CHAMP!

Feature photo by: Chuck Stowe Photography

Aaron Reutzel Dominates for $6,000 at Knoxville; Austin McCarl is the Champ!

by Bill Wright

 KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 26, 2023) – On McKay Insurance Season Championship Night at Knoxville Raceway, three champions were crowned. 

Aaron Reutzel was dominant in his win in the 410 class netting $5,000 and a $1,000 bonus for his win. 

Austin McCarl finished third but clinched his second season title in the 410 class at Knoxville.  Chase Randall (fourth career 360 win) and Kade Higday (eighth career win) won their respective features in the 360 and Pro Sprints classes, cementing their first track championships in their respective divisions.  Mason Mitchell was a first-time Knoxville winner with the Dirt Truck Racing Association.

 The 25-lap 410 feature had a couple of ugly starts.  Tasker Phillips spun on the first try, collecting his brother Sawyer in the process.  The second try saw a nasty flip by Kade Higday.  He was uninjured.  The third try was not a charm either.  Lynton Jeffrey flipped violently in turn three, collecting both Riley Goodno and Ben Brown.  Jeffrey and Brown walked away, but Goodno was taken to the hospital for observation.

 Once underway, Zach Hampton took the early lead ahead of Dusty Zomer and Lachlan McHugh.  Reutzel was a big mover, starting tenth, and moving into the top five on the second lap.  After McHugh took second from Zomer, both Reutzel and Brian Brown moved into the top four in getting by Zomer on lap four.

Reutzel rode the cushion around McHugh for second on lap eight, and on the following circuit, slid by Hampton in the same spot to take the point for good.  He was in traffic by lap 11, and had built a 4.2 second lead with ten laps to go.  Austin McCarl was surging as well, getting by Brown for fourth at that stage.

 McHugh passed Hampton for the second spot on lap 18 before Tasker Phillips spun in turn two.  Phillips had come from the rear to seventh.  On the restart, McCarl and Brown passed Hampton for third and fourth.  Up front, Reutzel was cruising.

Reutzel’s ninth career 410 win here came ahead of McHugh, who had a career best finish, McCarl, and Chase Randall who got by Brown late.  Hampton, Ayrton Gennetten, Brandon Wimmer, Garet Williamson and Davey Heskin rounded out the top ten.  Brown set quick time over the 35-car field, while Tasker Phillips, Dustin Selvage, Zomer and Randall won heats.  Williamson won the B.

 “(Winning at Knoxville) means more to me now than anything in my career,” said Reutzel in Victory Lane.  “This is what I like to do now is race around home.  Being with my family and not being on the road.  We like to race here and go pick and choose other races.  The car was phenomenal in the A main.  I couldn’t believe how good we were sliding in the middle…we had grip the whole time.  I could run the top hard.  You don’t usually drive from tenth to the lead like we did.  It’s just fun when it’s that way.”

 Cam Martin led early in the 20-lap 360 main event over Chase Randall, Ryan Giles, Jamie Ball and Tyler Groenendyk.  Alex Vande Voort spun two laps in.  That set up a restart, and Randall stuck the bottom of turn four to take the point, while Ball moved into third, and Sammy Swindell fifth.

 Martin’s second place run ended when he blew a left rear tire on lap six.  The restart saw Ball, who inherited second, take a shot at Randall, who squeezed between the sprinter and the wall in turn two.  Shortly after, Dustin Clark got into the turn four wall to bring another caution.

 Randall maintained his lead over Ball and Giles.  Garet Williamson took over fourth from Swindell on lap eight.  Carson McCarl was on the move, going from the 18^th starting spot to sixth, and passing Swindell for fifth on the last lap.  Swindell, Davey Heskin, Terry McCarl, Groenendyk and Ryan Leavitt completed the top ten.  Groenendyk set quick time over the 35-car field, while Williamson, Dustin Selvage, Timothy Smith and Swindell won heats, and Tony Rost won the B main.

 “We’ve been working so hard for this all year long,” said Randall of his 360 title.  “We came here with one goal and that was the championship.  Every day, every week that we put in at the shop was for this moment.  To be standing up here is unbelievable.  I have an incredible crew behind me.  Everything we did last year that we brought into this year had a whole new meaning.”

 Brandon Worthington led the 18-lap Pro Sprints feature over Matthew Stelzer, Ryan Navratil, Kade Higday and Chase Young early in the going.  Navratil used the high side to pass Stelzer for second on lap two, and Higday and Casey Friedrichsen followed him by the following circuit.

 Worthington spun out of the lead, bringing a caution three laps in.  Navratil inherited the lead, but Higday put a slider on him immediately when the green flew and pulled away.  Another caution came out when Toby Mosher stopped in turn two five laps in.  At the same time, Stelzer came to a stop on the frontstretch. 

Higday led Navratil, Friedrichsen, Young and Mike Mayberry back to green.  AJ Johnson was the charger.  He entered the top five after starting 13^th, then took fourth from Young on lap nine, and third from Friedrichsen on lap ten.  Higday entered lapped traffic on lap 12 before Stelzer broke a front end and crashed into the infield wall on the frontstretch with five laps to go.  He was uninjured.  

Higday pulled away on the restart, while Johnson cruised into second, followed by a late closing J Kinder, Navratil and Friedrichsen.  Mayberry, Josh Jones, Worthington, Young and Matt Allen rounded out the top ten.  Scotty Johnson made his first start of the year and set quick time.  Young and Kinder won the heats.

 “This year has been pretty spectacular to me,” said Higday of his championship.  “It seems like we’ve had a bad five or six years here.  It feels good to get a win on championship night here.  We had it locked up before that feature, but I told my guys we were not losing that race.  It’s been the busiest racing season we’ve had.”

 Mason Mitchell led the 15-lap DTRA truck feature early over Brandon Cox, Jeff Johnson, Shonn Mapes and Jared Myers.  Cox took the lead for himself on lap two before Del Enos and Shaun Clinger spun on the backstretch to bring the only caution.

 Mitchell rode Cox’s bumper the majority of the way, looking for an opening.  On the final lap, he got between the leader and the infield berm in turn four to edge ahead and take his first win here.  Following Mitchell and Cox were hard-charger, Brandon Toftee, Johnson, Myers, Shawn Cooney, Rick Clark, Mapes, Clinger, Enos and Terry May.

 “I don’t know what to say right now,” said Mitchell of his win.  “I appreciate the fans.  I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.  This is the pinnacle of dirt track racing.  I’m very fortunate and blessed to be doing what I love.”

 410 Results

Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 21, Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO (9), 15.632; 2. 4W, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (2), 15.707; 3. 55T, McKenna Haase, Des Moines, IA (4), 15.860; 4. 25, Lachlan McHugh, Gold Coast, QLD, Aust. (28), 15.905; 5. 19, Ayrton Gennetten, Gravois Mills, MO (8), 15.921; 6. 88, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (33), 15.951; 7. 35, Zach Hampton, Plainfield, IN (19), 15.954; 8. 1, Justin Henderson, Tea, SD (15), 15.982; 9. 20, AJ Moeller, Rockwell City, IA (3), 15.985; 10. 8, Aaron Reutzel, Clute, TX (14), 16.034; 11. 3J, Dusty Zomer, Sioux Falls, SD (20), 16.045; 12. 2K, Lynton Jeffrey, Sydney, NSW, Aust. (31), 16.055; 13. 2M, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (22), 16.068; 14. 6B, Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD (1), 16.081; 15. 6, Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount, IN (27), 16.082; 16. 24H, Kade Higday, Pleasant Hill, IA (16), 16.085; 17. 24T, Christopher Thram, Sanborn, MN (6), 16.178; 18. 22, Riley Goodno, Knoxville, IA (25), 16.219; 19. 3P, Sawyer Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (7), 16.222; 20. 2KS, Chase Randall, Waco, TX (30), 16.256; 21. 7TAZ, Tasker Phillips, Pleasantville, IA (29), 16.348; 22. 7W, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (34), 16.390; 23. 7B, Ben Brown, Marshall, MO (12), 16.444; 24. 12X, Garet Williamson, Columbia, MO (11), 16.449; 25. 74, Xavier Doney, Odessa, MO (13), 16.450; 26. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (21), 16.520; 27. 1K, Kelby Watt, Adel, IA (24), 16.535; 28. 56, Joe Simbro, Pleasantville, IA (17), 16.583; 29. 75X, JT Imperial, Mesa, AZ (26), 16.609; 30. 15JR, Cole Mincer, Burlington, IA (32), 16.863; 31. 9H, Landon Hansen, Newton, IA (5), 16.916; 32. 25X, Danny Schlafer, Gibson, WI (35), 16.968; 33. 15, Jack Potter, Kansas City, MO (10), 17.051; 34. 4J, Logan Calderwood, Goodyear, AZ (23), 17.459; 35. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (18), NT

Heat one (started), 8 Laps, 2:42.3: 1. Tasker Phillips (1); 2. Brian Brown (6); 3. Davey Heskin (3); 4. Ayrton Gennetten (5); 5. AJ Moeller (4); 6. JT Imperial (8); 7. Xavier Doney (7); 8. Jack Potter (9); 9. Christopher Thram (2)

Heat two (started), 8 Laps, 2:49.8: 1. Dustin Selvage (1); 2. Austin McCarl (3); 3. Aaron Reutzel (4); 4. Riley Goodno (2); 5. Jamie Ball (6); 6. Chris Martin (5); 7. Cole Mincer (8); 8. Logan Calderwood (8) DNS – Clint Garner

Heat three (started), 8 Laps, 2:37.3: 1. Dusty Zomer (4); 2. Sawyer Phillips (2); 3. Brandon Wimmer (3); 4. Zach Hampton (5); 5. Kelby Watt (7); 6. McKenna Haase (6); 7. Ben Brown (1); 8. Landon Hansen (8) DNS – Carson McCarl

Heat four (started), 8 Laps, 2:36.3: 1. Chase Randall (2); 2. Kade Higday (1); 3. Lynton Jeffrey (4); 4. Justin Henderson (3); 5. Lachlan McHugh (6); 6. Joe Simbro (5); 7. Danny Schlafer (7) DNS – Garet Williamson

B main (started), 12 Laps, 3:50.4: 1. Garet Williamson (2); 2. Chris Martin (4); 3. Kelby Watt (5); 4. Ben Brown (1) / 5. Xavier Doney (3); 6. JT Imperial (7); 7. Joe Simbro (6); 8. Danny Schlafer (10); 9. Cole Mincer (8); 10. Landon Hansen (9); 11. Jack Potter (11); 12. Logan Calderwood (12) DNS – Clint Garner, Christopher Thram, Carson McCarl

A main, 25 Laps, NT: 1. Aaron Reutzel (10); 2. Lachlan McHugh (4); 3. Austin McCarl (7); 4. Chase Randall (15); 5. Brian Brown (8); 6. Zach Hampton (1); 7. Ayrton Gennetten (5); 8. Davey Heskin (13); 9. Brandon Wimmer (16); 10. Garet Williamson (21); 11. McKenna Haase (3); 12. Chris Martin (22); 13. Kelby Watt (23); 14. Dusty Zomer (2); 15. Justin Henderson (9); 16. Tasker Phillips (17); 17. Dustin Selvage (19); 18. AJ Moeller (11); 19. Jamie Ball (6); 20. Lynton Jeffrey (12); 21. Riley Goodno (20); 22. Ben Brown (24); 23. Sawyer Phillips (18); 24. Kade Higday (14). Lap Leaders: Hampton 1-8, Reutzel 9-25. Hard-charger: Williamson.

360 Results

Time Trials (Qualifying Order), 2 laps: 1. 17, Tyler Groenendyk, Oskaloosa, IA (8), 16.335; 2. 4W, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (31), 16.409; 3. 70, Calvin Landis, Knoxville, IA (11), 16.425; 4. 9, Chase Randall, Waco, TX (14), 16.453; 5. 9G, Ryan Giles, Grimes, IA (13), 16.461; 6. 77X, Alex Hill, Six Nations, ONT, Ca (2), 16.471; 7. 4, Cam Martin, Ankeny, IA (5), 16.490; 8. 8H, Jacob Hughes, Hartford, SD (12), 16.507; 9. 24, Terry McCarl, Altoona, IA (25), 16.580; 10. 2M, Davey Heskin, St. Michael, MN (35), 16.617; 11. 40, Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD (30), 16.641; 12. 01, Sammy Swindell, Lakeland, TN (23), 16.642; 13. 6G, Garet Williamson, Columbia, MO (34), 16.651; 14. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (26), 16.658; 15. 83, Austin Miller, Lacona, IA (9), 16.685; 16. 4G, Cole Garner, Sioux Falls, SD (29), 16.709; 17. B29, JJ Beaver, Knoxville, IA (1), 16.753; 18. 22, Ryan Leavitt, Knoxville, IA (6), 16.770; 19. 33, Alan Zoutte, Knoxville, IA (4), 16.771; 20. 6A, Alex Vande Voort, Knoxville, IA (7), 16.801; 21. 53, Joe Beaver, Knoxville, IA (10), 16.812; 22. 6, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (33), 16.816; 23. 86, Timothy Smith, Rocheport, MO (27), 16.831; 24. 5M, Collin Moyle, Knoxville, IA (18), 16.882; 25. 99, Tony Rost, Omaha, NE (32), 16.948; 26. 20T, Corey Timmerman, Carmen, IL (24), 17.038; 27. 4C, Tuesday Calderwood, Goodyear, AZ (20), 17.115; 28. 14, Aidan Zoutte, Knoxville, IA (17), 17.175; 29. T4, Tyler Graves, Chariton, IA (15), 17.415; 30. 1K, Dan Henning, Columbia, IA (22), 17.529; 31. 11B, Ben Woods, Newton, IA (16), 17.635; 32. 16, Dustin Clark, Agency, IA (21), 17.985; 33. 1A, John Anderson, Des Moines, IA (28), 18.301; 34. 5D, Grae Anderson, Des Moines, IA (19), 18.804; 35. 17N, Nathan Anderson, Newton, IA (3), NT

Heat one (started), 7 Laps, 2:09.6: 1. Garet Williamson (3); 2. Terry McCarl (4); 3. Joe Beaver (1); 4. Ryan Giles (5); 5. Tyler Groenendyk (6); 6. Tony Rost (7); 7. JJ Beaver (2); 8. Tyler Graves (8); 9. John Anderson (9)

Heat two (started), 7 Laps, 2:12.3: 1. Dustin Selvage (1); 2. Ryan Leavitt (2); 3. Davey Heskin (4); 4. Jamie Ball (6); 5. Carson McCarl (3); 6. Alex Hill (5); 7. Corey Timmerman (7); 8. Dan Henning (8) DNS – Grae Anderson

Heat three (started), 7 Laps, 2:21.1: 1. Timothy Smith (1); 2. Cam Martin (5); 3. Clint Garner (4); 4. Calvin Landis (6); 5. Alan Zoutte (2); 6. Austin Miller (3); 7. Ben Woods (8); 8. Tuesday Calderwood (7); 9. Nathan Anderson (9)

Heat four (started), 7 Laps, 2:10.5: 1. Sammy Swindell (4); 2. Alex Vande Voort (2); 3. Chase Randall (6); 4. Collin Moyle (1); 5. Jacob Hughes (5); 6. Cole Garner (3); 7. Dustin Clark (8); 8. Aidan Zoutte (7)

B main (started), 10 Laps, NT: 1. Tony Rost (5); 2. Cole Garner (1); 3. JJ Beaver (2); 4. Dustin Clark (12); 5. Tuesday Calderwood (7); 6. Collin Moyle (4); 7. Corey Timmerman (6); 8. Alan Zoutte (3); 9. Aidan Zoutte (8); 10. John Anderson (13); 11. Dan Henning (10); 12. Ben Woods (11); 13. Tyler Graves (9); 14. Grae Anderson (14); 15. Nathan Anderson (15)

A main (started), 20 Laps, NT: 1. Chase Randall (4); 2. Jamie Ball (6); 3. Ryan Giles (1); 4. Garet Williamson (10); 5. Carson McCarl (18); 6. Sammy Swindell (8); 7. Davey Heskin (9); 8. Terry McCarl (7); 9. Tyler Groenendyk (5); 10. Ryan Leavitt (14); 11. Tony Rost (21); 12. Dustin Selvage (15); 13. Joe Beaver (19); 14. Alex Hill (11); 15. Alex Vande Voort (16); 16. Cam Martin (2); 17. Clint Garner (13); 18. Calvin Landis (3); 19. Jacob Hughes (12); 20. Timothy Smith (17); 21. Cole Garner (22); 22. JJ Beaver (23); 23. Austin Miller (20); 24. Dustin Clark (24). Lap Leaders: Cam Martin 1-2, Randall 3-20. Hard-charger: C. McCarl.

Pro Series Results

Time Trials (Group Qualifying): 1. 44, Scotty Johnson, Dallas, IA (1), 17.682; 2. 0, Mike Mayberry, Fremont, IA (4), 17.752; 3. 17, Matt Allen, Norwalk, IA (6), 17.825; 4. 99, Matthew Stelzer, Papillion, NE (16), 17.878; 5. 24, Kade Higday, Pleasant Hill, IA (7), 18.066; 6. 12P, Ryan Navratil, Des Moines, IA (8), 18.070; 7. 55, Toby Mosher, Osceola, IA (10), 18.073; 8. 2, Casey Friedrichsen, Arthur, IA (13), 18.116; 9. 26, Chase Young, Des Moines, IA (18), 18.142; 10. 71, Brandon Worthington, Indianola, IA (5), 18.150; 11. 3TJ, Joel Thorpe, Urbandale, IA (2), 18.266; 12. 88, J Kinder, Iberia, MO (14), 18.315; 13. 8J, AJ Johnson, Oskaloosa, IA (17), 18.330; 14. 34, Kyle Evers, Urbandale, IA (15), 18.355; 15. 41, Jeff Wilke, Knoxville, IA (11), 18.497; 16. 02S, Josh Jones, Knoxville, IA (3), 18.531; 17. 8, William Kline, Knoxville, IA (9), 18.985; DQ (Muffler) 15, Jack Potter, Kansas City, MO (12), 18.725

Heat one (started), 6 Laps, 2:08.7: 1. Chase Young (2); 2. Kade Higday (4); 3. Matt Allen (5); 4. Joel Thorpe (1); 5. AJ Johnson (7); 6. Scotty Johnson (6); 7. Jeff Wilke (8); 8. Toby Mosher (3); 9. William Kline (9)

Heat two (started), 6 Laps, NT: 1. J Kinder (1); 2. Brandon Worthington (2); 3. Ryan Navratil (4); 4. Mike Mayberry (6); 5. Matthew Stelzer (5); 6. Casey Friedrichsen (3); 7. Josh Jones (8); 8. Kyle Evers (7) DNS – Jack Potter

A main (started), 18 Laps, NT: 1. Kade Higday (6); 2. AJ Johnson (13); 3. J Kinder (9); 4. Ryan Navratil (4); 5. Casey Friedrichsen (10); 6. Mike Mayberry (7); 7. Josh Jones (15); 8. Brandon Worthington (1); 9. Chase Young (3); 10. Matt Allen (8); 11. Scotty Johnson (5); 12. Jeff Wilke (14); 13. Joel Thorpe (11); 14. William Kline (16); 15. Toby Mosher (12); 16. Matthew Stelzer (2) DNS – Kyle Evers, Jack Potter. Lap Leaders: Worthington 1-3, Higday 4-18. Hard-charger: Johnson.

DTRA Dirt Trucks Results

Heat one (started), 6 Laps, 2:26.5: 1. 66, Brandon Cox, Norwalk, IA (4); 2. 9, Jeff Johnson, Indianola, IA (2); 3. 22J, Jared Myers, Indianola, IA (3); 4. 30, Shawn Cooney, Bondurant, IA (5); 5. 85T, Brandon Toftee, Otho, IA (6); 6. 31, Terry May, Des Moines, IA (1)

Heat two (started), 6 Laps, 2:35.5: 1. 10G, Mason Mitchell, West Des Moines, IA (4); 2. 7x, Rick Clark, Des Moines, IA (1); 3. 79, Shonn Mapes, Ankeny, IA (5); 4. 43, Shaun Clinger, Waukee, IA (2); 5. 2, Del Enos, Des Moines, IA (3)

A main (started), 15 Laps, NT: 1. Mason Mitchell (1); 2. Brandon Cox (2); 3. Brandon Toftee (9); 4. Jeff Johnson (3); 5. Jared Myers (5); 6. Shawn Cooney (7); 7. Rick Clark (6); 8. Shonn Mapes (4); 9. Shaun Clinger (8); 10. Del Enos (10); 11. Terry May (11). Lap Leaders: Mitchell 1, Cox 2-14, Mitchell 15. Hard-charger: Toftee.