(Photo by Tylan Porath Photography)
Inside Line Promotions – JACKSON, Minn. (May 26, 2023) – Aaron Reutzel and Blaine Stegenga scored victories on Friday night at Jackson Motorplex, which hosted the Tweeter Contracting 360 Challenge presented by GRP Motorsports.
Reutzel captured the $3,000 top prize by topping the Gunderson Racing Inc. Midwest Sprint Touring Series and the QualityFreightRate.com Midwest Power Series 360ci winged sprint cars 25-lap main event.
Reutzel led every lap, quickly rocketing to the lead on the opening lap by using the top groove from his outside front row starting position. He entered traffic on Lap 5 and hustled around four drivers in turns one and two. Reutzel continued to slice through traffic as he lapped half of the field before the lone caution on Lap 15. By that point the bottom was the preferred lane.
“The top was open there,” he said. “I don’t know if it was starting to lay rubber that early and that’s why those guys weren’t up there or what. I knew the rubber was coming. Luckily I saw one or two guys on the bottom. I really didn’t gain on them. I noticed that’s where the rubber was coming, on the bottom. That probably would have cost us there. I moved down and then I found the rubber all the way down on the bottom.”
Reutzel launched on the restart and had a comfortable lead until he was mired in traffic during the final three laps. Chase Randall closed to less than a quarter of a second on the final lap, but Reutzel made a move around the outside while lapping a driver in turn three to secure the victory by 1.162 seconds.
Randall, Chris Martin, Kaleb Johnson and Brooke Tatnell rounded out the top five, respectively.
Reutzel swept the night as he set quick time during qualifying before winning a heat race. Matt Juhl, Randall and Skylar Prochaska also posted heat race victories. Javen Ostermann picked up the B Main triumph.
Stegenga led all 20 laps of a caution-free Wyffels Hybrids RaceSaver Sprint Car Series
feature to earn his first career sprint car victory at Jackson Motorplex.
Stegenga cruised on the bottom as he built more than a four-second lead within the first seven laps before hitting traffic on Lap 8. Dusty Ballenger battled into the runner-up position on Lap 12 and reeled in Stegenga in traffic, closing to less than two tenths of a second on Lap 16 when Stegenga missed the groove in turns one and two. However, he hit his marks throughout the waning laps to win by 0.760 seconds.
“It feels good to get this first one out of the way,” he said. “I was just trying to look forward, just kind of judge, see where those lapped cars were going to go. I felt a little bit better up top. The bottom kinda slicked out a bit here coming out of turn four. I figured those guys were coming so I better get up top.”
Ballenger finished second with Trevor Serbus rallying from 12th to third. Luke Nellis was fourth and Trevor Smith placed fifth.
The heat races were won by Serbus, Brett Allen, Monty Ferriera and Ballenger. Matt Johnson was the B Main winner.
The next event at Jackson Motorplex is June 13 for the Bank Midwest IMCA Series featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods and IMCA Sport Compacts.
TWEETER CONTRACTING 360 CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY GRP MOTORSPORTS RACE RESULTS AT JACKSON MOTORPLEX (May 26, 2023) –
MSTS Series/Midwest Power Series 360 Sprint Cars
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 8X-Aaron Reutzel (2); 2. 9-Chase Randall (1); 3. 44-Chris Martin (7); 4. 22-Kaleb Johnson (8); 5. 14-Brooke Tatnell (10); 6. 6-Carson McCarl (5); 7. 4-Cameron Martin (4); 8. 24T-Christopher Thram (11); 9. 35-Skylar Prochaska (9); 10. 14X-Jody Rosenboom (6); 11. 09-Matt Juhl (3); 12. 35L-Cody Ledger (12); 13. 20-Brant O'Banion (23); 14. 9X-Ryan Giles (13); 15. 17B-Ryan Bickett (20); 16. 05-Colin Smith (16); 17. 83A-Austin Miller (15); 18. 8-Micah Slendy (17); 19. 5-Javen Ostermann (21); 20. 17D-Dillon Bickett (19); 21. 13MJ-Brandon Halverson (14); 22. (DNF) 83-Sam Henderson (22); 23. (DNF) 54-Brett Wanner (24); 24. (DNF) 57B-Boyd Peterson (18).
B Feature (10 Laps): 1. 5-Javen Ostermann (1); 2. 83-Sam Henderson (2); 3. 20-Brant O'Banion (3); 4. 54-Brett Wanner (5); 5. 10-Lincoln Drewis (8); 6. 2K-Kevin Ingle (6); 7. 105-Cody Ihlen (4); 8. (DNF) 5X-Bill Wiese (7); 9. (DNS) 22W-Aaron Werner; 10. (DNS) 36-Cole Tostenson.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 8X-Aaron Reutzel (4); 2. 14X-Jody Rosenboom (2); 3. 4-Cameron Martin (3); 4. 13MJ-Brandon Halverson (1); 5. 17B-Ryan Bickett (8); 6. 20-Brant O'Banion (6); 7. 83-Sam Henderson (5); 8. 10-Lincoln Drewis (7).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 09-Matt Juhl (2); 2. 22-Kaleb Johnson (4); 3. 6-Carson McCarl (3); 4. 83A-Austin Miller (1); 5. 57B-Boyd Peterson (6); 6. 105-Cody Ihlen (7); 7. (DNF) 22W-Aaron Werner (5); 8. (DNF) 36-Cole Tostenson (8).
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 9-Chase Randall (4); 2. 24T-Christopher Thram (2); 3. 14-Brooke Tatnell (3); 4. 8-Micah Slendy (6); 5. 05-Colin Smith (5); 6. 5-Javen Ostermann (1); 7. 2K-Kevin Ingle (7).
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 35-Skylar Prochaska (2); 2. 9X-Ryan Giles (1); 3. 44-Chris Martin (4); 4. 35L-Cody Ledger (3); 5. 17D-Dillon Bickett (6); 6. 54-Brett Wanner (5); 7. 5X-Bill Wiese (7).
Qualifying (2 Laps): 1. 8X-Aaron Reutzel, 00:13.960 (18); 2. 22-Kaleb Johnson, 00:14.029 (14); 3. 9-Chase Randall, 00:14.058 (4); 4. 44-Chris Martin, 00:14.079 (5); 5. 4-Cameron Martin, 00:14.203 (19); 6. 6-Carson McCarl, 00:14.205 (1); 7. 14-Brooke Tatnell, 00:14.241 (9); 8. 35L-Cody Ledger, 00:14.312 (12); 9. 14X-Jody Rosenboom, 00:14.371 (3); 10. 09-Matt Juhl, 00:14.393 (29); 11. 24T-Christopher Thram, 00:14.568 (21); 12. 35-Skylar Prochaska, 00:14.620 (26); 13. 13MJ-Brandon Halverson, 00:14.631 (8); 14. 83A-Austin Miller, 00:14.737 (11); 15. 5-Javen Ostermann, 00:14.776 (7); 16. 9X-Ryan Giles, 00:14.821 (15); 17. 83-Sam Henderson, 00:14.867 (22); 18. 22W-Aaron Werner, 00:14.894 (27); 19. 05-Colin Smith, 00:15.020 (17); 20. 54-Brett Wanner, 00:15.029 (2); 21. 20-Brant O'Banion, 00:15.029 (20); 22. 57B-Boyd Peterson, 00:15.042 (10); 23. 8-Micah Slendy, 00:15.055 (25); 24. 17D-Dillon Bickett, 00:15.151 (24); 25. 10-Lincoln Drewis, 00:15.186 (6); 26. 105-Cody Ihlen, 00:15.212 (23); 27. 2K-Kevin Ingle, 00:15.676 (28); 28. 36-Cole Tostenson, 00:16.968 (30); 29. 5X-Bill Wiese (13); 30. 17B-Ryan Bickett (16).
Wyffels Hybrids RaceSaver Sprint Car Series
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 96-Blaine Stegenga (1); 2. 2D-Dusty Ballenger (6); 3. 10-Trevor Serbus (12); 4. 74N-Luke Nellis (5); 5. 33-Trevor Smith (8); 6. 45-Monty Ferriera (7); 7. 7F-Shane Fick (3); 8. 31-Koby Werkmeister (9); 9. 23-Brandon Bosma (15); 10. 4S-Mike Stien (16); 11. 1300-Brett Allen (11); 12. 30-Matt Johnson (17); 13. 90-Eric Schulz (4); 14. 91J-Johnny Sullivan (10); 15. 55R-Ryan Serrao (2); 16. 05-Brandon Allen (13); 17. 19-Nate Eakin (14); 18. 23C-Ben Crees (18); 19. 15-Zach Glaser (20); 20. (DNF) F5-Tim Rustad (19).
B Feature (8 Laps): 1. 30-Matt Johnson (3); 2. 23C-Ben Crees (2); 3. F5-Tim Rustad (1); 4. 15-Zach Glaser (7); 5. 63-Todd Hansen (4); 6. 6B-Bayley Ballenger (5); 7. 24B-Brandon Buysse (11); 8. 91-Andrew Sullivan (16); 9. 9-Dominic Dobesh (6); 10. 3D-Dan Griep (10); 11. 54-Michael Stien (9); 12. 80P-Jacob Peterson (8); 13. 11F-Austin Fox (14); 14. (DNF) 61-Stacy Baas (12); 15. (DNS) 88-Nathan Thelen; 16. (DNS) 13X-Eli Hargreaves.
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 10-Trevor Serbus (7); 2. 7F-Shane Fick (2); 3. 55R-Ryan Serrao (1); 4. 05-Brandon Allen (4); 5. F5-Tim Rustad (3); 6. 6B-Bayley Ballenger (8); 7. 54-Michael Stien (6); 8. (DNF) 88-Nathan Thelen (5).
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 1300-Brett Allen (1); 2. 91J-Johnny Sullivan (3); 3. 96-Blaine Stegenga (5); 4. 19-Nate Eakin (2); 5. 23C-Ben Crees (8); 6. 9-Dominic Dobesh (6); 7. 3D-Dan Griep (4); 8. 11F-Austin Fox (7).
Heat 3 (8 Laps): 1. 45-Monty Ferriera (5); 2. 74N-Luke Nellis (4); 3. 90-Eric Schulz (1); 4. 23-Brandon Bosma (6); 5. 30-Matt Johnson (7); 6. 15-Zach Glaser (8); 7. 24B-Brandon Buysse (3); 8. (DNF) 13X-Eli Hargreaves (2).
Heat 4 (8 Laps): 1. 2D-Dusty Ballenger (3); 2. 33-Trevor Smith (4); 3. 31-Koby Werkmeister (6); 4. 4S-Mike Stien (5); 5. 63-Todd Hansen (7); 6. 80P-Jacob Peterson (8); 7. 61-Stacy Baas (1); 8. (DNF) 91-Andrew Sullivan (2).
UP NEXT –
June 13 for the Bank Midwest IMCA Series featuring IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Stock Cars, IMCA Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Mods and IMCA Sport Compacts
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.JacksonMotorplex.com
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/JacksonMotorplx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonSpeedway/?fref=ts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacksonmotorplex/
JACKSON MOTORPLEX –
Jackson Motorplex is a 4/10-mile dirt oval located in Jackson, Minn. It hosts special events from May through September, including races with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, Midwest Power Series, Midwest Sprint Touring Series and more. For more information, visit http://www.JacksonMotorplex.com.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.