Aaron Reutzel of Clute, Texas, opened the final weekend of racing ever at Little Rock's I-30 Speedway with a convincing victory Thursday night in the 15th annual Ralph Henson Memorial.
Starting on the outside of the front row in the 25-lap feature, Reutzel outdueled polesitter Wayne Johnson of Oklahoma City for the lead at the green flag and led every lap for the victory, earning $5,646.
Reutzel said the win was a good way start the weekend, which concludes tonight with the main event for the 35th annual Short Track Nationals, paying $15,041 to win.
"We've still got a few things to clean up to have a chance to win on Saturday night," he said afterward. "It does feel really good to get at least one more win at one of my favorite tracks to race at. Hopefully we can get at least one more this weekend."
There was a red flag on the initial start of the race as Justin Sanders of Aromas, Calif., and Mark Smith of Sunbury, Pa., tumbled on the backstretch. Neither driver was injured.
Johnson took the lead on the second start attempt, but Reutzel slipped past him in turns three and four to regain the top spot. They dueled for the lead for several laps, but Johnson could not make the pass stick.
Reutzel moved into lapped traffic by the seventh lap, while Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, Texas, the 2020 Short Track Nationals champion, began to challenge Johnson for the second spot. Hafertepe grabbed the position while charging on a thin, treacherous cushion on the track's top groove.
"That cushion was wild," Reutzel said. "It was pretty tricky."
The caution flag flew on the 15th lap when Michael Day of Farmersville, Texas, stalled on the track. Reutzel again jumped out to large lead and was not challenged the rest of the way.
It was the 14th victory of the season for Reutzel. He won an American Sprint Car Series event at I-30 in March and has eight wins this season at the famed Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway.
Hafertepe held on for second and Greenbrier's Jordon Mallett, who finished third at last year's STN, was third. Johnson took fourth and Ryan Timms of Oklahoma City was fifth.
Marion's Derek Hagar was sixth, which clinched I-30's track championship. As a result, he was guaranteed a provisional starting spot for tonight's STN main event.
Rounding out Thursday's top 10 were Brad Bowden of Hernando, Miss., Garet Williamson of Columbia, Mo., Kyler Johnson of Quinter, Kan., and Dylan Westbrook of Scotland, Ontario.
Qualifying heats and preliminary features for the Short Track Nationals were held Friday night. Tonight's card includes more heats, last-chance qualifiers and the main event.
Aaron Reutzel of Clute, Texas, led all 25 laps in winning the 15th Ralph Henson Memorial at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway on Thursday night. The last event for the track’s final season is tonight’s 35th annual Short Track Nationals. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Jimmy Jones)