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From the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, Aaron Reutzel’s opening week on tour with Kubota High Limit Racing was simply an unforgettable one.
Considered an instant contender when he joined the roster of 14 full-time High Rollers, it was no shock when the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 came out of the gates at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as one of the fastest cars in the pit area. What was a shock, was when he left the track that night in an ambulance with his future uncertain.
The 34-year-old native of Clute, Texas suffered a broken nose, experienced notable blood loss and severe swelling in his eyes, and required multiple stitches to his face. Not exactly how you want to start a 60-race campaign.
Proudly sporting his battle scars on Saturday night in Perris, California, Reutzel fought through the pain and found his way to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane – one week to the day of that hospital trip.
The Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 was the car to beat all night long – going fastest in Dirt Draft Hot Laps, setting Capitol Renegade QuickTime honors, dominating the FK Rod Ends Dash, and leading every lap of the Kubota A-Main.
It didn’t come easy for the now two-time winner with the series as he had to fight off an early-race threat from rising star Tanner Holmes in the Tarlton Racing No. 21T and then methodically manage his tires on a slipping surface. It even came down to a green-white-checkered finish, but there was no stopping Reutzel from finishing this epic comeback story.
The win propelled the Ridge & Sons Racing team up to fifth in the early-season championship standings (-77 points behind first) and keeps Reutzel undefeated at Perris Auto Speedway, having previously won a World of Outlaws race in 2019.
Behind Reutzel by 1.777-seconds at the checkered flag was Altoona, Iowa’s Austin McCarl in the Country Builders Racing No. 88 with a career-best finish with Kubota High Limit Racing.
After him was the defending series champion and current points leader, Brad Sweet, aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 keeping his perfect podium streak in tact to start the 2025 season – finishing third, second, first, and third in the opening four races to build a 45-point advantage.
One night after his best-ever run in the state of California with a third-place effort, Pennsylvanian Brent Marks followed that with his next-best outing on “Golden State” soil by finishing fourth at the place they call “The PAS.” Rounding out the top-five was Templeton, California native Kaleb Montgomery in the fifth spot, sealing the deal on a career night that saw the local racer qualify third overall and make his first High Limit Dash.
Closing the top-10 on Saturday night was Rico Abreu in sixth, Tyler Courtney in seventh, D.J. Netto in eighth, Dominic Scelzi in ninth, and Kasey Kahne in tenth.
THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (3/22/25)
Perris Auto Speedway (Perris, CA)
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Aaron Reutzel (14.894 seconds)
Capital Custom Trailers QuickTime – Aaron Reutzel (15.169 seconds)
TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Brad Sweet
DMI Heat Two Winner – Tanner Holmes
BR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Austin McCarl
FK Rod Ends Dash Winner – Aaron Reutzel
Winters Performance B-Main Winner – Ryan Bernal
Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap Award – Aaron Reutzel (15.862 seconds)
Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Danny Sams III +9 (23rd-to-14th)
Lap Leaders – Aaron Reutzel 1-30
Kubota A Feature (30 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel[1]; 2. 88W-Austin McCarl[2]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[6]; 5. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[5]; 6. 24-Rico Abreu[7]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[10]; 8. 88N-DJ Netto[9]; 9. 41-Dominic Scelzi[13]; 10. 9-Kasey Kahne[16]; 11. 73-Ryan Bernal[19]; 12. 10-Ryan Timms[14]; 13. 26-Justin Peck[21]; 14. 24D-Danny Sams III[23]; 15. 0-Tim Kaeding[8]; 16. 9R-Chase Randall[11]; 17. 14-Spencer Bayston[12]; 18. 21L-Landon Brooks[20]; 19. 88-Tanner Thorson[18]; 20. 10X-Dominic Gorden[15]; 21. 21-Tanner Holmes[3]; 22. 19T-Colby Thornhill[17]; 23. 42-Sye Lynch[25]; 24. 21P-Robbie Price[22]; 25. 13-Daison Pursley[24]
NEW 2025 Kubota High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 4/59 Races):
- Kasey Kahne Racing #49 – Brad Sweet (285 PTS… -)
- Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC – Tyler Courtney (240 PTS… -45)
- Murray-Marks Motorsports #19 – Brent Marks (231 PTS… -54)
- Rico Abreu Racing #24 – Rico Abreu (219 PTS… -66)
- Ridge & Sons Racing #87 – Aaron Reutzel (208 PTS… -77)
- Kasey Kahne Racing #9 – Kasey Kahne (207 PTS… -78)
- Rudeen Racing #26 – Justin Peck (196 PTS… -89)
- Chase Randall Racing #9R – Chase Randall (188 PTS… -97)
- Rod Gross Motorsports #88 – Tanner Thorson (172 PTS… -113)
- Randerson Racing #24D – Danny Sams III (158 PTS… -127)
- Jason Meyers Racing #14 – Spencer Bayston (136 PTS… -149)
- CJB Motorsports #5 – Brenham Crouch (119 PTS… -166)
- Mosites Lynch Racing #42 – Sye Lynch (116 PTS… -169)
- Buch Motorsports #13 – Daison Pursley (114 PTS… -171)
UP NEXT: Arizona will welcome Kubota High Limit Racing for the first time ever next weekend with a doubleheader at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway scheduled for Friday and Saturday, March 28-29. Fans can purchase tickets for future Kubota High Limit Racing events by clicking here.
