![American driver Aaron Reutzel is excited to tackle the Flying Horse Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic again. Picture supplied American driver Aaron Reutzel is excited to tackle the Flying Horse Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic again. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128797359/5298b25e-3fd2-4ed7-802a-5cdee8115744.jpg/r0_543_5315_3543_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
American sprintcar driver Aaron Reutzel is aiming high in this year's Flying Horse Bar and Brewery Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic - an event he holds in high esteem.
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The Texan native, who placed fourth in the 2023 Knoxville Raceway track championship, finished a respectable ninth in his maiden appearance last year at Allansford's Premier Speedway and was impressed with what he saw.
"It was a fun time last year and big event, so I'm excited to get back," he told The Standard.
"It was good. It kind of felt like the Knoxville Nationals of Australia. It was a good time."
Reutzel will drive for NSW-based team Saller Motorsport in the 2024 classic, held from January 19-21, and believes he has what it takes to improve on his debut result.
"Last year we didn't have no luck on our side and whatnot and I think we still finished eighth or seventh or something like that after digging ourselves out of a hole so I'd like to see us in the top-five or on the podium," he said.
Reutzel, a three-time All Star Circuit of Champions champion (2018-2020), concluded his 2023 campaign with three victories at Knoxville Raceway.
He joked the year was a bit like "stock market".
"It was an emotional roller-coaster," he said.
![Aaron Reutzel racing during Premier Speedway's 2024 New Year's meet. Picture by Sean McKenna Aaron Reutzel racing during Premier Speedway's 2024 New Year's meet. Picture by Sean McKenna](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128797359/ab061742-7188-4cb8-89ba-ba6fda1a8c7b.jpg/r0_307_6000_3694_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Win one week, crash the next. Win the next week and blow a motor. It was crazy but all in all it was pretty successful."
Reutzel, a former racer with the World of Outlaws, isn't running full-time with any series anymore and enjoys the freedom it affords him.
In the US, he sometimes finds himself the recipient of crowd booing but has embraced it.
"(In) 2018, 2019, 2020 when we were winning a lot, I have an aggressive driving style, some people just don't seem to like that," he said.
"I mean they want to call me the villain or whatever, it doesn't bother me. I think it's more fun to me especially at Knoxville where it seems to be half and half on boos and cheers so it makes it exciting and it makes it more fun when they have to boo me when we do win."