Classic contest: Texan takes A-Main race by the horns

An incredible run put Aaron Reutzel in the box seat ahead of Sunday's finale after the Texan clinched the $10,000 prize in the 30-lap A Main on Friday, January 19.

Teenage sensation Chase Randall and Rico Abreu, making his long-awaited Premier Speedway return, rounded out the podium places.

Abreu claimed the hard-charger award after coming from 14^th to clinch third.

Reutzel led for 24 of the 30 laps after passing pole-sitter and three-time Classic champion Kerry Madsen on turn one, with the Australian icon retiring just a lap later in a puff of smoke.

"I knew my car was good but how much I stayed with him and caught him, I knew if I stayed patient and just bide my time I knew I was going to be OK," he told The Standard from the in-field.

Reutzel, racing for New South Wales-based Saller Motorsport, is in his second consecutive Australian summer.

The father-of-two, who was hopeful his family was watching back in the United States, said he was enjoying the challenge.

"We started off really fast and then had some bad luck here and there and then I tried to fix too much and we got too slow," he said of his Australian campaign.

"We went back to where we were with a couple of changes and I felt back to really good."

Reutzel said he wanted to repay Saller Motorsport for its support.

"They spent a bunch of money to be a good team and they put a lot of hard work into it too," he said.

"I am glad we could finally get a win for them."

Premier Speedway's circuit, which has been under the microscope, was given the tick of approval too.

"The track was phenomenal, I don't think they could've done a better job," Reutzel said.

The 2023 night one winner Tate Frost was unable to repeat in 2024, the Tasmanian the first casualty of the A-Main, bowing out after four laps after contact with a rival forced him into the wall.

Terang's Jack Lee and Taylor Prosser were forced to the back of the field with 24 laps to run after contact, while Warrnambool's Jamie Veal, who had moved up to third, retired with 13 to go after tagging a wall.

Reutzel's win locked the American into the gold scramble in Sunday's finale.

Earlier in the night, Chad Gardner, Andrew Hughes, Andrew Priolo and Corey Sandow advanced to the B-Main, while Prosser, Riley Goodno, Kris Coyle and Randy Morgan earned an A-Main appearance after finishing top-four in the 20-lap B-Main.

In heats, Lee took honours in the first race after also claiming the $1000 quick-time prize with a time of 10.818 seconds. Veal and Corey McCullagh, who has returned to racing this season, also claimed heat wins, as did Kaidon Brown, Coyle, Adam King, Prosser and Brendan Quinn.

In the super rods supporting class, Bannockburn's Jacob Pitcher claimed the feature race win.