The 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Series championship marched on this week in what was their first Roto-Rooter Midweek Series debut that was featured on Tuesday night. Additionally, the series was nationally simulcast on Fox Sports 1, marking the first of six races during the ’26 season.
The series was also coming off a three-day trip at Central Arizona Raceway, where previous race winners, Rico Abreu, Tanner Thorson, and James McFadden all took the checkered flag. Two of the three entries returned for the Tuesday feature. McFadden flew back to his home country of Australia on Sunday following his Saturday night victory.
There were three heat races, including a seven-lap dash, leading up to the 30-lap A feature. Victorious in those heat races were Sye Lynch in Heat 1, Danny Sams III in Heat 2, and Tyler Courtney, taking the third and final heat victory of the evening. Interesting to note, during the third heat race, Rodney Huband went upside down on the frontstretch and landed to a stop right at the start/finish line.
After the heat races took place, the dash draw was seen on the frontstretch, and Lynch drew an automatic pole position for the quick race by grabbing the double zero number. With Lynch drawing the lowest number, this meant he would start on the pole during the dash race. However, following the seven-lap dash, the victory went to Brent Marks and the No. 19 team after beginning in the second position. Lynch slipped back to the fourth spot. By winning the dash race, Marks would start on the pole in the feature. Right alongside him was Spire Motorsports’ Logan Seavey in the second spot on the outside row.
When the green flag flew on the feature, Aaron Reutzel briefly took the lead after one lap from Marks and Seavey in the middle of Turns 3 and 4 on the bottom until the first caution of the night flew. The No. 16G of Austyn Gossel went for a wild flip coming off Turn 4 after making contact with the 42X of Caleb Saiz. Following the contact, Saiz received a left-rear flat tire and went to the infield pit area to put a new tire on his Sprint Car.
Coming to the restart with 29 to go, Reutzel chose the inside lane and Marks the outside lane. After the restart, Lynch inserted himself into the picture by challenging Marks for the second position. At 26 to go, Seavey gained momentum on the high side and passed Lynch for the third spot. Just a few laps later, Seavey and Lynch banged wheels with each other, and Lynch got back by to retake the third spot with 21 to go.
With the leader, Reutzel, managing lap traffic, Marks closed in on him momentarily before Reutzel was able to take off like a rocket. Afterward, a four-car battle for third broke out with Marks, Courtney, and Chase Randall all battling for position.
With 10 laps to go, Seavey began chasing the leader of Reutzel back down. However, Reutzel had once again managed the gap, and Seavey lost ground. At two laps to go, Seavey fell to fourth, and a thriller of a battle for the runner-up spot broke out. Rookie Ryan Timms put on a show with Courtney in the final laps, who was trying to take the second position.
At the end of the battle, the runner-up went to Courtney, who took the second position over Timms. But the winner of the race ultimately went to Reutzel and the No. 87 team, who won for the first time since the season opener at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track a couple of weeks ago, becoming the first back-to-back winner of the season.
“It (the victory) was awesome, we unloaded great,” Reutzel told Flo Sports in victory. “The heat, I thought we were pretty good. I thought we could get better down the straightaways. (We) tried a few things in the dash; it’s a free test session, nailed it. Our car was great tonight. We hit it perfect. Motor was ripping. Can’t thank Tom Rider (Rider Racing Engines) enough for that. The team did a phenomenal job. Like I said, the car was awesome. Just so happy for the entire race team and our sponsors. Just everyone that’s a part of our team, and let’s us come out here, and do this. I’m glad I could do my part.”
Courtney started in the fifth position and gained three spots with fierce battles among his competitors until he settled for second.
“It (the race) was hectic there,” Courtney said on the frontstretch to Flo Racing. He continued, “I kept trying to run the top and the middle, but I just couldn’t quite get a good enough of run to get by.”I think I got by one guy earlier doing that and kind of just fell in line.
You know, racing for a championship, you have to be consistent. I fell back in line there and tried to hopefully fall into second or third there, and we got two for one by going three wide with Logan (Seavey) and Brent (Marks). Our Nos Energy Drink, Spire Motorsports, and Elliott’s Custom Trailers car was awesome all night. We had a little bit of an issue in the dash, in which we got a couple of spots there and gave a couple back there at the end of that one. It’s part of it. This is a lot better than the last time we were on TV, so I’ll take it instead of taking a ride out of the helicopter.”
Rounding out the podium finishers was Timms, who came from the 10th position to finish in the third spot. It was his first podium finish of the High Limit season. By doing so, Timms gained the Rod End Supply Hard Charger award.
“It felt great here in the A-main. Earlier, we had to find some things to fine-tune. I struggled a little bit in the heat race, and we talked about it,” Timms said to Flo Racing. He added, “I had a solid mindset going into this deal. I tried making the top work early, and I think it was just too dirty, or the bottom was just too good. It just wasn’t working for me. He continued, saying, “I eventually followed in behind everyone on the bottom and clicked them off in lap traffic.
I actually got screwed up in lap traffic (Tanner) Thorson and (Sye) Lynch might have got by me, and eventually I decided to say screw it. I tried the top; initially, I could hang with them up there. After a few laps, I could get momentum built up, and it (the car) just came alive. I think trying to get it cleaned off up there helped a bit, too. Can’t thank the team enough for giving me a fast racecar and, of course, all my sponsors.”
With the victory, Reutzel gave his team Ride and Sons Racing their 10th career victory, as well as the fifth team to do so in the series. He also earned the Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap Awards. Reutzel is now 16 points behind the current points leader, Thorson.
Full Results: The Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Series at Vado Speedway Park
- Aaron Reutzel
- Tyler Courtney
- Ryan Timms
- Brent Marks
- Chase Randall
- Logan Seavey
- Tanner Thorson
- Sye Lynch
- Kerry Madsen
- Giovanni Scelzi
- Justin Peck
- Rico Abreu
- John Carney II
- Daison Pursley
- Brenham Crouch
- Tanner Holmes
- Brian Brown
- Danny Sams III
- Hanke Davis
- Gage Pulkrabek
- Caleb Saiz
- Hunter Schuerenberg
- J.J. Hickle
- Austyn Gossel
Up Next – The 2026 Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Series travels to Amarillo, Texas, at Route 66 Motor Speedway, Friday night live on Flo Racing.
