Aaron Reutzel to Miss High Limit Racing Finale After Lakeside Speedway Crash

Aaron Reutzel’s injury leaves him out of High Limit Racing’s final two nights of 2026, but the series’ medical provisional will keep him in the championship standings. The driver is set to receive 94 points for the Texas Motor Speedway Dirt Track event, while Rico Abreu enters the finale leading the standings.

Reutzel was hurt in a crash at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City last weekend. His team, Ridge & Sons Racing, says he won’t compete in Texas, ending its racing season. The source reports no further details about his injury or a return date, so his condition beyond his absence from the finale remains unclear.

The team’s statement puts Reutzel’s health first and says its focus is supporting him. Manager Ryan Wyant also described the year as a successful one for Ridge & Sons Racing and said the team expects to see fans in 2027.

How the provisional affects the standings

The 94-point award is calculated from Reutzel’s rolling average finish of 8.18, with five positions added to produce a 13th-place result for points purposes. At 47 points per night, that calculation covers both rounds at Texas. The points keep Reutzel’s championship total active even though he cannot add results from the track.

That matters because he heads into the weekend third, 77 points behind Abreu and 32 behind Giovanni Scelzi. The provisional doesn’t erase the gap or change the order among the leaders; it gives Reutzel points under the series’ stated formula while he is sidelined. The two-night format means his assigned total is the same as two 47-point results.

Here’s the practical tradeoff built into the rule: an injured driver can retain points based on an average, while the car owner can still enter a different driver. But the replacement driver’s result would determine the points awarded for that night, rather than the injured driver receiving the guaranteed average-based total. That distinction makes the choice between preserving the provisional and putting another driver in the car consequential for the team’s standings.

Texas title picture

Abreu leads the standings heading into Texas. Scelzi is second, 45 points back, while Reutzel sits third at minus 77. Tyler Courtney is fourth, 216 points behind the leader; Justin Peck follows at minus 255, with Brent Marks at minus 353. Tanner Thorson, Tanner Holmes, Daison Pursley and Kerry Madsen complete the top ten, respectively 379, 403, 585 and 750 points behind Abreu.

With Reutzel absent, the focus among the listed contenders shifts to the drivers who can still race those final two nights. The supplied standings establish the gaps before Texas, but they don’t specify how many points are available for each finishing position or how the championship could change after each round. The figures therefore show the pre-finale positions, not a predicted final result.

What the rule says

High Limit Racing’s rule provides medical provisionals for drivers injured in an accident who need additional recovery time. The provisional applies within a 10-day period and awards points based on the driver’s average finishing position plus five places. The rule also requires a visit to a reputable doctor within that period, with approval through the series process.

If a car owner chooses to race with another driver during the provisional period, the car can compete, but the injured driver’s guaranteed points do not apply for that night. The owner instead receives points tied to the replacement driver’s finish. The rule allows one extension after the first 10 days if it is needed and approved.

The 2026 wording also excludes the first two weekends from medical provisionals, because there may not yet be enough results to calculate an average finish. For later seasons, new teams face the same limitation; returning cars can use the prior year’s average finish during those opening weekends if needed. In Reutzel’s case, the stated rolling average provides the basis for his Texas allocation. His absence closes Ridge & Sons Racing’s 2026 campaign, while the standings and two-night points haul leave the championship picture to be settled at the track.

See the Lakeside Speedway crash video

Aaron Reutzel | Texas Motor Speedway | Lakeside Speedway | High Limit Racing