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Accident Ends Reutimann’s Day at Infineon Raceway                                                                             Courtesy: Elevation Group

 
UPS driver David Reutimann and the #44 Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) Team competed in the first of two scheduled road course events for the season on Sunday at Infineon Raceway. The race marked the first start for Reutimann behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car on a road course. With just nine laps remaining, the #44 Toyota suffered a blown left front tire sending the car into the Turn 9 wall, ending the team’s day with a 40th place finish.
 
Reutimann started the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from the 42nd spot. Throughout Friday and Saturday’s practice session, crew chief Ryan Pemberton worked patiently with his driver to determine the starting set-up for the #44 UPS Toyota. When the green flag dropped, Reutimann methodically began his quest to advance to the front but the handling on his MWR Toyota was loose, hindering the driver’s ability to pass.
 
With limited road course experience, Reutimann logged laps until Pemberton had an opportunity to make adjustments to the #44 Toyota during the first round of pit stops starting on lap 30. Under the first caution of the race, the field entered pit road and Reutimann came to the attention of his UPS pit crew for four tires as well as a track bar and an air pressure adjustment to aid the ill-handling condition.
 
Reutimann took the restart on lap 32 and immediately reported to his team that the changes to the car did make the handling tighter but were too extreme. The tight handling condition made the car very difficult for Reutimann to maneuver through the turns and as a result Reutimann would fall a lap down to the race leader, Kyle Busch, at the midpoint of the race. On lap 70, the #44 Toyota returned to pit road for service and the team reversed the track bar change made during the first pit stop. The handling on the car improved significantly but Reutimann would not be able to return to the lead lap to advance his position.
 
With the checkered flag in sight, Reutimann was hoping to cross the finish line to complete his first road course event but a blown left front tire sent the #44 hard into the Turn 9 tire barrier severely damaging the UPS Toyota. Reutimann was unable to drive the car back to the garage and the day for the #44 Team ended with just nine laps remaining.
 
“I knew today was really going to be a learning experience,” Reutimann said. “Chris Cook (road course instructor) was really encouraging during the race over the radio and I wish that we had more to show for the time he has spent working with me. This wasn’t a good weekend at all and I’m glad to have this first road course race behind us and to move ahead to New Hampshire next week.”
 
After a quiet 100 laps, the final ten were full of fireworks as three caution flags littered the closing stages of the race. The final yellow period forced the race into overtime and Kyle Busch prevailed posting his fifth victory of the season following a green-white-checkered conclusion. Busch started deep in the field to take his first Sprint Cup Series victory on a road course at Infineon Raceway. Following the #18 Toyota to the checkered flag was David Gilliland in the second position. Rounding out the top-five finishers were Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Casey Mears.
 
After starting from the 35th position, Reutimann’s teammate Michael Waltrip finished in the 25th  position in the #55 Toyota Camry. Teammate Michael McDowell, who has several starts including three victories at Infineon, made his first Sprint Cup start at the track from the 34th spot in his #00 Toyota. McDowell ended his race in 21st.
 
Next week Reutimann and the UPS Team return to the ovals as the Series travels to New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS). Live television coverage of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be broadcast on the TNT Network beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide simultaneous radio coverage of the race.

 #44 UPS Toyota Primary Team Members 
 

Crew Chief: Ryan Pemberton

Car Chief: Steve Channing

Front Changer: Phil Gibson

Front Carrier: Dave Kulak

Jackman: Mitch Lash

Rear Changer: Dwayne Bigger

Rear Carrier: Travis Stock

Gas:  Danny Harrington

Catch Can: Keith Koppenal

Spotter:  Shawn Reutimann 

 
Sprint Cup 2008 Schedule
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