Pocono Raceway
POST RACE REPORT
8/2/2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann fought hard all day to work his way through the field on Sunday at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. He raced his way from 24th up to 12th before a flurry of cautions toward the end of the race set up teams to take various strategies to try and gain track position. The No. 00 team continuously turned quick stops, but fell due to teams gambling on tires in favor of track position. Reutimann found himself in 20th position at the final restart on lap 179 and raced his way to 17th before the checked flag flew on lap 200. Reutimann remains 18th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, trailing the top 12 by 183 points, with four races remaining before the Chase cutoff. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action Sunday at Watkins Glen.
REUTIMANN: How was your car today?
"That was a tough day. I feel like I raced as hard as I could, we had a good Aaron's Dream Machine most of they day, but it just didn't work out for us. The weather made things a little crazy as far as strategy - some cars taking two tires, some taking four, some taking fuel only. We had a couple red flags, some rain. It seems like we had a little bit of everything today. I just wish we could have finished a little better. We'll keep working on it and try again next week."
Reutimann Notes:
Reutimann started 24th and finished 17th.
Reutimann raced his way from 24th to 18th in the first 15 laps prior to a competition caution
The No. 00 raced its way to 16th by lap 90 and remained there until a lap 120 caution bunched the field
The Aaron’s Dream Machine continued it’s march forward up to 12th position by lap 146
Reutimann came to pit road for four tires in 13th position on lap 170, but various pit strategies by several teams returned the No. 00 to the track in 20th position.
Reutimann restarted 20th on the final restart on lap 179 and improved to 17th by the checkered flag.
Pocono Raceway
Pre-Race Report
7/27/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann knows a win to a NASCAR team can reach far beyond points or dollars, its influence impacts an organization’s morale, confidence and reputation in and out of the garage. Reutimann, who collected his second career Sprint Cup Series win in the Lifelock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10th, has won in all three of NASCAR’s top touring series—The Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series. A win this weekend’s event at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway could propel Reutimann and the No. 00 team back into serious Chase contention.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON WINNING VERSUS POINT RACING: “I think a lot of things do get lost in the fact that there's a lot of focus put on the Chase, and rightfully so. That's what you're obviously trying to do. You're trying to win races. It's important to win races, but it's also about being consistent and all those things that gain you the most points. Every driver, when he's strapped in on Sunday, you're out there to try to win the race. For the drivers, I think the most important thing is going out there and trying to win races, doing what you can to help your cause. If you win races, that's always the better way to get in the Chase as well. It's a win-win situation if you can go out and win races. I know that's what we're focused on doing.”
ON THE IMPACT OF WINNING A RACE: “It can change the whole outlook of your entire organization. If you're having a rough year, things aren't going well, you're able to go out and win a race, you automatically kind of forget everything that's happened bad up to that point. You can switch things around and make it so you're like, Wow. I mean, no matter how your season has gone up to that point, you win that race, you're like, the sky is the limit from that point on. It gives the driver confidence. It gives the team confidence. More importantly, it gives the guys back at the shop that aren't able to be at the racetrack with you, but are turning out your racecars, getting your stuff prepared, gives them added enthusiasm, a little pep in their step, so to speak. It makes them see what they're doing at the shop is really important. They're able to see the results on the racetrack. I think that's great for any race team.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Only Kevin Harvick (9.2), Jeff Gordon (9.5), Tony Stewart (10.5), Jeff Burton (10.7) and Denny Hamlin (12.0) have a better average finish than Reutimann (12.9) in the last 10 races. Reutimann (1302) also ranks seventh in total points during that span.
· Last weekend at Indianapolis, Reutimann snapped the longest streak of consecutive lead laps finishes at 11 races. He has finished on the lead lap in 15 of 17 races that he was running at the finish and 15 out of 20 total races in 2010.
· Reutimann won the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10. The Sprint Cup Series win is his first of the season and second of his career. Reutimann led 52 laps in the win — the second highest total of any race in his career (Best,104 laps at Richmond in fall 2008).
· Reutimann has won at least one race in all three of NASCAR’s National Touring Series - Sprint Cup Series (Charlotte-1 2009, Chicago 2010), Nationwide (Memphis 2007) and Camping World Truck Series (Nashville 2005).
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 14 of the 17 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in 12 of the 17. Reutimann has collected 25 bonus points for leading laps in five races in 2010.
INDIANAPOLIS SPEEDWAY
POST RACE REPORT
7/25/2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann’s 2010 Brickyard 400 went bad less than half a lap from the starting line in Indianapolis on Sunday. Kyle Busch triggered a multicar crash in turn two of the opening lap that saw several cars spin. Reutimann hit another car causing severe right front damage to Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 00. Reutimann made several pit stops and spent much of the race making repairs. He ended the race in 28th down three laps to the leaders and fell from 15th to 18th in points. The Sprint Cup series returns to action Sunday at Pocono International Raceway.
David Reutimann, No. 00 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE Toyota Camry
· The Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota started 29th and finished 28th
· The No. 00 suffered severe damage in a first lap, multicar accident triggered by cars ahead of Reutimann.
· Team made several stops to repair the damage and return Reutimann to the track.
· Reutimann finished 28th—down three laps to the leaders.
· Reutimann’s 11-race streak of finishing on the lead lap was the longest in Sprint Cup competition.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: "That's about as frustrating as it gets. We didn't even get a chance to race today. Something happened up in front and I had nowhere to go and hit pretty hard. They crew did a great job working on it so we could run the rest of the race and get a respectable finish. We'll get going again in Pocono."
AARON’S, MWR & DAVID REUTIMANN:
TOGETHER THROUGH 2012 IN SPRINT CUP RACING
Aaron’s Ups Primary Sponsorship From 24 to 30 races in 2010
Extends Agreement through 2011 & 2012
INDIANAPOLIS (JULY 25, 2010) – Michael Waltrip Racing announced today that it has signed agreements extending its relationships with driver David Reutimann and primary sponsor Aaron’s, Inc. on the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota through the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
“I’m glad both Michael Waltrip Racing and Aaron’s want to keep me around,” joked Reutimann. “I’ve been asked about my contract for the last month and we’ve had a handshake agreement, but now it’s done and I’m glad I can finally talk about it. I’m thrilled. This is where I want to be – at Michael Waltrip Racing driving the No. 00 with Aaron’s on the hood. Aaron’s has been a great partner and I consider myself a lucky dog every time I get behind the wheel of the Aaron’s Dream Machine.
“Michael and Darrell Waltrip have given me just about every chance I have ever had in NASCAR since 2004 and I don’t want to go anywhere else. Good things are happening here and I plan to be a part of it.”
Reutimann, 40, earned his second Sprint Cup victory on July 10 in Chicagoland. He earned his and MWR’s first Sprint Cup victory at Charlotte in May 2009. He owns victories all three NASCAR national touring series. No driver owns more Toyota starts than Reutimann in NASCAR.
MWR co-owner Michael Waltrip said he never doubted Reutimann’s return.
“We never wavered on wanting to extend David and neither did Aaron’s. David and Aaron’s are like family to me. They’ve both been a large part of Michael Waltrip Racing since the very beginning and have stuck with us through thick and thin,” said Waltrip. “In the beginning we all took a chance on each other. You might say it was a high-risk, high reward proposition for everyone involved, but we all believed in each other and we are now starting to see those rewards a little more each day.
“Aaron’s along with NAPA AUTO PARTS and Toyota are three of the cornerstones MWR built upon over the years. Their loyalty to us has been as important as any ingredient in our success of late. I’m very proud that these companies have stayed with us as long as they have. We have a very bright future and plan to reward their loyalty in the coming years as we grow and continue to visit victory lane.”
Aaron’s will increase its primary sponsorship of Reutimann’s No.00 from 24 to 30 races in 2010 with TUMS and Best Western completing the schedule. Aaron’s will remain at 30 races in 2011 and 2012 and assume associate sponsorship position with all MWR Toyotas.
“Increasing our involvement in the NACSAR Sprint Cup Series and extending our partnership with Michael Waltrip Racing and David Reutimann through 2012 is a testament to how successful this relationship has been for Aaron’s,” stated Ken Butler, Chief Operating Officer of Aaron’s, Inc. “Much of Aaron’s growth and success is a direct result of our partnership with MWR and we are thrilled to continue that for two more seasons. We have built a rich history with Michael Waltrip and this organization over the last 11 years and I could not imagine Aaron’s partnering with anyone else in this sport. We look forward to being a part of their continued success.”
Aaron’s relationship with Michael Waltrip Racing began in 2000 when the Atlanta-based company sponsored six races for Waltrip’s Nationwide team. The relationship grew from a partial Nationwide program to one of the most recognizable Cup partnerships in the sport with aggressive activation and extensive usage of Waltrip and Reutimann in television and radio commercials.
MWR fields fulltime NASCAR Sprint Cup teams for Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr. as well as a fulltime K&N Pro Series entry and a six-race Nationwide Series entry for Ryan Truex. MWR along with Gary and Blake Bechtel co-own Diamond-Waltrip Racing that fields a fulltime Nationwide entry for Trevor Bayne.
About Aaron’s, Inc.
Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), the nation’s leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, has more than 1,730 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Founded in 1955 by entrepreneur R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr. and headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Brickyard 400 Preview
7-20-2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann says racing and working on cars is the only business he’s ever known. Growing up, Reutimann followed his father Emil “Buzzie” Reutimann, a hall of fame dirt track racer, up and down the east coast racing at small town tracks and living off purse money. Now the roles are reversed and 69-year-old Buzzie follows his son from track to track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. Two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway Buzzie stuck his head into David’s car window seconds after he pulled into victory lane to share a very special moment.
QUOTES
BUZZIE REUTIMANN ON DAVID’S CHICAGO WIN: “People want you to put into words what it feels like to watch your son win a race at the highest level, but I don’t think there are really words that can describe that feeling. We can sit and talk about winning races all night long, but it’s the ones we lose we don’t want to talk about a whole lot. It was just a great victory. I know that when David won that Coke 600 that he always felt that it was sort of a “gimmie” and he was living with that. I know when he won that race in Chicago that the weight of the world came off his shoulders - you could just tell the relief in him. The first thing I said to him when I stuck my head in the car in victory lane was, ‘Tonight we did it kid! There was no rain in sight and it was all about the racing.’ I said, ‘You whipped them all! Tonight we’re the best!’ but I think it took a couple days for it all to sink in.”
BUZZIE REUTIMANN ON THE SHOW OF RESPECT FROM OTHER DRIVERS: “The other drivers coming over and congratulating David meant just as much as winning the race to me. When Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards came to victory lane—and even back in the garage where they were working on the cars—all the guys on the other team came and offered congratulations. Getting the respect from the other drivers means a lot. You race guys like you want to be raced and that makes a big difference because if you start roughing guys up it’s going to come back to you—I taught him that. I told him don’t go out there and run over somebody because you’re likely to get run over the next time. David’s been pretty smart about that.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
PRESS CONFERENCE: Michael Waltrip Racing will make an announcement regarding the No. 00 team at noon Friday in the Economaki Press Conference Room at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Reutimann & Waltrip will be available to media after the announcement.
· Only Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton have a better average finish than Reutimann (11.6) in the last 10 races. Reutimann is tied with Denny Hamlin during that span.
· In the last 10 point races, Reutimann has scored 1,341 points - sixth most of any driver and moved from 27th in points to 15th. The 12-position gain is the largest gain among any driver over that span — Tony Stewart gained the second most positions at +6.
· Reutimann currently has the longest streak of consecutive lead laps finishes at 11 races. He has finished on the lead lap in 15 or 16 races that he was running at the finish and 15 out of 19 total races in 2010.
· Reutimann led 52 laps in his win at Chicagoland Speedway—the second highest total of any race in his career (Best, 104 laps at Richmond in fall 2008). He has collected 25 bonus points for leading laps in five of the 11 races. Reutimann has one win, three top-fives and nine top-15 finishes during that span.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 14 of the 15 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in 11 of the 15.
David wins at Chicago
Chicagoland Speedway Win
LifeLock.com 400
Post Race Report
7/11/2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 TUMS Toyota driver David Reutimann won his second victory in 118 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts on Saturday night at Chicagoland Speedway. It was Reutimann’s first win since he won the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 last year at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Reutimann’s No. 00 TUMS Toyota was strong all day and he was able to grab the lead from Jeff Gordon on lap 212. Final scheduled pit stops began on lap 232 and when the field had completed its stops, Reutimann held a lead of more than three seconds over Gordon. The Zephyrhills, Fla., native was able to hold off Carl Edwards in the closing laps to grab Michael Waltrip Racing’s second Sprint Cup Series victory Reutimann moved to 15th in the points—just 96 points out of the 12th and final Chase spot. The Sprint Cup Series enjoys an off weekend before traveling to Indianapolis for the Brickyard 400 on July 25.
David Reutimann, No. 00 TUMS Toyota Camry
· David Reutimann won the LIFELOCK.com 400, his second victory in 118 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races
· It has been 42 races since his last win
· This is his first victory and first top-10 finish in four races at Chicagoland Speedway
· The TUMS Toyota started seventh
· Worked his way into the top five on lap 26
· Reutimann battled with Gordon for the several laps and finally grabbed the lead on lap 212
· Reutimann raced in the top five for the majority of the race
REUTIMANN QUOTE:
How much does this win mean to you?
“First of all, I have to thank the fans and everyone else at Michael Waltrip Racing. Everybody did such a great job today. Toyota Racing Development and having Tums on the car this weekend, it’s just been a great weekend. I don’t even know what to say. It was probably the lamest burnout I’ve ever seen at this race track, I was tearing up pretty bad. I have to thank all my guys, they did a great job. There was no rain tonight. We earned this one, nobody gave it to us and that feels really good.”
What is happening at Michael Waltrip Racing right now?
“Everyone of these guys you see behind me that works on this car and the guys at the fab shop, Toyota and Toyota Racing Development has given us some great horsepower tonight. It’s phenomenal horsepower and it’s just a total team effort. I heard so much stuff for winning a rain-shortened event that everybody said we didn’t earn it. Tonight, I don’t know what they can say about this one.”
What would you tell everyone who said your first one wasn’t earned?
“I don’t know. They were watching the same thing I was. Tonight we earned it and it’s a total team effort -- everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing did a phenomenal job. I don’t even know what to say. You think about these moments all your life and you think about all the right things to say. I’m about to cry, this is awesome.”
What changed for you the last one-third of the race?
“We were just better on the long run. That last run, that was the worst we were all night was the last green flag stretch. The car was really, really loose and I knew the 99 (Carl Edwards) was catching us awful fast. It was a good night, a good effort by everybody. It feels really good to get a second (win) under our belt and get it over with.”
How much sweeter is this win tonight than your first one?
“We took a lot of heat for how we won the first race. Tonight we just had the car to beat. We were struggling that last half a little bit, the most we struggled all night. We just held on, had a good enough lead where we could just ride a little bit. I knew the 99 (Carl Edwards) was coming, I was hoping he’d run out of time and thankfully he did.”
Any worries with lapped traffic near the end of the race?
“Everybody is trying to stay on the lead lap; nobody wants to give any room. With that being said, I think everybody ran me really clean. You can’t ask for everybody that is trying to race, you can’t ask for anything more. It’s a great finish and a great feeling to win our Cup race the way this was.”
David Reutimann, No. 00 TUMS Toyota Camry - won - 15th in points
Autostock
No raining on this parade
Reutimann wins at Chicago
By Sporting News Wire Service
July 11, 2010
JOLIET, Ill. -- With no asterisk and no apology, David Reutimann won the second Sprint Cup race of his career Saturday night in the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.
Reutimann, whose previous victory came in last year's rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, crossed the finish line .727 seconds ahead of Carl Edwards, who posted his best finish -- and only second top five -- of the season.
"There was no rain [Saturday night]," Reutimann said in Victory Lane. "We earned this one. Nobody gave it to us, and that feels really good."
Reutimann, who is in a contract year at Michael Waltrip Racing, recently reached a handshake agreement on a three-year extension with the team.
"[Saturday night] we earned it, and it's a total team effort," Reutimann said. "Everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing did a phenomenal job. I don't even know what to say. You think about these moments all your life, and you think about all the right things to say.
"I'm about to cry -- this is awesome."
And as of Saturday night, Reutimann can wave goodbye to any asterisks that were attached to his first career win because of the rain. Continued
Race Recap: No. 10 Beringer Toyota Camry – David Reutimann
Chicagoland Speedway
July 12, 2010
REUTIMANN BRINGS HOME SEASON BEST FINISH AT CHICAGOLAND
Joliet, Ill. (July 12, 2010) – Under the bright lights of Chicagoland Speedway, David Reutimann brought home his first top-five of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season this weekend in the Dollar General 300. In his last appearance in the No. 10 Beringer Toyota, Reutimann wheeled the Camry to a season-high fourth-place finish in a race where all four Braun Racing Camrys finished inside the top-10.
After a long day of two NNS and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice sessions and qualifying, Reutimann jumped into the No. 10 Beringer Camry for the last time determined to make his way to the front of the field. With three cars dropping to the back before taking the green flag, Reutimann started the race in the 29th position and by lap eight had already broken into the top-15. As the NNS drivers continued to log laps around the 1.5-mile speedway, Reutimann, running in the 11th position, had only one thing to say about his car. “We are tight on the bottom, and through the exit of the corner,” he reported.
On lap 48, Reutimann reported the car was free on entry and still tight on exit. Crew chief Stewart Cooper told his driver he would be calling him to pit road in seven laps. The night’s first pit stop came under green-flag conditions on lap 55. The Beringer crew changed four tires, packed the Camry full of fuel, and made air pressure and track bar adjustments to help the car’s handling. Reutimann continued to pick off competitors, and by lap 64 was well inside the top-10. On lap 70, the night’s first caution flag was waved allowing Cooper to have his driver return to pit road for right-side tires and fuel. The crew’s quick work put the No. 10 back out onto the track in the sixth position.
Excitement filled the air in the No. 10 pit stall when, just past the half way point in the 200-lap event, Reutimann won a battle with the No. 33 for the fifth position. As Reutimann battled to stay inside the top-five, it was again time for green-flag pit stops. The Beringer Camry was called to pit road for the third time on lap 130 for four tires, fuel, and a slight air pressure adjustment. As green-flag pit stops cycled through the field, the No. 10 was running in the third position.
With 15 laps remaining in the event, the caution was once again waved. On lap 187, Cooper called for the No. 10 to pit road for right side tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Reutimann returned to the race track in the third position. As the race restarted on lap 190, Reutimann reported the Camry was very tight. “Tight, tight, tight! We are way too tight now,” Reutimann radioed to his crew.
The caution flag waved for the final time on lap 196, which meant the race would end in a green-white-checkered finish. Unfortunately, the No. 22 ran out of gas under caution, and NASCAR called for the outside line to move up one spot. On lap 202, after the white flag was waved, cars began spinning on the backstretch ending the night under caution. The No. 10 Beringer Toyota was scored in fourth-place with Reutimann bringing home his best finish of the 2010 NNS season.
“All in all it was a good night. Everybody at Braun Racing did a great job. It’s the last Nationwide race for me with these guys this year and that’s a bit of a disappointment,” said Reutimann. “Thanks to Beringer for coming on board and giving me the opportunity. It ended up being a pretty decent race tonight, and aside from the controversy at the finish I’m really happy with the finish, and we had a great car!”
Next Stop: The NASCAR Nationwide Series next heads to Gateway International Raceway for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. The Saturday night race is scheduled to begin at 7:00 pm EST and will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN2 and on MRN Radio affiliates. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 8 pm.
Chicagoland Speedway
LifeLock.com 400
Pre-Race Report
7/8/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 TUMS Toyota driver David Reutimann admits he’s not only racing against 42 other drivers each weekend, but he’s also racing against the calendar. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver’s surge in the point standings comes as the battle for births in the “Chase for the Championship” intensifies. But will the Zephyrhills, Fla. native have enough time for a comeback?
With only eight races left in the regular season, Reutimann is 17th in points trailing the 12th and final Chase spot by 170 points. But, Reutimann has recent history on his side. He jumped from 30th to 17th in points in the last 10 weeks and no driver outside of the top-12 has earned more points (1,033) or has a higher average finish (12.6) in the last eight weeks. Reutimann said racing on the 1.5-mile ovals is his team’s strong suit so Saturday night’s race on the 1.5-mile oval at Chicagoland Speedway couldn’t come at a better time.
REUTIMANN QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON CHICAGO: “I like Chicago a lot. It’s a great facility and a fun racetrack. We’ve been good at Chicago in the past and I’m hoping that we’re good this weekend—which I think we will be. I’m just excited to get back to a mile-and-a-half racetrack. We’ve been really strong on the mile-and-a-half tracks over the last two years. That may be the best part of our program at Michael Waltrip Racing. We have a pretty large point deficit to make up in the next eight races, but Chicago is one of the tracks that I look at as a chance to gain some of those points back. We’re continuing to make up ground on a lot of other teams, but we’re starting to cut it close on time to make a serious run at it. I think we have the team to do it, but we just have to start finishing races and not leave any points on the table.”
REUTIMANN ON RACING DOUBLE DUTY: “This will be my last time to race in both the Nationwide Series and Cup Series in the same weekend this year. I had a three-race deal with Braun Racing to run in the Nationwide Series and this is my last time this season. When I used to run both series full-time it seemed normal to be in the car all the time. Now that I only do it a couple times a year it seems like a lot. I wish I had a few more races in the Nationwide Series because I think it’s a great series. It’s a lot of fun and it’s competitive, but for now we just have those three races. Maybe we can find some more races down the road, but to be completely honest my main concern right now is on the Cup Series side of things. We only have eight more races to get the No. 00 Toyota into the top-12 for a shot at the Chase.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann has 10 straight top-20 finishes. Only Harvick, J. Gordon, Ku. Busch and Hamlin have a better average finish (12.5) than Reutimann in the last 10 races.
· In the last 10 point races, Reutimann has scored 1,277 points - eighth most of any driver and moved from 30th in points to 17th. The 13-position gain is the largest gain among any driver over that span — Kasey Kahne has gained the second most positions at +6.
· Reutimann and Kevin Harvick are the only two drivers to finish on the lead lap of the last 10 races. Reutimann collected 20 bonus points for leading laps in four of the 10. Reutimann has eight top-15 finishes, including top-fives at Dover and Charlotte during that span.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 13 of the 14 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in 10 of the 14. Reutimann’s lowest result in a race that he was running as the finish was 28th at Martinsville.
· Chicagoland marks the third of five primary paint schemes for TUMS this season. The No. 00 TUMS Toyota also will next appear at New Hampshire and Phoenix.
· Reutimann is racing in the No. 10 Toyota for Braun Racing on Friday night at Chicagoland. This will mark the third and final Nationwide race for Reutimann in 2010.
BERINGER QUICK FACTS
Chicagoland Speedway
Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola
July 9, 2010
· David Reutimann back in the Seat... NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, David Reutimann, will return to the seat of Braun Racing's No. 10 Beringer Toyota this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. In his two previous appearances in the car this season, Reutimann has brought home one top-10 finish.
· Chicagoland Speedway: By the Numbers... Reutimann has four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway with an average start of 10.8 and an average finish of 15.5. He has two top-10 starts at the track including one pole in 2008. Reutimann has finished inside the top-10 in two of his four starts and has lead 83 laps at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.
· Beringer on the Hood... Braun Racing is proud to have Beringer Vineyards serve as primary sponsor on the No. 10 for the third and final time this season at Chicagoland Speedway. The California-based winery has partnered with Braun Racing over the last four seasons in a successful Nationwide Series program producing five top-10 and two top-five finishes.
· Dollar General Serving as Title Sponsor at Chicagoland... Long time Braun Racing marketing partner Dollar General will serve as title sponsor for this weekend's race at Chicagoland Speedway.
Follow the No. 10 Beringer Team on Twitter! http://twitter.com/No10BraunRacing
Become a Braun Racing fan on Facebook! http://facebook.com/BraunRacingFans
Reutimann on getting back into the seat of the No. 10 Beringer Toyota
"I'm excited to get back into the seat of the Beringer Toyota at Chicagoland this weekend. I've had a lot of success in the Nationwide Series here in the past, and I hope to battle for the win on Friday! It's really fun to get a chance to run in the Nationwide Series, and I'm grateful Todd Braun and Beringer have given me the chance to do so this season. I've always been happy with the equipment the Braun Racing guys bring to the track, and I'm proud of how hard they work every time I'm with them. Hopefully we will bring home another great finish for Beringer and Braun Racing!"
Equipment Information
The No. 10 Beringer team will hit the track with chassis #BR044 this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Chassis #044 last saw the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May with driver Jason Leffler where he started 40th and finished seventh. Chassis #044 also saw track time at Texas (8th) and Darlington (5th) in 2010.
NASCAR lending hand to Armed Forces Foundation
Non-profit organization helps wounded soldiers, families
NASCAR fans have seen an Army car, a Navy car, an Air Force car, even a Marines, Coast Guard and National Guard cars. But when David Reutimann finished fifth earlier this year in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the No. 00 was sporting a military logo who most in America were unfamiliar.
The Armed Forces Foundation was the primary sponsor on the Michael Waltrip Racing car, and Reutimann was ecstatic he could bring a little attention to this relatively new charity.
"I think the AFF has been under the radar, so to speak, unfortunately, for what they do, and how they do it and how well they do it," Reutimann said. "When we got involved with Aaron's [his primary sponsor] and we started going to VA hospitals and seeing Aaron's involvement and finding out what the AFF really does, I was really impressed."
The AFF is a non-profit foundation created in 2001 by former Reps. Duncan Hunter and Jim Saxton to assist wounded soldiers and their families financially when the soldiers return home from war and begin the long process of rehabilitation.
"A lot of people don't realize when these guys get wounded, their families stop their jobs," said Patricia Driscoll, AFF president and executive director. "Everybody is a two-income family these days and the economy is really tough. So they leave their jobs, they take a leave of absence and they come to the hospital to be by their loved one's bedside, as they should be.
"But they have no income coming in so they start racking up some serious debt, especially our most critically wounded at Walter Reed [Army Medical Center] and Bethesda [National Naval Medical Center]. So their families have to take a long leave of absence.
"So what we do is pay for their bills at home, their mortgage, their utilities; we try to keep them afloat financially because they've already suffered a big enough hardship by having someone they love so critically wounded. They shouldn't have to lose their house because they want to be by their loved one's bedside." (Continued)
Daytona International Speedway
Coke Zero 400
Post-Race Report
7/05/2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver David Reutimann left Daytona International Speedway disappointed with an 11th-place finish Saturday night. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver survived several multi-car accidents either just in front or just behind him during the 400-mile race. As the laps wound down he appeared destined for a top-five finish but contact with Clint Bowyer on the backstretch coming to the checkered flag cost him several spots. Reutimann moved to 17th in the points— just 170 points out of the 12th and final Chase spot. The Sprint Cup Series next travels to Chicagoland for Saturday night’s race
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry
· Reutimann raced as high as second despite complaining of difficultly turning on the Daytona track.
· A fiery 16-car accident on lap 148 just car lengths behind Reutimann eliminated several cars.
· The No. 00 restarted third with eight laps remaining, but his inside lane fell far behind the outside lane.
· With two laps remaining he raced fifth narrowly avoiding a three-car wreck in front of him.
· After pitting, Reutimann started the green-white-checkered dash in 11th and rapidly made up places.
· He and Clint Bowyer collided on the backstretch coming to the checkered flag costing the No. 00 several positions.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: “I’m more than disappointed, I’m heartbroken. I had a pretty good car and everything was going pretty well. We just kind of gambled at the end and decided to take tires and nobody else came and we lost a lot of track position. Then with just the green-white-checkered ended up biting us at the end.”
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry - Finished 11th -17th in points.
Daytona International Speedway
Coke Zero 400
Pre-Race Report
6/29/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann heads to Daytona International Speedway for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 with more on his mind than most NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers. The Zephyrhills, Fla. native plans to visit the kids at Camp Boggy Creek in Eustis, Fla. to present a donation from the David Reutimann Foundation. He’s also mindful of the potential problems faced by many of his friends, family and fans as the Gulf Oil spill creeps closer to Florida’s western coast.
REUTIMANN QUOTES
ON CAMP BOGGY CREEK: “We’ve been affiliated with Camp Boggy Creek for about the past two years through The David Reutimann Foundation. We got involved with the camp through my cousin Shawn (Reutimann), Bud Smith and some folks who told me this is really something that we should look into. Shawn went last year and when he came back he said we have to do more because this is a really, really great deal – obviously similar to what the Pettys do with the Victory Junction Gang camp, but Camp Boggy Creek is in Florida. Most of the charities that we get involved with through the foundation are primarily in Florida so it was a pretty good fit to try to lend our support. I’m really looking forward to taking a little bit of money over there and spending some time with the campers.”
ON THE GULF COAST OIL SPILL: “I know there are a lot of people who will be impacted by the oil spill over the next few years, unfortunately. Most of the people I know who live in Florida are involved in the automotive industry, so I don’t know many people that really rely on the Gulf to make their living or anything like that. I’m sure it’s going to hit more areas of Florida and place I like to visit and I’m familiar with, but hopefully that’s not the case. It certainly seems like it’s going to be tough for the state of Florida to avoid any of that.”
DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO BECOME INVOLVED IN HELPING PEOPLE IMPACTED BY THE OIL SPILL: “We are looking at different scenarios within The David Reutimann Foundation to see what we can do and where we can help. I would imagine that there will be many charities that we’ll help. I’m sure we’ll look supporting families that are hurt by the disaster in the Gulf. We’re exploring opportunities now and we’re going to see what is out there. We want to help instead of just throw money at a situation that’s not going to benefit many people. You need to be smart about who you work with to make sure that the money and support is given to the people who need it most.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann will visit children campers Friday at Camp Boggy Creek, A Hole in the Wall Camp, in Eustis, Fla. Reutimann, a native of Zephyrhills, Fla., is a longtime supporter of Camp Boggy Creek through The David Reutimann Foundation.
· In the last nine point races, Reutimann has scored 1,147 points - eighth most of any driver and moved from 30th in points to 19th. The 11-position gain is the largest gain among any driver over that span.
· Reutimann and Kevin Harvick are the only two drivers to finish on the lead lap of the last nine races. Reutimann collected 20 bonus points for leading laps in four of the nine. Reutimann has seven top-15 finishes, including top-fives at Dover and Charlotte during that span.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 12 of the 13 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in nine of the 13. Reutimann’s lowest finish in a race that he finished was 28th at Martinsville.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Post-Race Report
6-28-2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine battled in the top-15 throughout Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. As the field spread out over long green flag runs in the first 235 laps, the No. 00 team pitted early to take advantage of new tires and gain track position. But on lap 236 it found itself stuck on pit road when the caution flag flew dropping it a lap behind the leaders. Following the pit stop the No. 00 team restarted 15th and worked its way up to 11th before a flurry of late-race caution flags. Reutimann raced for tenth in the closing laps but a collision with Denny Hamlin dropped him to 15th where he finished the race. The Aaron’s Dream Machine returns to action Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry
· The Aaron’s Dream Machine started sixth and finished 15th
· The No. 00 battled a tight condition early and a loose condition late in the race
· A caution came out on lap 236 as the No. 00 attempted to short pit and Reutimann lost a lap to the leaders.
· The No. 00 took the wave around on lap 241 to regain lead lap status and restarted 15th
· The No. 00 was battling for 10th on lap 292 when contact was made with Denny Hamlin dropped the No. 00 to 15th.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: "That's a pretty frustrating day for the No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine team. We were decent all day, just never very good. We went back and forth trying to find the right balance, but just never seemed to get on the other side of it. We had good stops all day and my guys worked their butts off all weekend to give us everything we had. We tried to short pit late in the race and were caught on pit road when the No. 9 lost its engine - that didn't help matters any. Then we finally got up to about 10th with a couple laps to go and got tangled up with the No. 11. That dropped both cars back about five spots - which is where we finished - 15th."
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry - Finished 15th - 19th in points
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Pre-Race Report
6-23-2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann has scored the seventh most points of any driver over the last eight races (since his last of three DNFs this season), gained nine positions in the standings - which is the most of any driver and is one of only three drivers to finish each of the last eight races on the lead lap. But, the
40-year-old from Zephryhills, Fla. knows that in order to claw his way back into the top-12 to have a shot at the Chase for the Championship his team cannot waste any time and must pick up their program.
REUTIMANN QUOTES
ON WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THE No. 00 TEAM TO MAKE THE CHASE WITH TEN RACES REMAINING: “We are going to have to start consistently finishing in the top five. That’s the only way to do it. The only other way is to hope that everyone in front of you has bad races, but you can’t rely on that. We just have to consistently put our Aaron’s Dream Machine in the top five and a bad day for us has to be around 11th or 12th. Even at that rate you’re still pushing the issue trying to get it done. We have our work cut out for us for sure, but we have ever since we started the year with getting knocked back in the points. We’re definitely clawing our way back, but we really have to pick up our program here and get back to running in the top five.”
ON NEW HAMPSHIRE: “We’ve been pretty good up in New Hampshire at times and we’ve also just been okay at times. It’s been a decent racetrack for us, but we’ve struggled there as well. I feel like our program has consistently gotten better at each track this year, so I’m expecting to have a good weekend.”
ON THE IMPACT OF DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS THE LAST FEW WEEKS: “They have seemed to be a little crazy lately, but it always happens at the end of a race, where guys are trying to get a good finish. It gets a little bit brutal, especially at certain racetracks. At some racetracks it’s not so bad, but when you go to a road course or someplace where it’s really, really hard to pass and it seems like everybody starts running over one another. It’s just the nature of the beast and it’s what we have to work with. The fans seems to like it, so I guess in the end it’s not such a bad situation.”
ARE YOU EXPECTING DRIVERS TO GIVE PAYBACKS THIS WEEKEND? “I think if you’ve got a problem with a certain guy and the opportunity arises – I mean, I guess you don’t ever know. I guess it depends on the situation. A lot of times I think it’s good that we have a week in between races because it gives you a chance to cool down. Or if you have an issue with someone, it gives you a chance to talk during the course of the week. A lot of times when you get back to the racetrack things aren’t as bad as they were when you left, but at the same time some guys just don’t forget. You may see some this weekend, but it’s hard to say, it just depends on the situation.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· In the last eight point races, Reutimann has scored 1029 points - seventh most of any driver and moved from 30th in points to 21st (See Sidebar). He is one of only three drivers to finish on the lead lap of the last eight races and collected 20 bonus points for leading laps in four of the eight. Reutimann has six top-15 finishes, including top-fives at Dover and Charlotte during that span.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 12 of the 13 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in nine of the 13. Reutimann’s lowest finish in a race that he finished was 28th at Martinsville.
Infineon Raceway
Post-Race Report
6-22-2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann earned his first top-20 finished on a road course in Sunday’s Toyota/SaveMart 350 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Reutimann and his Michael Waltrip Racing team stuck to their plan of staying on the racetrack, executing flawless pit stops, avoiding trouble and driving an uneventful race to bring the car home in one piece with the most points possible. Reutimann is now 19th in points as the series heads to New Hampshire International Speedway on Sunday.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry
· The Aaron’s Dream Machine started 33rd and finished 20th.
· Reutimann’s 20th place finish is his career best on a road course.
· Reutimann’s previous best at Infineon Raceway was 31st.
· The No. 00 raced between 20th and 30th most of the race without incident.
· Avoided several on-track incidents over the final three cautions to finish 20th.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: “We were up and down. It was definitely a far cry better than where we’ve been in the past out here. We still have a lot of room for improvement on my end. I’ll keep working at it. The guys on the Aaron’s crew did a great job. They just kept working on the thing all day and making it better. We were just pretty free all day and couldn’t get on the other side of that, but other than that the motors ran good and the pit stops were excellent. It was a decent finish. It was a decent day.”
ON THE END OF THE RACE: “Whenever you have a place that is as hard to pass as it is here and you are coming down to the end of the race you know that things are going to get crazy. You have guys with tires, guys without tires—it just makes for a crazy finish to a race.”
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry - finished 20th - now 21st in points.
Infineon Raceway
Pre-Race Report
6-15-2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann admits he isn’t a road course racing expert, but that hasn’t stopped the 40-year-old former dirt track racer from working hard to perfect his skills for Sunday’s race at Infineon Raceway in California.
The Zephryhills, Fla. native spent much of his free time in the last few months working with road course experts Michael McDowell and Marcos Ambrose racing go-karts in the Charlotte area, driving late models at Infineon and riding in a team-built two-seater car at Virginia International Raceway. Reutimann hopes the extra work continues the Michael Waltrip Racing team’s recent string of strong performances. Reutimann has scored the seventh most points of any driver in the last seven races gaining 11 points positions—the most of any driver.
QUOTES
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF GOING TO A ROAD COURSE? “Leaving (laughs). I mean, it’s just another racetrack. There are tracks on the circuit that aren’t necessarily your favorite, but you have to go to them anyway and not make it a big deal. That’s how this deal is for me.”
ON PREPARING TO VISIT INFINEON RACEWAY: “Michael McDowell and Marcos Ambrose have both helped me out a lot both last year and this year. We’ve worked on a combination of things like trying to slow down at the right times to get a little quicker, working on shifting better and being more precise – a lot of things like that. Michael Waltrip Racing has done a really good job of trying to get me as much time as they can in different cars, whether it be late models at Sonoma or the multiple tests that we’ve done at VIR (Virginia International Raceway), so the team has really gotten behind me to give me the chance to get better. All in all, I feel like we’ve made a lot of gains. I don’t know if we’ve gained in one particular area or not specifically, but I feel like all around we’ve gotten better.”
WHAT MAKES INFINEON RACEWAY SUCH A CHALLENGE: “Infineon is very, very technical and it’s easy to overdrive. Forward bite is a problem there and struggling with wheel spin. It gets pretty hot out there and the track gets slick. I think the main thing is conserving your tires to keep good grip. We try to work on our shifts so we can save some tires. That’s a lot of the different things that we learned while we were out there. It was a good experience to spend some time out there. We learned a lot.”
ON QUALIFYING AT INFINEON RACEWAY: “It’s tough. Last year I just didn’t drive hard enough. I was really concerned about overdriving and messing the corners up and as a result just didn’t drive hard enough to be fast – I didn’t get the most out of the car when I needed to. That was my mistake last year. It’s tough. You’ve got one lap and you just have to let it all hang out even when you’re trying to be conservative. We’ve qualified in the tank about every time we’ve been to a road course and now it’s time to get that turned around.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· In the last seven point races, Reutimann has scored 926 points - seventh most of any driver and moved from 30th in points to 19th (See Sidebar). He is one of only five drivers to finish on the lead lap in each of those races. He also collected 20 bonus points for leading laps in four of the seven. During that span, Reutimann has six top-15 finishes, including top-fives at Dover and Charlotte.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 11 of the 12 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in nine of the 12. Reutimann’s lowest finish in a race that he finished was 28th at Martinsville.
Michigan International Speedway
Pre-Race Report
6-08-2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann looked like a long-shot to make the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship just six races ago. After his third did-not-finish in the first eight races, the Michael Waltrip Racing driver left Texas Motor Speedway mired in 30th place 218 points outside the top 12. But, Reutimann has rallied back into contention by posting six consecutive top-15 finishes, including his first career back-to-back, top-five finishes at Dover and Charlotte. The Zephyrhills, Florida native jumped 11 spots in the point standings to 19th just 146 points outside the top-12 after 15 of the 26-race regular season.
NOTES
· Reutimann has scored the fifth most points of any driver in the last six races.
· He’s gained 11 points positions in those six races, also the most of any driver.
QUOTES
ON THE PAST SIX RACES – ALL TOP-15s, INCLUDING TWO TOP-FIVES: “I think Pocono was the exception, because we really struggled but still ended up getting a decent finish out of it. We need to avoid the weeks like we had at Pocono and get on the other side of it. I feel like our Aaron’s team has the chance to be consistent and has been consistent for the most part the last six weeks. The hard part is to keep getting a decent finish even if you’re having a tough weekend. It’s easy to be consistent when things are going right, but when they’re not going well you have to make the most of the situation and get a decent finish.
“If you have a day like we did at Pocono when things aren’t going right that’s when it becomes a struggle. But my guys have done good. They worked on the car to make it better and kept adjusting on it until it was good, or at least better – I’m not sure we ever got good, but we made it a lot better. I feel like we’re on track. I feel like they’re doing a good job. Sometimes you’re just off a little bit like we were at Pocono, but you make the most of it and I can tell you that we won’t be off like that again when we go back in a couple weeks. I think we learned a lot from that experience.”
ON THE POTENTIAL TO GAIN GROUND ON THE TOP-12 IN THE COMING WEEKS: “We lost a little ground at Pocono, but we just have to keep at it. We have 12 more races to gain back 145 points. It’s not impossible. We have some good races coming up for us in Michigan, New Hampshire, Chicago and Daytona, but we also have a couple that historically have not been as kind to us in the road courses. We just have to make up for lost time. It’s hard to play catch up in this deal, but I know the Aaron’s team can gain some ground back.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· In the last six point races, Reutimann has scored 817 points - fifth most of any driver and moved from 30th in points to 19th (See Sidebar). He is one of only five drivers to finish on the lead lap of the last six races and collected 20 bonus points for leading laps in four of the six. Reutimann has six straight top-15 finishes, including top-fives at Dover and Charlotte.
· After Texas, Reutimann trailed the top-12 by 218 points, now he is heading to Michigan trailing the top-12 by just 146 points - shaving 72 points in six races.
· Reutimann has six career starts at Michigan International Speedway. He has one top-five and two top-10 qualifying efforts and one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. His best Michigan finish was last fall where he led four laps and finished ninth. (See Sidebar)
· Reutimann spent Tuesday testing at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. and Wednesday participating in Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream event at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in 10 of the 11 races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in nine of the 11. Reutimann’s lowest finish in a race that he finished was 28th at Martinsville.
POCONO RACEWAY
POST RACE REPORT
6/6/2010
Finished 15th
19th in points
David Reutimann Race Summary: David Reutimann salvaged a top-15 finish out of what looked to be an extremely difficult weekend at Pocono Raceway. Reutimann started 29th following his Friday afternoon qualifying effort and began working his way forward at the start of the race. When the first caution came out Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine came to pit road for service and went back out to restart in the mid-20s. On the restart, Reutimann received both front and rear damage after contact with another car. The damage caused the No. 00 to have a loose handling condition that eventually led to falling a lap down to the leaders on lap 70. Reutimann did his best to work with the car until he could come in for repairs on lap 100. The No. 00 Aaron’s team worked throughout the race to make the car better and work on several different options for pit strategy. A late caution with just two laps remaining forced the event into a green, white, checkered finish that saw the No. 00 restart 20th before another caution came out due to a massive incident involving several cars. Reutimann avoided the incident and crossed the finish line in 15th.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry
· Reutimann damaged the front and the rear of the Aaron’s Dream Machine on the first restart due to contact
· The damage caused Reutimann to struggle with a loose handing condition throughout the race
· The No. 00 went a lap down to the leaders on lap 70
· Reutimann came to pit road under caution on lap 100 to fix the front and rear damage
· Regained lead lap status on lap 155 by taking the wave around
· A quick caution on lap 158 brought the No. 00 back to pit road for work and started with the lead pack
· Reutimann worked his was from 31st and the last car on the lead lap up to 20th by the final caution on lap 198.
· Reutimann restarted 20th after taking two tires and avoided a last lap wreck to finish 15th.
· The 15th place result is the sixth consecutive top-15 for the No. 00 Aaron’s team.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: “The Aaron’s Dream Machine had a pretty rough day. We struggled and just couldn’t get a handle on it. We got into someone early with it and it knocked the quarter panel loose. Everything is so aero-sensitive that it just made us bad, bad loose all day. We lost a lap before we were finally able to come in and fix it. Then I got back in the fence again with it. To come home 15th is a lot better then we were looking at most of the day. The No. 00 crew worked on the Aaron’s Dream Machine all day and did a great job. It was just a rough day.”
Gillette Fusion Pro-Glide 500
Pocono Raceway
6/02/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann looked like a long-shot to make a run at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship just five races ago as he left Texas with his third DNF in the first eight races of 2010. Reutimann had fallen to 30th in points and trailed the top-12 by 218 points.
But the Michael Waltrip Racing driver is charging back into contention by posting five consecutive top-15 finishes, including his first career back-to-back (Dover and Charlotte) top-five finishes. The Zephyrhills, Florida native is 19th in points just 125 points outside the Chase at the halfway point of the 26-race regular season.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON CHANCES OF MAKING THE CHASE: “There is only one way to approach this thing - we are here to make the Chase (for the Championship)! Everyone on the Aaron’s Dream Machine crew truly believes that we have what it takes to make a run and get into that top-12. We had a couple tough breaks early in the season that put us behind a lot of the other teams, but we’ve been finishing races and making strides each week. Just a couple weeks ago we were 30th in points and now we’re 19th, so things are starting to go our way and we’re consistently racing each week with the leaders and bringing home top-five or top-10 finishes. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing right now and I believe we’ll be there right when we need to be.”
REUTIMANN ON BACK-TO-BACK TOP-FIVES: “It feels good to have back-to-back top-fives for the first time, but to be honest we should have been a little better than that. Last week we spent the whole race in the top-five, led a couple laps and had a great race, but I think we could have finished a spot or two better if not for one pit stop where we got blocked coming in by another car that dropped us back before the final restart. We need to keep at it if we want to have a shot at the Chase. I would’ve really liked to turn one of those top-fives into a win. Top-fives are great, but wins are better. We are getting closer and hopefully we can start collecting wins - they count as top-fives too.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· In the last five point races, Reutimann has scored 699 points - sixth most of any driver and moved from 30th in points to 19th. He is one of only six drivers to finish on the lead lap of the last five race and has collected 20 bonus points for leading laps in four of the five races. Reutimann has two straight top-five and five straight top-15 finishes.
· Last Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600, Reutimann was one of only two drivers to have an average running position of 5th or better. Kurt Busch’s average running position was second and Reutimann’s was fourth. Reutimann also recorded the fastest lap 38 times.
· After Texas, Reutimann trailed the top-12 by 218 points, now he is heading to Pocono trailing the top-12 by just 125 points - shaving 93 points heading into the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500.
· Reutimann recorded his first top-five, a third place finish, in six career Sprint Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway in the June race last year. He also was on his way to a top-10 in the fall race before getting caught up in a racing incident with eventual race winner Denny Hamlin that caused damage to the Aaron’s Dream Machine and dropped Reutimann to a 29th-place result.
· Reutimann spent Tuesday and Wednesday road course testing in a non-Sprint Cup Series car at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. in preparation for the upcoming race.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in nine of the ten races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in eight of the 10.
COCA-COLA 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
POST-RACE REPORT
5/31/2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s/Armed Forces Foundation Toyota driver David Reutimann’s climb up the point standings continued Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway when the Michael Waltrip Racing driver posted a fifth-place finish equaling his best result of the 2010 season. Reutimann ran in the top five throughout the 600-mile race eventually won by Kurt Busch. The finish moves the race’s defending winner to 19th in the point standings at the halfway mark of the regular season. He owns four consecutive top-15 finishes and two consecutive fifth-place finishes. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action Sunday at Pocono International Raceway.
REUTIMANN: How was your car today?
“We fought being tight a little bit in the center and we never could quite get it to cut the center like we needed to. We were just a little bit off and all you have to do is just be a little bit off to not be able to get to those guys. Sometimes we would catch them in the long run. It seemed like we were just one adjustment behind, but my guys did a great job. I’m proud of everybody. Rodney Childers (crew chief) and everybody did a great job all day with great pit stops. We just want to move on and get to the next one.”
How did your car handle in the race and specifically at the end of the race?
“All in all I’m proud of my team, they did a great job, I had a great Aaron’s Dream Machine all day. We just were a little tight at the end. We came down pit road and the 99 (Carl Edwards) was leaving and we were trying to get in our box and just wrong place at the wrong time. It cost us a lot on pit road there. I don’t think it cost us the race, but I think it cost us being a little higher in the top-five. You don’t ever know. I’m proud of what we’ve done, proud of my team. I’m glad that my other owner, Rob Kaufmann is here because he doesn’t get to watch me race much. Hopefully he’s happy and I’ll get to keep my job another year.”
Is your recent performance where you feel your team should be finishing?
“Absolutely. We’ve been on par performance wise and we’ve been way ahead of where we were last year. We just had some stuff early on in the year that put us back. Now things are starting to click and things are starting to gel, things aren’t breaking and we’re starting to finish races where we’re supposed to. It feels really good to run up front all day with the guys you’re supposed to be racing with.”
Reutimann Notes:
· Reutimann finished fifth—equaling his season-best result posted at Daytona and Dover.
· He moves from 20th to 19th in points at the halfway mark of the regular season.
· Reutimann spent little time outside the top five during the 600-mile race.
· Reutimann led three laps garnering five bonus points.
· Reutimann enjoyed a relatively drama free race except for a lap 255 pit stop that saw a near collision between he and Carl Edwards on pit lane.
· Reutimann battled a tight handling condition on the occasions when he struggled. However he appeared one of the fastest three or four cars throughout the race.
· Reutimann finished 6.976-seconds behind winner Kurt Busch.
COCA-COLA 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
PRE-RACE REPORT
5/25/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann is learning first hand that winning races makes for a little bit more hectic schedule. The defending Coca-Cola 600 winner worked overtime in the weeks leading up to Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Reutimann attended track press conferences, sat with print journalists, talked to television camera crews, gave fans rides around the track, took part in the Victory Burnout Challenge, joined in the activities that come with a Sprint All-Star Race birth and will serve as the guest of honor at a black tie Speedway Children’s Charities Gala on Wednesday. These obligations have Reutimann working harder than ever … but he says he wouldn’t have it any other way.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON WINNING THE COCA-COLA 600: “Winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte was a huge deal for everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing. That was our first win as an organization in the Sprint Cup Series and to have it come at Charlotte in the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 is about as good as it gets.
“I remember when (crew chief) Rodney (Childers) told me to stay out instead of coming in to pit, thinking that he was out of his freaking mind. Then as the rain kept coming and we were standing there on pit road I thought this might just work out in our favor. Then we got big trophy at the end of the race I remember thinking maybe he knows what he’s talking about. Now I know to just keep my mouth shut and drive the race car and let Rodney make those calls.”
“I wish we would have won the race without the rain, because no one wants their first win to come in a rain shortened event, but it’s also not like I’m the first guy to ever win a rain-shortened race. I know Joey Logano probably feels the same way about his win at New Hampshire, but a win is a win and we’ll take them where we can get them.”
REUTIMANN ON THE DEMANDS OF BEING A DEFENDING RACE WINNER: “The last couple weeks have really been busy, but I’m honestly enjoying it. I knew winning a race came with it’s fair share of obligations, and especially a race like the Coca-Cola 600, but even this may be a little more than I expected. But if winning races means that my schedule gets busy then that is okay with me. I’d like to win a few more races, so I can keep busy!”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann is making only his third start in a Coca-Cola 600. In his previous two starts at NASCAR’s longest event, Reutimann has one win and has never finished outside of the top-10. Reutimann’s lone career Sprint Cup Series win came in last year’s rain delayed and rain shortened race that was called due to rain after only 227 of the scheduled 400 laps.
· Reutimann has six career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway—two Coca-Cola 600 starts and four starts in the fall event. Reutimann has two top-10s (both in the 600) and three top-15 finishes. Reutimann won the 600 last year and finished 15th in the fall race. He has led a lap in two of his last three starts at Charlotte for a total of six laps (One lap in 2008-2 and five laps in last year’s 600).
· In the last four point races, Reutimann has scored 539 points—the seventh most of any driver and moved from 30th to 20th in points. Has collected 15 bonus points for leading laps in three of the four races (five laps at Talladega, three at Darlington and one at Dover), recorded two top-five qualifying efforts (second at Richmond and fourth at Darlington) and has one top five and four top-15 finishes.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in eight of the nine races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in seven of the nine. In his three DNFs (Did Not Finish), Reutimann was racing in the top-five of all three races at the time he radioed of the issue leading him to retire from the race. (5th at Atlanta, 2nd at Bristol, 5th at Atlanta).
Sprint All Star Race
Charlotte Motor Speedway
POST RACE REPORT
5/22/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota - finished 19th after being involved in a multicar wreck, just as the final segment started, ended his chances.
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann couldn’t have been at a worse place at a worse time. A seven-car accident ended Reutimann’s Sprint All-Star race Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway just as the field took the green flag for the final 10-lap segment. The accident left the Michael Waltrip Racing driver with a 19th-place finish. Until the wreck, Reutimann raced at the front of the field and despite some mechanical issues appeared to be one of the fastest on the track. Reutimann never got a chance to show his speed in the final segment.
REUTIMANN: "That was disappointing because we had a good Aaron's Dream Machine all night and were able to run pretty well. My car was great through the corners, but we had a carburetor issue that was hurting us down the straightaways. We fixed in during the break and it seemed to be really good on the restart. I just wish we would have had a chance to compete for it at the end. Not really sure what happened in the wreck. I just saw (Mark Martin) come across my nose and didn't have anywhere to go. It was just guys racing hard."
Reutimann Notes:
· A seven-car accident ended Reutimann’s night just as the field took the green flag for the final 10-lap segment leaving him with a 19th-place finish.
· Until then Reutimann ran at the front of the field . At the end of the first segment (lap 1-50) Reutimann raced in sixth.
· Finished the second segment (lap 50-70) in sixth. Finished third segment in eighth but ran out of gas on the track.
· Was allowed to keep his spot in the lineup as the No. 00 crew changed carburetor before final segment.
· After the mandatory pit stop, Reutimann restarted the final segment (lap 90-100) in eighth.
· Seconds after taking the green flag, a seven-car wreck ended the night for Reutimann when he slammed into a spinning Mark Martin.
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Sprint All-Star Race
PRE-RACE REPORT
5/19/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann doesn’t have to worry about competing in the Sprint Showdown to qualify for the Sprint All-Star Race. Reutimann raced his way into Saturday night’s main event by winning the Coca-Cola 600 last Memorial Day at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Rain kept Reutimann from celebrating with a victory burnout, but this weekend he finally gets his chance to join other drivers on the frontstretch in the third annual Victory Burnout Challenge prior to Saturday’s Sprint Shootout. The driver awarded the most points by the judges earns $10,000 for his charity.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON THE ALL-STAR RACE: “The All-Star race is a big deal. I’ve been on the outside looking in on that deal for a lot of years, so it’s going to be good to go there and be a part of that it’s such a huge deal. We had a really good test at Charlotte a couple weeks back and felt like our car was really good. Rodney Childers and the Aaron’s crew are bringing their A-game every week and we’ll just have to see what happens. This is a race that’s all or nothing, so that is the exciting part of it. I think that Sprint has done a great job each year coming up with something to keep the event fresh and it’s exciting as it gets for the fans and the drivers. Everybody is all in on almost every lap.
ON THE VICTORY BURNOUT CHALLENGE: “For me personally, I’m looking forward to the Victory Burnout Challenge. Last year when we won the Coca-Cola 600, that was my first Sprint Cup Series win. The officials wouldn’t even let me start the car to get it to our makeshift victory lane. So this is going to be great! I get to go out in someone else’s car and burn the wheels off it on the front stretch and not have to worry about the talking to that I’d get if I was doing that in a team car. That’s a pretty great deal if you ask me.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann is making his first career start in the Sprint All-Star race. Reutimann punched his ticket into the race by winning the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day last year.
· This weekend Reutimann becomes the first 40-year-old driver to make his All-Star debut since Johnny Benson in 2003. And, he is only the fifth 40-year-old to start his first All-Star race since 1990. (See sidebar)
· The No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine pit crew is participating in the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at Time Warner Cable Arena in uptown Charlotte on Wednesday. SPEED-TV will broadcast the event at 9 p.m.
· The pit crew will use the Aaron’s/Alabama Crimson Tide No. 00 Toyota Camry during the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge. The car served as a backup at Talladega Superspeedway in April. The Aaron’s/Alabama Crimson Tide diecast cars are available for purchase at any Aaron's store nationwide.
· In the last four races, Reutimann has scored 539 points—the seventh most of any driver and moved from 30th to 20th in points. Has collected 15 bonus points for leading laps in three of the four races (five laps at Talladega, three at Darlington and one at Dover), recorded two top-five qualifying efforts (second at Richmond and fourth at Darlington) and has one top five and four top-15 finishes.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in eight of the nine races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in seven of the nine. In his three DNFs (Did Not Finish), Reutimann was racing in the top-five of all three races at the time he radioed of the issue leading him to retire from the race. (5th at Atlanta, 2nd at Bristol, 5th at Atlanta).
Michael Waltrip Racing Invites Fans to Attend “Fan Appreciation Day” on May 26
CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing will host a “Fan Appreciation Day” on May 26 at NASCAR’s most interactive race shop in Cornelius, N.C.
MWR drivers David Reutimann, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Truex and JTG Daugherty driver Marcos Ambrose plus Diamond-Waltrip Nationwide driver Trevor Bayne will join Waltrip to sign autographs. In addition, MWR’s Tim Brown, modified racer and star of the History Channel’s reality series “Madhouse,” will also sign autographs and display his No. 83 race car.
Country artist Matt Dylan highlights the entertainment that includes a family carnival, pit stop practices, simulator games, and features several local businesses and vendors. MWR partners NAPA, Toyota, Freightliner and TUMS will be in attendance with product demos, displays, and giveaways including a NAPA Race Day experience. Aaron’s joins the party with Lucky Dog and the Charlotte debut of David Reutimann’s No. 00 Talladega car which honored the Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2009 National Champion football Team.
Reutimann and Bayne will sign autographs 4-5 p.m. followed by Waltrip, both Truexes, Ambrose and Brown 6-8 p.m. Mac’s Speed Shop will offer menu items beginning at 4 p.m. with complimentary dessert from Lance and Little Debbie. Coke will provide drinks.
The Michael Waltrip Racing shop and interactive displays inside of the shop will open to the public free of charge at 9 a.m. Fans can watch the team prepare for the Coca-Cola 600 and shop at the MWR team store for the latest gear from their favorite MWR driver and JTG’s Marcos Ambrose.
Michael Waltrip Racing is at exit 28 on I-77 in Cornelius, N.C. about 15 miles north of Charlotte, N.C. Follow the latest information at www.michaelwaltrip.com.
AutoTrader.com 30th Annual Speedway Children's Charities Gala
4-27-2010
AutoTrader.Com 30th Annual Speedway Children's Charities Gala will be held Wednesday, May 26 at 6:30pm at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The evening will feature entertainment, dinner, and silent and live auctions. The honored guest will be 2009 Coca-Cola 600 Winner, David Reutimann. All proceeds will benefit Speedway Children's Charities, Charlotte Chapter. Individual tickets are available for $250.
Aaron's, Inc. to Honor Armed Forces Foundation with Commemorative NASCAR Racecar at Charlotte
4-26-2010
Aaron's, Inc. announced today it will honor the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) with a commemorative NASCAR racecar at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte during the upcoming race Memorial weekend, Sunday, May 30. The paint scheme will feature a patriotic red, white and blue design.
In addition to the custom paint scheme for the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 00 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, driven by David Reutimann, Aaron's will also donate a minimum of $10,000 to the AFF. However, if Reutimann finishes in the top five at Charlotte, Aaron's will double the donation to $20,000. If Reutimann wins the race, Aaron's will donate $200,000 to the AFF.
As a longtime partner of the AFF, Aaron's never fails to find new and exciting ways to show their support for the nation's military," said Patricia Driscoll, AFF President and Executive Director. "A NASCAR racecar adorned with the AFF logo will generate tremendous visibility for our program, delivering more impact in a single day than anything we have done in the past."
Aaron's COO, Ken Butler, said, "The work of the AFF is vitally important because it supports not only military soldiers, but also their families and the sacrifices they make every day. So to take this program a step further, Aaron's has partnered with the AFF to raise additional funds through a texting campaign. We're encouraging partners, customers and friends to text 'AFF' to 50555 and contribute $10 that will support our country's military and their families." The text campaign will run through the end of 2010.
The red, white and blue AFF racecar was unveiled before the Aaron's 312 race at Talladega.
Dover International Raceway
Post Race Report
5/16/2010
David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver David Reutimann continued his string of impressive performances in the 2010 season posting a fifth-place finish Sunday at Dover International Speedway. The Rodney Childers-led team excelled on long green flag runs and turned in quick pit stops throughout the race moving the team to 20th in the point standings. The Sprint Cup Series returns to action Saturday night in the Sprint All-Star race.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
· Reutimann started 13th and finished 5th jumping him to 20th in the points.
· The performance equaled his fifth-place finish at Daytona for best finish of the season.
· The fifth-place finish was his best career finish at Dover.
· Reutimann charged to the front of the field early, climbing as high as third at the halfway mark.
· Reutimann reported he was best on long green flag runs.
· After the race he said he expected an even better finish but the car’s handling was its worst of the day on the final green flag run.
· Reutimann led a lap late in Sunday’s race.
· Reutimann was named the Mobil One Command Driver of the race.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: "It’s been great. We haven’t had a whole lot to smile about all year. It’s been pretty dismal. We’ve been running really well, it’s just that we haven’t been able to close the deal. I had a great Aaron’s Dream Machine all day, the guys had great pit stops. And there at the end we were just a little bit too tight and that was the tightest we’ve been all day at the end. But all in all, having a fifth-place finish the way our season has been going, man, it feels really good.”
Are you tired from the long race today? “No, no, I actually feel pretty good. I can only attribute that to the guys making the car ventilate real well and get me some air in there because usually a lot of times you’ve got to pull me out of one of these things. So, I feel pretty good and we’ll go onto the next one and see if we can have another top-five.”
How did your car handle during the race? “We started off not very good, but in the long runs we would get better. All in all, I’m proud of my guys. I think they did a great job. This will help us in the points a little bit. We had to stop the bleeding at some point and hopefully we’ve done it this time.”
Did your car handle the best at the end of the race? “The downside is that is the worst we were in the long run in the end all day. When it counted we needed the car to be good and the car was just too tight. But all in all, the way things have been going for our year -- we’ve been running really, really well and haven’t been able to get the finish. I’m proud of my guys and hopefully we can build on this and go onto the next one here and get some more good finishes.”
Dover International Raceway
Pre Race Report
5-12-2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann gained six spots the last three weeks. Key to that surge is consecutive top five qualifying runs. That trend should continue this weekend at Dover International Speedway where the 40-year-old Florida native is the defending pole sitter. In 2010, the Michael Waltrip Racing driver has proven to be one of the fastest of the 43 cars on the track nearly every weekend. Mechanical issues encountered when running in the top six this season prematurely ended three races. Reutimann finished all 38 races in 2009.
QUOTES
ON WINNING THE POLE AWARD LAST YEAR AT DOVER: “Dover is definitely a place where you hold your breath because you’re really in the gas a lot, you drive down in the corners deep then let the thing roll before getting back to the gas. So it’s a really, really intense racetrack. Qualifying is not one of the more enjoyable things that you’ll do during the course of the weekend. It’s definitely a place that will keep your attention the whole time.”
WHY IS DOVER IS A “MEAN” RACETRACK? “There are just a lot of transitions getting into the corners and on the exit of the corners which are pretty violent. You go from almost falling down a hill getting into the corners then the car lands, loads up then you drive up the other side. It kind of spits you out the other side. It’s a pretty intense racetrack that takes a lot of getting used to because it’s really a different feel compared to a lot of other places that we go.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE STARTING TO GET YOUR SEASON BACK ON TRACK AFTER A SLOW START? “I certainly hope so. At least we’ve been able to finish the last few races and have some pretty decent runs. I don’t think we were as good as we wanted to be in Richmond and last week at Darlington we just got caught on pit road at the wrong time and that cost us some track position when the caution came out. It is what it is. I think things are going better. Things haven’t really gone bad for us. We’ve had good speed on the racetrack and we’ve been racing well, but we just haven’t been able to get those finishes that we need – sometimes that’s half the battle. I feel like we are starting to gain on it a little bit. At least we’re moving in the right direction and we’ll be able to continue to do that.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· In the last three races, Reutimann has moved from 30th in points up to 24th in points, collected 10 bonus points for leading laps in two of the three races (five laps at Talladega and three at Darlington), recorded two top-five qualifying efforts (second at Richmond and fourth at Darlington) and has three top-15 finishes.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in seven of the eight races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in six of the eight. In his three DNFs (Did Not Finish), Reutimann was racing in the top-five of all three races at the time he radioed of the issue leading him to retire from the race. (5th at Atlanta, 2nd at Bristol, 5th at Atlanta).
· Aaron’s, sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish. Follow Aarons on Twitter (@AaronsSports) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/AaronsSports).
· Aaron’s/Alabama Crimson Tide No. 00 Toyota Camry diecast cars available for purchase at any Aaron's store nationwide. Aaron’s stores throughout Alabama will host the Alabama National Championship show car and also have championship/racecar t-shirts and championship 9" plush Lucky Dogs for sale.
· Steve Hallam, executive vice president and director of competition at Michael Waltrip Racing, will receive a degree of Honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Huddersfield in England on July 12. The university has a globally respected automotive engineering department. Hallam, who worked in Formula 1 from 1982 to 2008 with Lotus and then McLaren, joined MWR in 2009.
Southern 500
Darlington Raceway
Post-Race Report
5/8/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota - finished 11th - now 24th in points.
David Reutimann Race Summary: It was another strong performance for David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Saturday night at Darlington Raceway. Reutimann finished 11th jumping three spots to 24th in the point standings after the 500-mile race. Reutimann ran in the top five early in the race and led three laps near the midway point. The finish could have been even better were it not for some bad luck in the closing laps. The race’s final caution fell as Reutimann pitted dropping him from seventh to 15th as he managed to stay on the lead lap. He gained four spots in the closing laps. Reutimann and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to action Sunday in Dover, Del.
REUTIMANN: "It was just a struggle. We were loose the whole race and just couldn't get on the other side of it. We made it better, but the track changes as it goes and we couldn't keep up with it. We didn't get it where it needed to be.
We got it good towards the end and then we pit and the yellow comes out. That's the way our season has gone. I mean it happens-we go from top five to outside the top fifteen. Then you have got to battle back there...we just weren't as good as we needed to be because we kept trying to make the car tighter and tighter and we were getting better, but we just ran out of time to at least get back in the top 10."
Reutimann Notes:
· Reutimann started fourth—his second consecutive top-five qualifying effort.
· Reutimann has finished in the top 15 in six of the eight races he’s finished in 2010.
· Reutimann raced in third in the early going but dropped to 10th by lap 23 struggling with a loose race car.
· By lap 200, reported the car was “way, way better” moving up to 13th.
· The Aaron’s crew serviced Reutimann the fastest of any of the team allowing him to take the lead on lap 230.
· Reutimann led three laps—upping his season-long total to 8 laps in 2010 and 230 laps in his career.
· Fell back during pit stop sequencing but ran seventh with about 45 laps remaining.
· Pitted with about 20 laps remaining, but untimely caution dropped him back to about to about 15th.
· Ended the race in 11th.
Southern 500
Darlington Raceway
Pre-Race Report
5/04/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — Most race fans who follow No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann know his father Buzzie Reutimann taught him an awful lot about racing. The 1997 Dirt Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees racing exploits are legendary up and down the east coast.
Less familiar is David’s mother Linda Reutimann who will visit Darlington Raceway this weekend to celebrate Mother’s Day. Don’t look for Linda on top of the pit box or in the Sprint cup garage. Instead, David says, she’d prefer a seat in the grandstands to watch the action on the historic track.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON MOTHER’S DAY: “I always have my Dad (Buzzie Reutimann) there, I mean, almost always – and that’s really special to me. My Mom (Linda) always spent a great deal of time with me in the grandstands back when we were younger and she tried to keep me out of trouble. She spent lots and lots and lots of time at racetracks. Mom is really, really low key. She likes to come to the races, she may come in to see me for a bit, but then she normally goes and sits in the stands because she always feels like she’s in the way or something like that. And let me be the first to tell you that she’s never in the way, but she just likes to be very low key and doesn’t like to be in the middle of things. I think she comes to a weekend like Darlington a bit reluctantly. She comes because she knows that I like it, but I don’t think that it’s her style for sure because she’s so quiet and reserved. I enjoy having her there with me, so I’m glad that she comes.”
REUTIMANN ON DARLINGTON: “Darlington definitely earns its nickname – that place is just tough! I mean, that name is just spot on. That place is way too tough to tame. It’s hot and it’s a tough racetrack. It’s a long race and it’s just a really, really tough racetrack. It’s one of those places that will just flat wear you out.”
REUTIMANN ON GETTING HIS FIRST DARLINGTON STRIPE: “Geez, I’ve had so many. I don’t know if I really remember the first one. I think my first Darlington stripe came in my first truck race there. I think I got it during the race. Everyone was telling me that I was going to get one at some point. When it finally came I was like, well, at least I got that out of the way. Then as the race went on there was another five or six before the race was over with, so yeah, that place has not been especially kind to me over the years. We are going to try and turn that around this time and improve our season a little bit and get us headed back in the right direction again.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in six of the seven races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in five of the seven. In his three DNFs (Did Not Finish), Reutimann was racing in the top-five of all three races at the time of the issue leading him to retire from the race. (5th at Atlanta, 2nd at Bristol, 5th at Atlanta).
Richmond International Raceway
Post Race Report
5/01/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota - finished 15th - now 27th in points.
David Reutimann Race Summary: David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine started the race on the outside of the front row along side Kyle Busch following a solid qualifying effort on Friday afternoon. At the start of the race on Saturday night, Reutimann looked to continue his strong effort by maintaining a top-five position for the first 160 laps. As the track conditions changed into the night time hours the No. 00 team fought a tight center condition and continued to work on the car throughout the race. Reutimann consistently ran in the top-15 the entire race which is exactly where he finished as the checkered flag waved. Reutimann is now 27th in points as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Darlington for Saturday night’s race.
REUTIMANN: "That wasn't really the result we wanted. We had a very good Aaron's Dream Machine early on, but it just got tighter and harder to turn the center as the race went on. Just disappointed. We were so good early I was hoping to finish a little better than we did. That said, we brought home a clean car with a top-15 finish. Hopefully we can do a little better next week."
Reutimann Notes:
· Reutimann started second on the outside of the front row and finished 15th.
· Reutimann has finished in the top 15 in five of the seven races he’s finished in 2010.
· Reutimann raced in the top-five for the first 160 laps.
· The No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine battled a tight center condition throughout the race
· The No. 00 started 11th on the final restart on lap 395 and finished 15th.
Crown Royal 400
Richmond International Raceway
4/28/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — The words “race shop” and “high school prom” are seldom found in the same sentence, unless of course you are talking about Michael Waltrip Racing. Hopewell High School, in nearby Huntersville, N.C., held its prom at Michael Waltrip Racing’s race shop in Cornelius, N.C., on Saturday, April 24. Nearly 700 students attended the Mardi Gras-themed event. (Pictures attached)
Michael Waltrip Racing shop employees began preparing for the special event late Friday afternoon. The crew cleared cars, equipment and tools then cleaned the shop before the Hopewell prom committee set up the decorations. Shop workers returned MWR to its normal working condition before the team began work Monday morning.
MWR hosted it’s first prom in 2009 for North Mecklenburg High School. In addition to high school proms, Michael Waltrip Racing has hosted a wedding on the catwalk overlooking the shop floor, wedding reception and a couple renewed their wedding vows with Michael Waltrip serving as the minister. MWR has also hosted two memorial services for local people, charity fundraisers, benefits and regularly hosts registration events for fishing tournaments on Lake Norman.
The prom will be the furthest thing from David Reutimann’s mind Saturday night when he races at Richmond International Raceway. Reutimann’s Aaron’s Dream Team pit crew earned its first Tissot Pit Crew Award Sunday at Talladega. It was MWR’s third Tissot Award of 2010 after the No. 56 crew earned the award in Atlanta and Las Vegas.
QUOTES
Dr. MARY LOUISE JONES - PRINCIPAL, HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL: “It is kind of unusual to have the Hopewell High School prom at a race shop, but Michael Waltrip Racing made a lot of sense to us. We normally have prom downtown Charlotte at a convention center, but wanted to have a space that was closer to the school and more convenient for the kids and their parents. We took a lot into account like parking and security. The race shop was very nice because it was big enough to accommodate our kids, have an area for dancing and an area for sitting and eating. I was impressed and the kids seemed to have a good time.”
REUTIMANN ON ATTENDING HIS OWN HIGH SCHOOL PROM: “I think I went to one and the only thing that remarkably sticks out in my mind is that I can’t believe that I did it cause I had to miss a race to go. That’s really the only thing that I can recall. I went, but I was miserable the whole time because I should have been and wanted to be at a racetrack.”
REUTIMANN ON THE TISSOT PIT CREW PIT ROAD PRECISION AWARD: “The Aaron’s Dream Team pit crew has steadily improved as the year’s gone on. They’ve been doing a good job, but to be honest I’m surprised they haven’t got it before now. That’s just how good they’ve been. I’m really proud of the guys and I know they work really, really hard on a lot of different areas to try and make things better. It’s really starting to pay off. I’m really proud of them and I’m sure it’s not going to be the last one they get this year.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Michael Waltrip enters the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame Wednesday night joining notable inductees such as: Muhammad Ali, Tubby Smith, Adolph Rupp, Phil Simms, Johnny Unitas, Secretariat and other Bluegrass state heroes. Proceeds from the banquet benefit Kosair Charities. Tickets are $75 and may be obtained through Jo Barrett at Kosair Charities: (502) 637-7696, ext. 104. MWR cars will carry a special decal this weekend honoring Waltrip’s induction.
· Reutimann has finished 20th or better in five of the six races that he has been running at the finish in 2010—and 15th or better in four of the six.
· Aaron’s, sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish. Follow Aarons on Twitter (@AaronsSports) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/AaronsSports).
· Aaron’s/Alabama Crimson Tide No. 00 Toyota Camry diecast cars available for purchase at any Aaron's store nationwide. Aaron’s stores throughout Alabama will host the Alabama National Championship show car and also have championship/racecar t-shirts and championship 9" plush Lucky Dogs for sale.
Aaron's 499
Talladega SuperSpeedway
4/25/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s/Alabama National Championship Dream Machine Toyota - finished 14th - now 27th in points.
Race Summary: David Reutimann’s Aaron’s/University of Alabama National Championship Toyota was a fan favorite in Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. In addition to carrying the home state colors, the No. 00 was as fast as any of the 43 cars on the track. Reutimann led five laps but looked like he would leave with a poor finish after falling out of the lead draft. But a late caution enabled him to climb back into the lead pack. In the final green-white-checkered finish he couldn’t get the help needed to battle for the victory and finished 14th. Reutimann is now 27th in points as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves to Richmond for Saturday night’s race.
REUTIMANN: “It seemed like I could give help, but no one seemed to really want to give me any. The 11 (Denny Hamlin) worked with us really good and there was a couple other guys that would. A lot of guys would work with you and then hang you out. That’s just how it goes – no big deal. We should have finished a whole lot better than 14th today. We had a good car. At least we didn’t tear anything up and we have something good to bring back.”
Reutimann Notes:
· Reutimann started 30th and finished 12th—his best Talladega finish.
· Reutimann has finished in the top 15 in four of the five races he’s finished in 2010.
· Led five laps and looked to be one of the fastest cars on the track.
· Reutimann climbed into the top five around the lap 60 mark.
· Pushed Jimmie Johnson to lead on lap 69 while running second.
· Avoided a spinning Denny Hamlin on lap 75.
· Led lap 154 as the field raced three wide.
· Hung out in the draft with 30 to go and fell out of lead pack about 13 seconds behind leader.
· A caution with 10 laps remaining allowed Reutimann to climb back into the lead pack.
· Survived the three green-white-checkered attempts to finish the race.
AARON’S 499 RACE NOTES:
· Kevin Harvick beat Jamie McMurray by 0.011 seconds.
· Juan Montoya finished third. Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin rounded out the top five.
· There were 88 lead changes among 29 drivers— a race record.
· Rain cancelled qualifying on Saturday and NASCAR set the field based on points.
· Saturday’s Nationwide race took place an hour after the Sprint Cup race.
· In the DirecTV Head2Head competition Truex defeated AJ Allmendinger and will face Mark Martin in Richmond.
Aaron's 499
Talladega SuperSpeedway
4/21/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — Race fans attending the Aaron’s Dream Weekend at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend might yell out “Roll Tide!” as David Reutimann, driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine, takes to the racetrack. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver’s No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine will sport the 2009 National Champions Alabama Crimson Tide logo on the hood and a crimson paint scheme to celebrate the University of Alabama’s victory over Texas in the college football BCS Championship game.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PAINT SCHEME: “I grew up in Florida, so I am pretty sure there are going to be some people I know that aren’t going to be real happy to see me in an Alabama Crimson Tide car, but I think it’s a pretty cool deal. I’m sure I’ll become a pretty popular driver this week—a lot of people who may not normally root for me will probably be cheering me on because of this paint scheme.
“Aaron’s does a great job with things like this. They have a Color Your Way to Talladega Aaron’s car for the Nationwide race with Trevor Bayne this weekend, a 55th Anniversary car that Michael (Waltrip) is driving and I’m driving an Alabama National Championship car this weekend. Aaron’s is always looking for new ideas and creative ways to have fun and Aaron’s Dream Weekend at Talladega is a lot of fun that is for sure.”
ELI GOLD, MRN BROADCASTER (BROADCASTER, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA FOOTBALL)
“Obviously, with Alabama winning the National Championship and Aaron’s as a partner this was a natural fit and a great opportunity to celebrate the accomplishment. As a matter of fact, last weekend the car was in Tuscaloosa (Ala.) when the Crimson Tide played their annual spring football game in front of a sold out crowd of more than 92,000, and when they brought the car out and fired it up it sounded as though Bama had won the national title again. The fans just couldn’t believe it and I think its going to be that same sort of reaction come this weekend when the Crimson Tide car, through the Aaron’s associated sponsorship gets out on to the racetrack. This has been a wonderful run for the Tide and this is a great way to cross promote to all the NASCAR fans that live in Alabama and those who will be coming to visit.”
ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AARON’S AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: “The University of Alabama is tickled to have a nice relationship with the folks from Aaron’s and for Aaron’s to be so generous to allow the Crimson Tide colors and the National Championship logo on the car this weekend. That just shows you what kind of people they are. They are great folks who appreciate sports and appreciate the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Robin Loudermilk, Chief Executive Officer of Aaron’s, Inc.
“Aaron’s couldn’t be more proud that two of its partner universities were represented in this year’s national championship game. While Alabama clinched the title, Texas put up a tough fight making the game one of the most outstanding in BCS history. We are honored and excited to take Alabama’s triumph a step further with the opportunity to put this commemorative racecar in victory lane at our race this weekend in Talladega.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
The Aaron’s/Alabama National Championship program kicked off at the University of Alabama A-Day game on April 17 at Bryant-Denny Stadium where the racecar was unveiled and displayed prior to the football game.
Aaron’s/Alabama Crimson Tide No. 00 Toyota Camry diecast cars available for purchase at any Aaron's store nationwide. Aaron’s stores throughout Alabama will host the Alabama National Championship show car and also have championship/racecar t-shirts and championship 9" plush Lucky Dogs for sale. (Aaron’s Alabama Crimson Tide Show Car Schedule Attached).
Reutimann has six career starts at Talladega Superspeedway and has led a total of eight laps. Reutimann’s best start is fifth (2007-2) and finish is 20th (2008-1). He led six laps in his last appearance at Talladega. Reutimann retired due to engine troubles in two races (2007-1 and 2008-2) and a crash in one (2007-2).
Aaron’s, sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish. Follow Aarons on Twitter (@AaronsSports) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/AaronsSports)
O'Reilly 300 Post Report
Texas Motor Speedway
4/20/2010
Reutimann and the Beringer team post solid eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 20, 2010) – David Reutimann returned to the seat of the No. 10 Beringer Toyota this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway for his second race of the season with Braun Racing. After two practice sessions on Thursday and Friday, the Beringer team looked solid according to the speed charts. Despite qualifying deep in the field, they knew they had a car capable of running up front in Saturday’s O’Reilly 300. Unfortunately, they would be forced to wait it out two extra days as persistent rain in the area forced NASCAR to postpone Saturday’s scheduled NASCAR Nationwide Series race until Monday afternoon.
Under partly cloudy skies on Monday, the Nationwide Series cars were finally able to take to the track. Lining up 26th for the start, Reutimann knew he had his work cut out for him but felt confident that he had a fast car underneath him to help him get to the front. Methodically, he worked his way through heavy traffic and by the time NASCAR threw the pre-planned competition caution, he had moved inside the top-20. As he circled the track under caution, Reutimann reported on the handling of his car to crew chief, Stewart Cooper.
“It’s tight in the center of the corner and off,” he reported over the radio. I just need to get it freed up some so I can get through the turns better.”
Cooper called out instructions to his crew as Reutimann drove onto pit road. The Beringer crew changed four tires, added fuel and made a wedge adjustment before sending the No. 10 back out onto the track.
With the handling of his car greatly improved, Reutimann quickly fought his way inside the top-10 by lap 59. He held the position for the duration of the run. A caution on lap 65, slowed the field once again and allowed the team to make their second pit stop of the day. The Beringer crew once again changed four tires, added fuel and made another wedge adjustment to help with the persistent tight condition that their driver had reported late in the run. A solid stop gained Reutimann one spot on pit road, putting him eighth for the restart on lap 74.
Over the course of the ensuing green-flag run, Reutimann held his own as he battled inside the top-10. He moved up to seventh but was unable to gain any more ground on the leaders as he continued to fight a tight-handling condition in the Beringer machine. Reaching the end of their fuel window on lap 132, Cooper called his driver to pit road under green-flag conditions. After receiving four fresh tires, fuel and a small air pressure adjustment, Reutimann returned to the track. As the pit stops cycled through the field, he found himself holding onto the sixth spot.
Over the final laps of the race, Reutimann reported that the Beringer Camry had grown extremely free. As he circled the track trying to hold onto his car, he slipped back to eighth as the checkered flag fell.
“This Braun racing No. 10 team is a lot of fun to work with,” said Reutimann after the race. “The Beringer Camry was solid all day and I thought we could have contended for the win there at the end, but the car just got way too loose. Still, we came home eighth so in all, not a bad run. I’ll be back with these guys again in Chicago and I have high hopes of taking Beringer Vineyards to victory lane!”
Next Stop: The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway next week for the Aaron’s 312. The Saturday afternoon race will be broadcast LIVE on ABC starting at 2:30pm and MRN Radio affiliates at 2:30pm. The green flag is scheduled for 3 p.m. EST.
Samsung Mobile 500 Post
Texas Motor Speedway
4/19/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry - finished 37th - now 30th in points
Race Summary:
David Reutimann’s 2010 hard luck story played out at Texas Motor Speedway on Monday when another great performance ended with a disappointing finish. The No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine raced in the top five throughout most of the 334-lap race. But with 30 laps remaining, Reutimann began reporting something amiss under the hood as he gave up fifth-place to Tony Stewart. Just a few laps later the day came to a close amid flames and smoke under the hood as Reutimann coasted down the backstretch. NASCAR credited Reutimann with a 37th place finish. Reutimann raced in the top six at the moment he encountered race ending problems in three races this season. He dropped five spots to 30th in points. The Sprint Cup Series heads to Talladega this weekend.”
BEST WESTERN Toyota
· Reutimann started 16th and finished 37th.
· Moved into the top 10 on the lap 83 restart.
· Jumped to fourth at the lap 110 caution then ran comfortably in third.
· Stayed in the top five throughout most of the race.
· Dropped to ninth with 100 laps to go during a pit stop sequence, but climbed back into the top five with 50 laps remaining.
· Reutimann began reporting engine problems with about 40 laps remaining giving up fifth-place to Tony Stewart.
· With 24 laps remaining, the car burst into flames on the backstretch. Reutimann made it back to pit lane but his race was over.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: “That’s about as frustrating as it gets. We had a great car all day and ran with the leaders and we have a problem with 20 laps to go and can’t finish the race. That unfortunately has been the story of our season so far. I don’t know what we need to do to turn it around, but this is getting old. We’ve had some good finishes go up in smoke … literally.”
RACE NOTES:
· Danny Hamlin beat Jimmie Johnson by .153 seconds to win Monday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.
· Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five.
· A massive nine-car wreck among the leaders with 17 laps remaining brought out a red flag for 19 minutes and 13 seconds.
· Thirteen cars finished on the lead lap.
· Race took 3:30 hours and saw 31 lead changes among 12 leaders.
· NASCAR estimated 90,000 fans attended Monday’s race.
· In the DirecTV Head2Head competition Truex defeated Jeff Burton, but Clint Bowyer edged Reutimann.
Samsung Mobile 500
Texas Motor Speedway
4/18/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann proclaims Texas Motor Speedway as his favorite track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit because it is extremely fast and a fun place to race. The 1.5-mile tri-oval in Fort Worth is also a track where Reutimann posted some his best performances. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver won his second career pole then led 40 laps in this race last year before finishing 11th. Reutimann also owns finishes of 16th or better in his last three Sprint Cup Series starts on the Texas track. He won a Nationwide Series pole there in 2007.
QUOTES
REUTIMANN ON WINNING THE POLE AWARD AT TEXAS LAST SPRING: “They gave me a shotgun. It was a long Berretta, which was really, really cool. I won a pole there in the Nationwide Series too and got a cool helmet as a trophy for that. It’s always neat to win a pole at Texas because they have a lot of great trophies for winning a pole there that a lot of other races don’t have. A lot of times at a racetrack you win a pole, which is great, but then you get your picture taken and you’re done with it. At Texas when you win a pole the trophy is kind of the cherry on top so to speak. They do a great job with it.”
REUTIMANN ON RACING AT TEXAS WITH A SPOILER: “We’ve been good at Texas in the past, so hopefully regardless of what happens with the spoiler we’ll still have a great car. I look forward to going to Texas—it’s my favorite racetrack. It’s hard to tell how a spoiler is going to effect us on that racetrack, but I’m looking forward to going there and finding out to see what we’ve got.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
Reutimann is the defending pole award winner for the April race at Texas Motor Speedway. He won the pole on April 3, 2009 with a speed of 190.517 mph. The pole was the second of his career (first, Miami-Homestead 2008). Along with his pole, Reutimann has two top-10 (Spring ‘08 and ‘09) and four top-15 starts in his career five races.
Reutimann has five career starts at Texas Motor Speedway. He retired due to engine troubles in his first two races, but since that time has one top-10 (Fall ‘08) and has not finished lower than 16th.
Reutimann will race the No. 10 Beringer Toyota Camry for Braun Racing in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) event. This will mark the second of three scheduled NNS races for Reutimann in 2010. Reutimann’s final scheduled NNS is Chicagoland Speedway in July. Reutimann won a NNS pole at Texas in the fall of 2007.
Aaron’s, sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish. Follow Aarons on Twitter (@AaronsSports) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/AaronsSports)
The DIRECTV Head 2 Head Knockout promotion kicks off this week. Reutimann is the six seed in the Turn 4 region and matched up against Clint Bowyer, who is the three seed. These head-to-head “races within the races” will play out over the course of the next four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ events, and in classic “bracket-tournament” fashion, fans can enter their own bracket predictions at DIRECTV.com/NASCAR for the chance to win $1 million or a car.
O’Reilly 300
Texas Motor Speedway
4/17/2010
Reutimann returns to the seat of the No. 10 Beringer Vineyards Toyota…This weekend Beringer Vineyards returns as primary sponsor of Braun Racing’s No. 10 Toyota with David Reutimann behind the wheel. This will mark the fourth year of the team’s partnership with the Napa, Calif.-based vineyard. In addition to this weekend’s O’Reilly 300, Beringer will be featured on the hood of the No. 10 Toyota at Chicagoland Speedway in July.
Reutimann at Texas Motor Speedway, by the numbers… Reutimann has proved to be a strong contender at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. In seven NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, he has logged three top-10 finishes and has one pole to his credit (fall, 2007). His best performance occurred in the spring, 2007 race in which he posted a sixth-place finish after starting seventh. He has an average start of 11.7, an average finish of 14.3 and has completed 1388 of 1400 laps.
In Camping World Truck Series competition at Texas, Reutimann has been impressive with three top-five and five top-10 finishes in six starts. On the Sprint Cup side, Reutimann has one top-10 finish with an average start of 15.0 and an average finish of 24.2. One year ago, he captured the pole and went on to finish 11th.
About Beringer Vineyards
No winery more thoroughly embodies the timeless appeal and seductive flavor of Napa Valley than Beringer Vineyards, Napa’s benchmark producer since its establishment in 1876. Now in its third century of crafting classic wines from Napa’s finest appellations and vineyards, Beringer today is guided by the inspired partnership of celebrated Winemaster Emeritus Ed Sbragia and Winemaker Laurie Hook. Together, they craft Napa Valley wines that speak eloquently of Beringer’s rich heritage while offering cutting-edge quality and contemporary elegance. www.Beringer.com
Reutimann on returning to the seat of the Beringer Camry
“I’m excited to get back into one of the Braun Racing cars this weekend. I really enjoy racing with Stewart Cooper (crew chief) and those guys. They always bring a fast car to the race track that is capable of being a real contender for the win. Texas is a great track with a lot of three and four-wide racing. It’s a lot of fun for the drivers, as well as the fans. I would really like to take Beringer Vineyards to victory lane before the end of the season and I can’t think of a better place to do it than here in “The Lone Star State.”
Equipment Information
The No. 10 Beringer team will hit the track with chassis #044 in this weekend’s O’Reilly 300. This is the same chassis Reutimann piloted in his last race with the No. 10 team at Auto Club Speedway, where he started 11th and finished 26th. Kasey Kahne drove this chassis in the November event at TMS, where he started from the fourth position and led for one lap before a suspension failure took him out of contention.
SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600
PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
4/10/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Best Western Toyota Camry - finished 20th - now 25th in points.
Race Summary: Except for a slight encounter with the turn four wall, No. 00 Best Western Toyota driver David Reutimann enjoyed a fairly quiet night at Phoenix International Raceway posting an 20th place finish. Like most of the 43-car field, Reutimann fought handling issues on the slippery, flat, mile oval. After starting 39th, Reutimann charged through the field climbing into the top 15. A punctured right rear slowed his progress midway through the race but the Florida native resumed his charge until the brush with the wall at lap 253 damaged the rear of his Camry. He stayed on the lead lap the remainder of the race climbing as high as 15th before a late caution forced a green-white-checkered finish. Reutimann crossed the finish line in 20th. The finish moves Reutimann to 25th in points.
BEST WESTERN Toyota
· Reutimann started 39th and finished 20th
· Reutimann looked to be one of the fastest cars on the track working his way in to the top 20 by lap 30.
· A punctured right rear tire slowed his progress near the halfway mark and he fell to about 24th.
· At lap 253 Reutimann spun and made contact with the wall causing body damage to the rear of his Toyota and dropping him to 26th.
· He spent the rest of the race on the lead lap turning very competitive lap times climbing to 15th.
· A caution with two laps to go saw Reutimann line up 17th for the green-white checkered.
QUOTE: “We kind of had an up-and-down race. We started at the back and had to race really hard in the beginning. We made up a ton of spots early, but then the car kind of went away from us. We had a tire issue and that hurt us. There on the wreck I was just trying too hard to hang on to it and it just got away. My guys got it fixed and we were pretty good after that. That green-white-checkered cost us a couple spots.”
RACE NOTES:
· Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Juan Montoya swept the top five spots.
· A green-white-checkered jumbled the field at the end of the race and saw leaders Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson line up seventh and eighth for the two-lap shootout.
· Newman, who took only two tires on the pit stop, beat Jeff Gordon on the restart then held on to beat Gordon by .13 seconds and snapped a 77-race winless streak.
· The race saw 20 lead changes among 13 drivers. There were nine cautions for 59 laps.
· The average speed was 99.372mph.
· Race promoters added 63 laps (now 375 laps/miles or 600 Kilometers) to Saturday night’s race to insure the final laps could be run under the lights. The race took 3 hours, 48 mins and 13 secs.
· NASCAR allowed the teams an extra man over the wall to service the windshields because of all the bugs at the track.
· NASCAR estimated the attendance at 70,000.
SUBWAY 600
Phoenix International Raceway
4/03/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — David Reutimann is not what you would call a social media expert. The 40-year old Zephyrhills, Fla. native does not have a Twitter account and has yet to fully grasp the concept behind the medium. Luckily, this weekend in Phoenix he is going to have some help as three race fans will follow Reutimann throughout the weekend and chronicle his every move as part his “Tweet Crew Team”.
Best Western and Michael Waltrip Racing partnered to conduct a national job search to find qualified members of internet savvy race fans for the first-of-it’s-kind team. The chosen members of the Tweet Crew Team are:
· Randall Martin, (@RLDreams), a father and longtime race fan from Worchester, Mass.
· Rebecca Kivak, (@becbeat555), a copy editor and avid NASCAR Tweeter from Plains, Pa.
· Nancy Mills, (@NancyEMills) an actress and contractor from Memphis, Tenn.
During the race, the Tweet Crew Team will report on the race and Reutimann’s performance from different vantage points around Phoenix International Raceway. Fans and media can follow the Tweet Crew Team throughout the weekend by visiting www.Twitter.com/tweetcrewteam.
The No. 00 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing also will sport a new look as longtime partner Best Western becomes a first-time primary sponsor for a Sprint Cup Series entry.
Best Western’s relationship with Michael Waltrip dates back to 2004 when the World’s Largest Hotel Chain became a primary sponsor for a Nationwide Series entry and served as an associate sponsor of Waltrip’s Cup Series entry.
DAVID REUTIMANN QUOTES
ON TWITTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA: “I’m not a huge social media person. I don’t have my own Twitter account or Facebook page. I’m sure there are a lot of good things that can come of it and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Tweet Crew Team does throughout the weekend. Best Western has always done a great job of coming up with creative experiences for race fans - this is another example of a creative concept that gives race fans both at the track and at home a behind-the-scenes look at a race weekend. That’s a great deal for everyone.”
ON CONSISTENCY ISSUES OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS: “It’s a huge concern for me. We got that fifth at Daytona and I haven’t historically run all that well there, so that helps you start to think that we’re well on our way here and we’ve got things going in the right direction. We didn’t have a great run out in California. Then we went out and felt pretty good about our chances at Las Vegas—I got my first top-10 there last year, and I felt like we were going to be good again. We weren’t as good as we expected, but still fairly decent. Then we had two motor issues back-to-back at Atlanta and Bristol. We were actually running second in the race at Bristol and ended up having a motor issue there. And then last week we found all kinds of bad luck at Martinsville. So yeah, we have some concerns.
“What is not of concern to me is that our team is running better than it ever has. Unfortunately the results on the racetrack don’t show that at all. We’re a long way from showing the results that we need to, but with that being said, our team is much stronger. Our pit stops are better. We’re running better. We just haven’t had the results to show for it—mainly because of those two engine issues. Sometimes in racing there just isn’t a whole lot you can do to control stuff like that.”
ON WORKING WITH NEW TEAMMATES MARTIN TRUEX JR.: “It’s an adjustment. It’s not as big of an adjustment as say working with a new crew chief. In the past Michael Waltrip liked a different feel to his racecars. We were at two completely different ends of the spectrum as far as what we liked to feel in our cars. So a lot of the time if one of us was running well and the other wasn’t where they needed to be we weren’t able to share the information like we needed to. We had the information, but knowing what we liked in a race car we couldn’t just go put his setup on my car or vise versa to make us better. We couldn’t do that because our driving styles were so drastically different.
“Now with Martin Truex Jr. I think our driving styles are a little closer. So now what you have is another driver in the stable, along with Marcos Ambrose at JTG Daugherty, that I can go bounce things off of and get information from. So, the whole team concept of having three cars under one roof helps you even more because all three cars are even more similar now. That helps you in the long term because you have two other guys to bounce things off of and look at subtle differences that there cars may have that are going to be able to help you. In the past Michael’s cars have been quite a bit different to mine so we weren’t able to help each other the same way in that respect.”
GOODY’S FAST PACED RELIEF 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
3/29/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 TUMS Toyota Camry - finished 28th - now 24th in points.
David Reutimann Race Summary: David Reutimann’s chances for a good finish Monday at Martinsville Speedway looked rather bleak around the lap 75 mark when he was stuck in the mud inside turn where he slid avoiding a potential accident. But the Michael Waltrip Racing driver managed to get out of the bog and returned to pitlane where the Rodney Childers led crew made repairs. After returning to action, Reutimann made up two laps slicing through the field on the half-mile Virginia track. In the second half of the race Reutimann continued the charge climbing up to 15th by the lap 300 mark. On lap 460, Reutimann radioed crew chief Rodney Childers a distress call of, “no brakes, no brakes!” with was followed by a cut right side tires laps later. Reutimann and the No. 00 Toyota came to pit road for right side tires, but returned to the race several laps down in 28th place, where they would eventually finish.
David Reutimann, No. 00 TUMS Toyota
· Reutimann started 24th and finished 28th
· Reutimann held his position in the early going
· On lap 75 Reutimann spun to avoid an accident, but got stuck in the grass and lost a lap
· Accident dropped him to 38th position
· Reutimann earned the Lucky Dog Award and returned to the lead lap on lap 171.
· Restarted in 26th on lap 180— on lead lap.
· At the halfway mark, Reutimann raced in 17th.
· Reutimann raced up to 14th late in the race before suffering a cut tire with less than 50 laps to go.
· Reutimann came to pit road for repairs and returned to the race track in 28th position several laps down.
REUTIMANN QUOTE: "That was a tough day. We lost a couple laps early and that set us behind, but the TUMS team really battled back and was on our way to a top-15 finish until we lost our brakes with about 60 laps to go. Its just frustrating. We've had some really great cars this season, but unfortunately it just hasn't produced the results we'd like."
No. 00 TUMS Toyota GOODY’S FAST RELIEF 500
Martinsville Speedway
3/28/2010
CORNELIUS, N.C. — The fast relief of TUMS may be just what the doctor ordered for David Reutimann’s team after the last two races left the No. 00 Michael Waltrip Toyota crew feeling a little bit of heartburn and indigestion. Reutimann raced in the top-five before mechanical issues forced early exits at Atlanta and Bristol.
This week the MWR team works overtime to end its run of bad luck. Reutimann and crew will take part in a two-day open test at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading to the historic .526-mile Martinsville Speedway in Virginia for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. Crew Chief Rodney Childers’ team led 18 laps at Martinsville in October before finishing 16th.
DID YOU KNOW: Reutimann and the No. 00 team have finished 20th or better in 15 of the last 19 Sprint Cup races. Prior to Bristol, the No. 00 team had not recorded consecutive finishes outside the top 30 since a two-race stretch that included a 37th-place finish at Talladega on Oct. 5, 2008 and a 32nd-place finish on Oct. 11, 2008 at Charlotte - a 41 race stretch.
CREW CHIEF RODNEY CHILDERS QUOTES
ON POSITIVES HAVE YOU TAKEN AWAY FROM THE LAST TWO RACES: “The one thing that I have noticed is that it seems like all of us on the No. 00 team have been communicating better than we ever have before. The communication is better as a team and everyone is working together and making smart changes.
“Sometimes you get into a situation at the racetrack where the car isn’t very good and you just kind of throw stuff at it and we haven’t done that lately. We’ve been making really smart changes and making the car better every time.
“David (Reutimann) is giving better feedback than he ever has, so while luck hasn’t gone our way and we’ve had some mechanical deals, as far as the team being where it needs to be - we are where we need to be. It’s just that we pretty much gave away two top-fives in the last two races, so that’s a little hard to take. We should be fourth in points and instead we’re 24th, so we have to work hard and fight back.”
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN THE CHARLOTTE TEST: “There is a lot of things that we need to work through. We don’t ever really get a chance to test on an intermediate track that we actually race on with the tires we run on and all that kind of stuff, so it’s a pretty important test for everybody. We’ve got a lot of things that we’ve been wanting to try, so it’s important from that stand point. We want to get used to working with the new spoiler and trying to see what impact that’ll have on the racing.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann is scheduled to visit the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Center during the open test session on Wednesday at 12:20 p.m.
· Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 00 Toyota Camry is featuring TUMS as the primary sponsor at Martinsville Speedway, the second of five primary paint schemes this season. The TUMS Toyota made its debut at Las Vegas and also will appear at Chicago, New Hampshire-2 and Phoenix-2.
· In Atlanta, Reutimann snapped a streak of five consecutive top-15 finishes dating back to Phoenix of last year. During that span Reutimann recorded one top-five (fifth at Daytona) and two top-10s (Daytona; 10th at Phoenix ).
· Reutimann ended his streak of 44 consecutive races without a DNF at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7th. Reutimann retired to the garage just past the half-way point of the Kobalt Tools 500 while racing in the sixth position. It was the longest active streak in the Sprint Cup Series. Prior to last week, Reutimann’s last DNF came on Oct. 5, 2008 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Aaron’s, Inc. to honor BCS national champion Alabama with custom nascar paint scheme
Aaron’s Crimson Tide-Themed No. 00 Sprint Cup Dream Machine to Race at Talladega
ATLANTA (Jan. 8, 2010) – Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) proudly announced today it will honor the new BCS National Champion University of Alabama with a commemorative Crimson Tide-themed NASCAR paint scheme. The Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) No. 00 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, to be driven by David Reutimann, will make its on-track debut April 25 in the Aaron’s 499 race at Talladega Superspeedway.
As a corporate sponsor of Alabama and the University of Texas, Aaron’s supports both teams and wanted to celebrate the winner no matter who it turned out to be. With Alabama’s win, the racecar is sure to be a fan favorite as it will feature the school’s trademark Crimson and the official national championship logo when competing at the school’s home racetrack.
“Aaron’s couldn’t be more proud that two of its partner universities were represented in this year’s national championship game,” said Robin Loudermilk, Chief Executive Officer of Aaron’s, Inc. “While Alabama clinched the title, Texas put up a tough fight making the game one of the most outstanding in BCS history. We are honored and excited to take Alabama’s triumph a step further with the opportunity to put this commemorative racecar in victory lane at our race in Talladega.”
The program will kick off at the University of Alabama A-Day game scheduled for April 17 where the racecar will be unveiled and displayed prior to the football game. The car will then move on to Talladega Superspeedway for the Aaron’s Dream Weekend, before starting a tour throughout the state making stops at select Aaron’s stores.
Fans and collectors can pre-order limited edition 1/24-scale collectable die cast replicas of the racecar at Aaron’s stores nationwide starting January 22. Quantities are limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The replicas are expected to arrive in stores by the middle of May. For more information, details about how to pre-order and Aaron’s store locations, visit www.shopaarons.com.
GATORADE DUELS AT DAYTONA
2/11/2010
Race Results
David Reutimann finished ninth and will start the Daytona 500 in 26th.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
· Reutimann, in a backup car, started at the rear of the field and quickly worked his way to 12th in the first 10 laps.
· Reutimann climbed to 10th by the lap 28 caution.
· Reutimann reported that the car started slow, but was fast on the bottom later in the run.
· The Aaron’s Dream Machine pitted for four tires, fuel and returned to the track in 12th.
· The No. 00 Toyota needs work on sucking up in the draft.
· Reutimann, Truex and Marcos Ambrose drafted together several times during the race.
QUOTE: “That was a big race for Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing. Congrats to Michael and the No. 51 NAPA guys! I know it means a lot to Michael and to NAPA for the No. 51 to get into the show. Daytona has played such a big part in his career and I know that he didn’t want to go out like that, so I know there is a big sense of relief on their part.
The Aaron’s team also did a great job. Our car wasn’t as good as we’d have liked starting out, but it kept getting better during the longer runs. We need to work on our Camry a little to make sure that we can get it to suck up in the draft to the car in front of it, but I’m sure we’ll get that fixed up and be ready to race on Sunday.”
DAYTONA 500
2/14/2010
Race Results
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota - Finished fifth.
NSCS RACE NOTES:
· Jamie McMurray won the 52nd annual Daytona 500 over Dale Earnhardt Jr. who drove from 10th to second in the final two laps.
· Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Reutimann rounded out the top five.
· Race ended after two attempted green-white-checkered finishes and ended on lap 207.
· NASCAR red flagged the race for and parked the cars on pit lane around the lap 123-mark for an hour and 46 minutes to repair about an 18-inch hole between turns one and two.
· A second red flag with about 40 laps remaining to repair the hole lasted 46 minutes.
· The race was slowed by 9 cautions for a total of laps
· The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now travels to Fontana Speedway for Sunday’s 500-mile race.
NOTES AND QUOTES:
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
· Started 20th and finished fifth.
· Best career Daytona 500 finish as well as first top-10 on the restrictor plate track.
· Restarted in the top-10 on the final restart and worked his way to fifth in a frantic final two laps.
· Aaron’s team came very close to running out of fuel but Reutimann conserved just enough to finish.
· Raced in 20th at halfway mark.
· Capt. Johnathan Hillstrand of the Alaskan fishing boat Time Bandit from the Discovery Channel’s reality television show “Deadliest Catch” attended Sunday’s race and told Reutimann that Phil Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie, predicted Reutimann would win the Daytona 500 shortly before Harris died on Feb. 9. Reutimann’s Toyota carried C-post decal Sunday in honor of Harris.
· Sunday marked Reutimann’s 100th career start.
QUOTE: “It was an up and down day. We weren’t the best we didn’t feel like at various times, but all in all the car drove good and the guys made good pit stops. We just kind of got up there when it counted. Our car liked the outside so we just kept pounding away on it. Low and behold in the end the bottom seemed to be better for us in that last little bit. It ended up working out. The guys did a good job with good pit stops and it’s a good way to start the season. Those restarts were just killing us toward the end and we couldn’t do anything right and I couldn’t get in the right line and things kept getting messed up. Thankfully we got the Aaron’s Dream Machine where it needed to be when it counted and it ended up working out pretty well and I had a good run coming to the start-finish. I’m real proud of my guys. I have to thank Aaron’s, Tums and Best Western, Toyota and Toyota Racing Development because we had some good horsepower today. Top-five is a good way to start the season out.”
California - Auto Club Speedway
2/21/2010
Race Summary: The No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry charges into 2010 with back-to-back top-15 finishes to start the season. Reutimann and crew were impressive in the early going of the Auto Club 500 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. as he carried momentum from his 11th place qualifying effort from Friday afternoon. Reutimann raced as high as seventh on lap 38 before coming to pit road under green flag conditions. The No. 00 team removed a rubber from the right rear that caused Reutimann to report a tight-handling condition following the stop. The team struggled to return the car to winning form following the adjustment, but managed to continue a solid effort over the remained of the race. Reutimann battled over the last 30 laps to move from 18th into the top-15.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
· Started 11th and finished 15th
· Reutimann immediately moved into the top-10 as the race went green and was up to ninth by lap 7
· Lap 29, Reutimann reports minor damage to the right rear after a brush with the wall
· The minor damage caused the No. 00 to be “loose off”
· Reutimann came to pit road on lap 38 under green for four tires and fuel in seventh position
· The No. 00 was back in the top-10 by lap 42 and in ninth by lap 52
· Came to pit road under caution on lap 58 to repair right rear fender, four tires, fuel and removed a rubber out of the right rear restarted 18th on lap 61
· Caution flew again on lap 94 as Reutimann reported a tight handling condition and said the rubber needed to be replaced in the right rear. Reutimann restarted 20th on lap 98
· By lap 125 Reutimann was passing Joey Logano and Kyle Busch for 13th
· Lap 139, the No. 00 comes to pit road for two tires and minor chassis adjustments
· Reutimann brushed the wall again on lap 147, but reported no damage. He reported that the No. 00 would not run the bottom line.
· On lap 151 crew chief Rodney Childers reported rain in the forecast, but still about 50 miles out.
· On lap 167 the No. 1 car runs into the back of the No. 00 causing minor damage, but both cars continue
· Reutimann comes to pit road early under green on lap 180 for four tires and fuel—restarts 24th.
· Rain caused a caution on lap 197 as Reutimann was in 19th
· After a short rain delay the No. 00 restarts 16th and moved up to 11th by lap 206
· On lap 210 the No. 00 and the No. 12 start beating banging as they battle for 12th position
· Reutimann restarted 13th on lap 230, but struggled on the restart to fall to 18th, before working his way back up to 15th.
QUOTE: "It's just disappointing. We started out OK in our Aaron's Dream Machine. For the better part of the day we were just okay. We made one adjustment there and the car just really, really didn't like it. That just got us behind a little bit. It just seemed like our car wouldn't get going on a restart. It was taking eight, 10, 12 laps for us to get going. A lot of the other guys were able to get out and get away from you. Overall I'd have to call today just a bit of a disappointment. I really felt like we were going to have a better car. We still have our Aaron's Dream Machine in one piece. Not a great finish, but an okay finish and now we'll go on to the next one."
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
2/28/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 TUMS Toyota Camry - Finished 13th - now ninth in points.
Race Summary: David Reutimann continued his exciting start to the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season posting a 13th-place finish Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Added to his fifth and 15th-place finishes in the first two races, today’s finish moves the Michael Waltrip Racing driver to ninth in the 2010 points race. The TUMS Toyota never ventured far outside the top 15 throughout the 267-lap race on the 1.5-mile oval. A blazing pace set by the leaders saw Reutimann fall off the lead lap in the final 60 laps of the race. But a timely caution with about 40 laps remaining enabled the Florida native to claim the Aaron’s Lucky Dog and return to the lead lap. Reutimann and the No. 00 return to action Sunday in Atlanta.
No. 00 TUMS Toyota
· Leader Jeff Gordon lapped Reutimann—who was tenth at the time he was lapped—on lap 211—only ten cars were on the lead lap at that point.
· He earned the Aaron’s Lucky Dog on lap 232.
· The No. 00 pit crew turned the second quickest time of all the cars pitting around the 200-lap mark.
· Sunday marked Reutimann’s 102nd Sprint Cup race. He finished fourth here in 2009.
· David Reutimann and the No. 00 TUMS Toyota were named the Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race
QUOTE: “We just seemed to be off today. There were times we got the TUMS Toyota pretty decent but it seemed like track position was everything. The guys did a great job on pit road. We had some great pit stops. We worked on the car and made it better. We just couldn’t get up to where we needed to be. We’d give up something at the start of a run then gain it back in the end. At the end of the race, we didn’t have the amount of laps we needed to try to put together anything that would have been pretty good so we ended up 13th.”
RACE NOTES:
· Jimmie Johnson passed teammate Jeff Gordon in the closing laps to win his second consecutive race.
· Kevin Harvick finished second and Gordon third followed by Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth
· Leaders lapped all but 12 cars in the first 200 laps.
· A caution with 35 laps remaining saw nine drivers take the wave around pass and get back on lead lap.
· Several drivers served pass through penalties for speeding on pit lane.
· Race experienced two cautions for malfunctioning caution lights. Track cooled throughout the race posing handling challenges to the race teams.
· The race featured 18 lead changes among nine drivers
· The race lasted approximately two hours, 50 minutes
· NASCAR’s estimated race attendance was announced at 150,000
ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
3/7/2010
Race Summary: Tough luck spoils what was looking to be an outstanding day for David Reutimann and the No. 00 Mitsubishi Electric/Aaron’s Dream Machine. Reutimann started the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in ninth and experienced a difficult handling condition that dropped the No. 00 to the 26th position within the first 30 laps. When Reutimann came to pit road on lap 36 Rodney Childers called for several adjustments that made the car come to life on the restart. Reutimann soon found himself back among the top-10 and battling to crack the top-five on the restart on lap 164. Reutimann soon began to experience overheating which eventually ended his day prematurely.
David Reutimann, No. 00 Mitsubishi Electric/Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
· Reutimann started ninth and finished 38th
· Reutimann battled a handling issue that dropped him to 26th
· The No. 00 pit crew made adjustments under caution on lap 36 that helped the condition
· The No. 00 raced it’s way back through the field up to the sixth position by a restart on lap 164
· The No. 00 experienced overheating on lap 166 and retired from the race
· Today marked Reutimann’s first “Did Not Finish” since Oct. 5, 2008 at Talladega—the longest such streak in the Sprint Cup Series (44 races)
QUOTE: “It’s just a real frustrating deal. We had a good Mitsubishi Electric/Aaron’s Dream Machine and we were starting to have a pretty good day. The car wasn’t where we wanted it at the start of the race, but Rodney Childers and the crew kept working on it and got it up into the top-10 and we were closing in on the top-five. It turned what could have been a great day into a very disappointing day.”
Reutimann credits NASCAR for many special memories
Then there's one he'd like to forget as soon as possible
By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM
March 9, 2010
There is nothing David Reutimann enjoys more in life than cranking tunes and working on race cars.
Since he has others who prepare the No. 00 Toyota he drives in the Sprint Cup Series for Michael Waltrip Racing these days, that means he spends his leisure time in his own shop preparing dirt cars for his father, the legendary Buzzie Reutimann.
David talked this past weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway about his taste in music, his distate for watching NASCAR.COM's Dave Rodman attempt to eat a 6-pound burrito, and about turning 40 years old on March 2, among other things.
FULL STORY HERE
No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
FOOD CITY 500 — Bristol Motor Speedway
3/21/2010
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CORNELIUS, N.C. — David Reutimann plans to begin a new consistency streak this weekend when the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine races at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Michael Waltrip Racing team owned a 44-race streak of consecutive finishes—the longest in Sprint Cup competition—before a mechanical issues forced the No. 00 to retire to the garage with a 40th-place finish in Atlanta. Reutimann said the team’s history of consistency will be key in moving back into the top 12. The Florida native also weighed in on the hotly debated topic of driver retaliation and payback that has dominated the news of late.
DID YOU KNOW: Reutimann and the No. 00 team have finished 20th or better in 15 of the last 18 NSCS races. Prior to Atlanta, the last time the No. 00 team had a finish of 30th or worse was a 36th-place finish on July 4, 2009 at Daytona (31 races), when the team was involved in a wreck on lap 75. The last time Reutimann recorded a finish of 40th or worse was June 22, 2008 at Infineon (59 races) —also due to a wreck on lap 101.
QUOTES:
REUTIMANN ON BOUNCING BACK AT BRISTOL: “I think we can just continue to try to be consistent and make good calls. For instance in Atlanta, when we started off the car was not very good at all, but Rodney (Childers) and the guys kept working on it, had great pit stops and was able to move back up and get inside the top 10 before we ran into trouble. So if we can keep doing things like that we should be able to work our way back into the top 10. We fell from ninth in points all the way to 18th because the points are so tight. We’ve got to go and get back after it and get back in the top 12 and try to stay there for the rest of the year.”
REUTIMANN ON RETALIATION AND PAYBACKS: “After something happens and its your fault, you go down there and talk to the guy and say you're sorry, that's all fine. But chances are, you've got something coming. As a matter of fact, myself getting into Sam Hornish last year at Texas causing him to get into Jimmie Johnson, again, called and talked to both of those guys; that's a bad day when you've got to make two phone calls to apologize to two different guys. And again, you do all the apologies and do all that stuff, but in the back of your mind, you know, well, if those guys hammer on me or something happens, I brought it on myself; I've got it coming, deal with it, suck it up and know, at least after the fact, you're even at that point and you shouldn't have to worry about it anymore.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann chose “The Game” by Motorhead as his introduction song prior to Sunday’s Food City 500. Motörhead is a British rock power trio well-known in the professional wrestling community for performing “The Game” as the entrance music for popular WWE wrestler Triple H.
· In Atlanta, Reutimann snapped a streak of five consecutive top-15 finishes dating back to Phoenix of last year. During that span Reutimann recorded one top-five (fifth at Daytona) and two top-10s (Daytona; 10th at Phoenix ).
· Prior to the Kobalt Tools 500, David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota had finished 25 of the last 28 races on the lead lap. The last time Reutimann had a non-lead lap finish was Nov. 8 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he finished one lap down.
· Reutimann ended his streak of 44 consecutive races without a DNF at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7th. Reutimann retired to the garage just past the half-way point of the Kobalt Tools 500 while racing in the sixth position. It was the longest active streak in the Sprint Cup Series. Prior to last week, Reutimann’s last DNF came on Oct. 5, 2008 at Talladega Superspeedway.
· Aaron’s, sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish. Follow Aarons on Twitter (@AaronsSports) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/AaronsSports)
BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
3/21/2010
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry - Finished 38th - now 24th in points.
Race Summary: Tough luck spoiled outstanding day for David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine. Reutimann started the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in 10th and quickly moved into the top-five and made a pass of pole winner Joey Logano by lap 75. By lap 108, Reutimann made a pass on eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson for second place and had his sights set on the leader Kurt Busch. Then on lap 114, while gaining on leader Busch, Reutimann radioed to say something under the hood broke. Reutimann brought the No. 00 to pit road where the No. 00 determined the damage was too great to continue. The No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine retired behind the wall for the remainder of the race and a 38th place finish. Crew Chief Rodney Childers told Reutimann “you would have won this race today.”
David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
· Reutimann started 10th and finished 38th
· Reutimann immediately began to moving to the front of the field, cracking the top-five by lap 70
· The No. 00 pit crew only made minor adjustments on pit road as Reutimann's car was gaining on the leaders
· Reutimann pass eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson for second position on lap 108
· The No. 00 experienced a mechanical issue on lap 114 and retired from the race
· Crew Chief Rodney Childers told Reutimann “you would have won this race today.”
REUTIMANN QUOTE: What happened that took you out of the race?
“Something broke and we’re done. Really disappointing, but I have to thank Aaron’s and everybody at Michael Waltrip Racing – everybody at Toyota and Toyota Racing Development. They have been building me great motors all year and stuff happens sometimes -- just happened to be our turn today. Disappointing, but what are you going to do? I felt like we had a really good car and this was not the way we wanted to finish. My team did an outstanding job. This was the best thing I ever drove here, by far. I think my mouth hurts from smiling so much – it was just that much fun. We’ll have to do it again next time we come back.”
RACE NOTES:
· Jimmie Johnson won the Food City 500 over Tony Stewart by 0.894 seconds.
· Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five
· The win is Johnson’s third of the year and 50th of his career.
· Kevin Harvick leads the point standings by one point over Matt Kenseth
· The race featured 10 cautions for 103 laps and lasted three hours and 21 minutes
· NASCAR estimated the race attendance at 138,000.
· The Sprint Cup Series will return at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va. on Sunday
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