CONCORD, N.C. (June 26, 2009) - - On Wednesday, July 1st, at 11 a.m. ET, David Reutimann and his No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry crew chief Rodney Childers will become proud owners of a pair of 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustangs. The keys to each car will be presented to them by Rob Kauffman, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing and owner of RK Collection LLC in Concord.
How did these guys get so lucky? On the night of qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, Reutimann and Childers made a bet with Kauffman. If the two were able to bring home the Coca-Cola 600 trophy from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Kauffman would allow both of them to take home one trophy muscle car from his RK Collection auto restoration shop.
“We were having our engineering meeting after qualifying at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and I had parked a freshly restored green Shelby Mustang outside the coach that the guys at RK Collection had just finished, and I was driving the car around to test it,” Kauffman said. “David Reutimann, Michael Waltrip, Rodney Childers and the rest of the team files into the coach for their engineering and crew chief meeting after the garage closed. They sit down and Rodney turns to me while I’m making a sandwich and says, 'So Rob, if we get the trophy on Sunday, is the car outside mine?' The room went totally silent. Never making a bet I’m not happy to lose, I said, ‘done’. David then perks up and says, 'Hey, what about me?' I said, 'Well, we are just finishing a blue one so you can have that one if you win.'
“They asked, ‘Are you serious?',” Kauffman continued. “Then it became a running joke all weekend. The pit crew said, ‘Oh sure, Rodney will get a car and all we get is lunch.’ When everyone came to RK two days later, Rodney would tell everyone, ‘This car is mine’. Frank Kerr came over and said, ‘I like the Corvette - if we win [the No. 47 of Marcos Ambrose] can I have that one?.’ Sunday came and the race was rained out and we all know what happened on Monday. For me, a deal is a deal.”
On Monday, May 25th, Reutimann was declared a first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner and presented with the coveted Coca-Cola 600 trophy. As Kauffman was boarding a plane to Europe simultaneously, he received a call from Victory Lane.
“I was on a plane when Cal (Wells) handed the phone over to Rodney,” Kauffman said. “Rodney said, ‘My wife already left, so I need a ride home.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry it’s yours’. Then I asked David, 'Do you want it or not and he was like, ‘Well ya know…’. He was being coy about it and just being David. The next week when he won the pole at Dover, I texted him and told him to make room in his garage.”
"He was serious," Childers added. "When I saw the car sitting outside the coach that night, I told him that I was ready to wheel and deal for the car. If we delivered the Coca-Cola 600 trophy, the car would be mine. Rob didn't hesitate and made the deal.'"
Childers took Kauffman seriously, but Reutimann is still in the state of disbelief that he to will receive one.
"When Rodney said that Rob showed no hesitation," Reutimann said. "I thought if we are going to win this race, I said 'What about me? What do I get?' Rob said, 'Do you want the blue one?’ My response was 'Well, heck yeah!' I was just joking around and then we won the race. I kind of cheated off of Rodney when he said he wanted a car. Then I didn't feel right about the deal because I was piggybacking off of what Rodney said. We hadn't really talked much more about it since then and I know Rodney's getting one on Tuesday. I wasn't aware of anything else of me being involved until I was told that I need to be at RK Collection next week. Although, Rob did send me a text in Dover that said make room for that Mustang after I won the pole. So, I don't know. It just seems too amazing to be true. It just seems unreal."
Kauffman will hand over the two sets of keys on Wednesday - one set to Childers and one to Reutimann. He is also extending an invitation to media to attend and have lunch at RK Collection LLC, which is home of the finest and collectable muscle cars, exotics and motorcycles. RK Collection LLC is located at 7975 Westwinds Blvd NW in Concord.
How did these guys get so lucky? On the night of qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, Reutimann and Childers made a bet with Kauffman. If the two were able to bring home the Coca-Cola 600 trophy from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Kauffman would allow both of them to take home one trophy muscle car from his RK Collection auto restoration shop.
“We were having our engineering meeting after qualifying at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and I had parked a freshly restored green Shelby Mustang outside the coach that the guys at RK Collection had just finished, and I was driving the car around to test it,” Kauffman said. “David Reutimann, Michael Waltrip, Rodney Childers and the rest of the team files into the coach for their engineering and crew chief meeting after the garage closed. They sit down and Rodney turns to me while I’m making a sandwich and says, 'So Rob, if we get the trophy on Sunday, is the car outside mine?' The room went totally silent. Never making a bet I’m not happy to lose, I said, ‘done’. David then perks up and says, 'Hey, what about me?' I said, 'Well, we are just finishing a blue one so you can have that one if you win.'
“They asked, ‘Are you serious?',” Kauffman continued. “Then it became a running joke all weekend. The pit crew said, ‘Oh sure, Rodney will get a car and all we get is lunch.’ When everyone came to RK two days later, Rodney would tell everyone, ‘This car is mine’. Frank Kerr came over and said, ‘I like the Corvette - if we win [the No. 47 of Marcos Ambrose] can I have that one?.’ Sunday came and the race was rained out and we all know what happened on Monday. For me, a deal is a deal.”
On Monday, May 25th, Reutimann was declared a first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner and presented with the coveted Coca-Cola 600 trophy. As Kauffman was boarding a plane to Europe simultaneously, he received a call from Victory Lane.
“I was on a plane when Cal (Wells) handed the phone over to Rodney,” Kauffman said. “Rodney said, ‘My wife already left, so I need a ride home.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry it’s yours’. Then I asked David, 'Do you want it or not and he was like, ‘Well ya know…’. He was being coy about it and just being David. The next week when he won the pole at Dover, I texted him and told him to make room in his garage.”
"He was serious," Childers added. "When I saw the car sitting outside the coach that night, I told him that I was ready to wheel and deal for the car. If we delivered the Coca-Cola 600 trophy, the car would be mine. Rob didn't hesitate and made the deal.'"
Childers took Kauffman seriously, but Reutimann is still in the state of disbelief that he to will receive one.
"When Rodney said that Rob showed no hesitation," Reutimann said. "I thought if we are going to win this race, I said 'What about me? What do I get?' Rob said, 'Do you want the blue one?’ My response was 'Well, heck yeah!' I was just joking around and then we won the race. I kind of cheated off of Rodney when he said he wanted a car. Then I didn't feel right about the deal because I was piggybacking off of what Rodney said. We hadn't really talked much more about it since then and I know Rodney's getting one on Tuesday. I wasn't aware of anything else of me being involved until I was told that I need to be at RK Collection next week. Although, Rob did send me a text in Dover that said make room for that Mustang after I won the pole. So, I don't know. It just seems too amazing to be true. It just seems unreal."
Kauffman will hand over the two sets of keys on Wednesday - one set to Childers and one to Reutimann. He is also extending an invitation to media to attend and have lunch at RK Collection LLC, which is home of the finest and collectable muscle cars, exotics and motorcycles. RK Collection LLC is located at 7975 Westwinds Blvd NW in Concord.
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ReplyDeleteThey should drive the crap they're selling. Go find a "classic" Toyota and drive that.
ReplyDeleteCongrats and enjoy your new cars, don't pay any attention to the other comment. All cars are cool no matter who the maker is. Drive what you want and enjoy boys!!!
ReplyDeleteSome people are always grumpy and you know who you are
ReplyDelete