CORNELIUS, N.C. — David Reutimann is off to the best start of his Sprint Cup Series career. Reutimann made a late race charge from 12th to fifth over the final two laps to secure his best-career finish in the Daytona 500. The fifth-place result is a career-best restrictor plate finish and sixth career top-five. This weekend Reutimann is racing in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
QUOTES
ON BEING THE FIRST DRIVER TO 100 CUP SERIES STARTS IN A TOYOTA CAMRY: “Wow, I’ve never really thought about it, but that’s really something to be proud of. All but one of my starts in the Cup Series has come in a Camry. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs since the beginning, but Toyota has always been a great partner for Michael Waltrip Racing and without them I don’t know if we’d be where we are today. We’re just getting started on our fourth-full season on the racetrack and we’ve all got a little better each year. I’m really hoping that this year is going to be my best year yet, because I know of at least one more thing that I’d like to be the first Toyota driver to do in the Sprint Cup Series - win a championship.”
ON CHARGING FROM 12TH TO FIFTH AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500: “I thought that was pretty great. To be honest it was all kind of a blur there at the end, but it was a pretty good run through the pack. We struggled a little on the last couple restarts and it seemed that I just couldn’t get in the right line at the right time and I was starting to get frustrated. Then right before the final restart Rodney (Childers) came over the radio and told me that Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. was either going to win the race or wreck the field trying, so stay on his bumper and let’s see what happens. That’s just what I did. I stayed on his bumper and pushed as hard as I could. Maybe if I’d pushed just a little harder Dale Jr. would be wearing a brand new Aaron’s hat this weekend as my new biggest fan.”
ON RACING IN CALIFORNIA: “Don’t get me wrong, I love Daytona and Speedweeks and everything that goes with that race, but it’s hard to tell who’s going to be fast once we take the restrictor plates off. The race in California is that first real test. When we show up at California on a two-mile racetrack to race and practice it’s when you start to see who put on their big boy pants and came ready to race. This race is also a big race for Michael Waltrip Racing, since Toyota Racing Development is based in Torrence, Calif. We want to show everyone that our Toyota Camry’s are going to be some of the best cars on the racetrack every single week.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann is making his 100th Sprint Cup start in a Toyota Camry this weekend at Auto Club Speedway - the most of any driver. Dave Blaney is second (98) and Brian Vickers is third (96).
· Reutimann has the most starts (259) in a Toyota (Camry and Tundra) since Toyota entered NASCAR competition in 2004. Reutimann has 99 Cup Series, 84 Nationwide and 76 Truck Series starts - and will add two more this weekend as he races double-duty in the Cup and Nationwide races at Auto Club Speedway.
· Reutimann’s fifth-place result last week is his career best in the Daytona 500 and restrictor plate finish. He was the highest finishing Toyota driver placing just ahead of MWR teammate Martin Truex Jr. who finished sixth.
· Aaron’s, proud 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)
· In 2009, Reutimann recorded his first NSCS win (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and established career-bests in pole positions (two, Texas-1 and Dover-1) top-five (five) and top-10 (10) finishes and final championship driver point standings (16th).
· Last season, Reutimann ranked third in the NSCS in laps completed (10,408/10,492, 99.2%). Only Ryan Newman and Tony Steward (tied for the most at 10,468 laps) completed more laps. The No. 00 finished on the lead lap in 28 of the 36 NSCS point races and finished four races just one lap down in 2009.
QUOTES
ON BEING THE FIRST DRIVER TO 100 CUP SERIES STARTS IN A TOYOTA CAMRY: “Wow, I’ve never really thought about it, but that’s really something to be proud of. All but one of my starts in the Cup Series has come in a Camry. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs since the beginning, but Toyota has always been a great partner for Michael Waltrip Racing and without them I don’t know if we’d be where we are today. We’re just getting started on our fourth-full season on the racetrack and we’ve all got a little better each year. I’m really hoping that this year is going to be my best year yet, because I know of at least one more thing that I’d like to be the first Toyota driver to do in the Sprint Cup Series - win a championship.”
ON CHARGING FROM 12TH TO FIFTH AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500: “I thought that was pretty great. To be honest it was all kind of a blur there at the end, but it was a pretty good run through the pack. We struggled a little on the last couple restarts and it seemed that I just couldn’t get in the right line at the right time and I was starting to get frustrated. Then right before the final restart Rodney (Childers) came over the radio and told me that Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. was either going to win the race or wreck the field trying, so stay on his bumper and let’s see what happens. That’s just what I did. I stayed on his bumper and pushed as hard as I could. Maybe if I’d pushed just a little harder Dale Jr. would be wearing a brand new Aaron’s hat this weekend as my new biggest fan.”
ON RACING IN CALIFORNIA: “Don’t get me wrong, I love Daytona and Speedweeks and everything that goes with that race, but it’s hard to tell who’s going to be fast once we take the restrictor plates off. The race in California is that first real test. When we show up at California on a two-mile racetrack to race and practice it’s when you start to see who put on their big boy pants and came ready to race. This race is also a big race for Michael Waltrip Racing, since Toyota Racing Development is based in Torrence, Calif. We want to show everyone that our Toyota Camry’s are going to be some of the best cars on the racetrack every single week.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann is making his 100th Sprint Cup start in a Toyota Camry this weekend at Auto Club Speedway - the most of any driver. Dave Blaney is second (98) and Brian Vickers is third (96).
· Reutimann has the most starts (259) in a Toyota (Camry and Tundra) since Toyota entered NASCAR competition in 2004. Reutimann has 99 Cup Series, 84 Nationwide and 76 Truck Series starts - and will add two more this weekend as he races double-duty in the Cup and Nationwide races at Auto Club Speedway.
· Reutimann’s fifth-place result last week is his career best in the Daytona 500 and restrictor plate finish. He was the highest finishing Toyota driver placing just ahead of MWR teammate Martin Truex Jr. who finished sixth.
· Aaron’s, proud 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)
· In 2009, Reutimann recorded his first NSCS win (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and established career-bests in pole positions (two, Texas-1 and Dover-1) top-five (five) and top-10 (10) finishes and final championship driver point standings (16th).
· Last season, Reutimann ranked third in the NSCS in laps completed (10,408/10,492, 99.2%). Only Ryan Newman and Tony Steward (tied for the most at 10,468 laps) completed more laps. The No. 00 finished on the lead lap in 28 of the 36 NSCS point races and finished four races just one lap down in 2009.
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I am praying for and expecting great things from this team this year.
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