David Reutimann - Sprint All-Star Race Preview

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.

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).