MWR Atlanta Race Report

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry - finished 12th and now 20th in points.

 

David Reutimann, No. 00 AARON’S Outdoors Dream Machine Camry - finished 16th and now 16th in points.

Martin Truex Jr. Race Summary: No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. and his Michael Waltrip Racing team finished 12th Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Truex started sixth and ran in the top 10 throughout the 500-mile race running as high as second-place late in the race. The team’s 17th top-20 finish in 2010 keeps Truex 20th in the points race with 11 races remaining in the season. The Sprint Cup Series returns to action Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

•  Started sixth and finished 12th.
• Like most drivers battled a loose condition on long runs during the 325-lap race.
• Quick pit stops during the race gained Truex several spots.
• Ran in the top 10 throughout the race and climbed to second with 61 laps to go.
• Restarted race in ninth with 25 laps remaining and moved to 8th with 18 laps to go.
• Fell to 12th fighting a tight handling condition on the final green flag run.

 TRUEX QUOTE: "The NAPA Toyota ran half the race in the top five so to finish in 12th is a little disappointing. We battled a tight condition on the short run and that hurt us on the final restart. On the long runs, we were loose. The NAPA Know How crew did a great job for me tonight; I just wish we would have gotten a better finish."

  

 

David Reutimann Race Summary: No. 00 Aaron’s Outdoors Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann overcame an early-race black flag that dropped him two laps behind the leader to finish 16th Sunday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Reutimann made an unscheduled green flag stop about a third of the way into the 500-mile race to reconnect the radio inside his Camry. He made up the first lap quickly and second of the two laps with less than 30 laps left in the race. Reutimann had little time to pass lead lap cars but he gained about six positions over the final laps for the 16th-place finish. Reutimann moves to 16th in the point’s race. The Michael Waltrip Racing team and the Sprint Cup Series return to action Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

  

David Reutimann, No. 00 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE Toyota Camry

•  Started 13th and finished 16th
• Fell to 19th in the first 50 laps due to ill-handling car but climbed back to 14th.
• NASCAR black-flagged Reutimann on lap 105 to reconnect his car radio.
• The unscheduled stop dropped him two laps down to leaders.
• Took the wave-around on lap 148 and immediately regained one lost lap at the next caution.
• Raced hard a lap down for most of the race before getting the second lap back with 30 laps remaining.
• Restarted the race in 22nd with 25 laps remaining and worked his way to 16th when the checkered flag fell.

 REUTIMANN QUOTE: "That was just a long night. We had an issue with the radio early on and I couldn't hear the spotter or crew chief, so NASCAR black flagged us and we ended up two laps down. We got one back pretty quick, but it took us almost all night to finally get the lucky dog and get back on the lead lap. And once we finally got back on the lead lap we were almost out of time to make up any significant ground. It was a pretty frustrating night, but I'm proud of my guys. They gave me a great Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota. We just never had the opportunity to show how good the car was after the deal with the radio. That was a tough night. Hopefully we can do a little better next week in Richmond."

 

 RACE NOTES:

 

Tony Stewart edged Carl Edwards by 1.3 seconds for his first victory since Kansas Speedway in October.

Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch comprised the top-five finishers

Race ran caution-free for the first 135 laps nearly equaling a track record.

The race last 3 hours and 55 minutes. Cautions slowed race slowed race eight times for 53 laps.

Twenty two lead changes among seven drivers.

NASCAR estimated attendance at 93,200.