Reutimann Collects First Ever Top-Five Sprint Cup Finish

Las Vegas, NV - David Reutimann drove his No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine to a fourth place finish Sunday in the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and collects his first career top-five finish for Michael Waltrip Racing and his sponsor Aaron’s. Reutimann and his team overcame a mysterious oil leak, a tight handling racecar and a late race fuel gamble to bring home a solid finish in the third race of the 2009 NASCAR season.

Qualifying fourth for the 285-lap event, Reutimann had to drop to the rear of the field for Sunday’s start because of an engine change after qualifying and took the green flag in 40th position. Reutimann and Crew Chief Rodney Childers planned to bring the Aaron’s Dream Machine into the pits for routine maintenance on lap 75 when Reutimann reported smoke in the cockpit.

Concerned about a fatal engine malfunction, the team carefully inspected under and around the engine compartment looking for the source of the smoke, but found nothing. After a series of stops under caution and several inspections, the smoke stopped and the Dream Machine kept racing. The crew speculated that there was a small amount of overflow oil that made its way onto the manifold that produced the smoke, but it never was an issue after that one incident.

The Dream Machine was fast early in the race and Reutimann had moved up to 20th by lap-100 and broke into the top-fifteen on lap 122. The Dream Machine was tight under throttle coming out of the turns and requested more front grip at each pit stop. Crew Chief Rodney Childers ordered air pressure tweaks and slight chassis adjustments to help during each exceptional pit stop, but the issue would plague the Dream Machine throughout the race.

Taking only two tires during a pit stop late in the race put the Aaron’s Dream Machine into fifth with 58 laps remaining. The team’s fuel mileage calculator predicted that the 00 would run out of fuel on the last lap of the race, so Reutimann was ordered to try to save as much fuel as he could while driving under caution. Reutimann would switch the engine off and coast down the backstretch to save as much as he could before the green flag dropped again on lap 227.

Racing from fifth to fourth and keeping pace with those ahead of him, the fuel calculator estimated that there would be enough fuel to finish the race if it stayed green for the remainder of the race. The gamble may very well have paid off as those ahead of Reutimann were expected to have to stop for fuel to make it.

Unfortunately a caution flag came out on lap 258 and erased that strategy as everyone pitted for tires and fuel.

Reutimann would hang tough for the rest of the race and take the checkered flag in the fourth position. The best finish in his three-year Cup career. The finish vaulted Reutimann and the team from 12th to fifth in the championship owner points race.

“We had a great Aaron’s Dream Machine all weekend. Having a great qualifying run then overcoming our issues with starting 40th and driving to the front, dealing with the oil leak, then playing the fuel mileage game toward the end it really shows how solid this team is.” Reutimann stated after the race. “It’s such a team effort. From Aaron’s being on board all year, Toyotas support to Rodney Childers and the guys. We had great pit stops and everything was in place to run up front. For a young organization, I’m really proud of what we have done.”

Aaron’s received tremendous exposure throughout the weekend with television and radio interviews, inclusion in a pre-race skit on FOX, and exceptional race coverage as Reutimann drove the Dream Machine through the field to the front. Aaron’s also hosted C.O.O Ken Butler, several divisional V.P.’s and local associates who attended the races and enjoyed some time with Aaron’s drivers throughout the weekend.

Reutimann and the No. 00 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron’s Dream Machine will race next Sunday, March 8 in the Kobalt 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Waltrip Finishes 27th in Las Vegas After An Accident

Las Vegas, NV – Michael Waltrip and the NAPA Racing team experienced a tough day on the job Sunday at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. On lap 163 of 285, Waltrip’s car made contact with the turn four wall. His Toyota Camry sustained damage to the rear of the car. The contact put the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota down a lap, but the driver was able to hold on to salvage a 27th-place finish.

“We missed a good opportunity,” said Waltrip who qualified his NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry in 15th position. “I hate it that we wrecked. I have got to be tougher mentally. I drove the car too hard when it was risky. I shouldn’t have done that.

“I figured our car would be tight like it was in California, but this car reacted very differently. The Vegas car had some serious speed when we were up there in the hunt so that’s good. We’ll just have to regroup from this and go to Atlanta where I know we can run well.”

Jimmie Johnson led the 43-car field to the green flag for the Shelby 427 since the pole sitter, Kyle Busch, had to drop to the back of the field after losing an engine during Friday’s practice session. Waltrip got to line up in 11th after several other cars had to go to the back as well. Throughout the entire race, the NAPA team battled a very tight-handling Toyota Camry. A series of pit stops on laps 53, 61, 75 and 96 were completed. Crew chief Bootie Barker made air pressure adjustments during each service to help free up the car. During this segment, Waltrip ran as high as 10th and as low a 20th.

At the 100-lap mark, the NAPA Toyota Camry was scored in 19th position and Greg Biffle was the leader. The tight-handling condition remained so more air pressure adjustments were made on lap 124 under caution. The race returned green on lap 131 with Waltrip in 17th and Johnson back in the top spot. Despite the NAPA team’s effort, the car’s balance did not change. Barker opted to take one more shot at air pressure changes on lap 139 after Reed Sorenson brought out the yellow flag. Barker informed his driver that a track bar change was in the works if the car did not improve. Unfortunately, Waltrip lost control of his car on lap 163 to bring out the ninth caution of the race. The pit crew went to work on lap 165 and 166 to make repairs. The NAPA Toyota Camry restarted the race on lap 168 in 30th position, one lap down to the leader, Jeff Burton.

“Something was wrong with our car besides the tight condition,” elaborated Waltrip. “My car was bouncing up and down so bad that it was tough to see and it was like my steering wheel was being pulled out of my hands. I don’t know what caused it. The guys will have to study the car to find out exactly what went wrong.”

Despite Waltrip’s tough day and final result of 27th place, two laps down, Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) still had two solid performances. David Reutimann scored his first top-five of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career and Marcos Ambrose finished 20th. MWR currently has two top-12 teams in The Chase. Reutimann moves up seven positions to fifth place. Waltrip drops five spots to 12th.

Winning the Shelby 427 was Toyota driver Kyle Busch. His victory marked the 13th of his career. All 13 of his wins have come at 13 different tracks. Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Clint Bowyer, Burton, Reutimann, Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon, Biffle, Brian Vickers, Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Next up for Waltrip and his NAPA Racing team is the Kobalt Tools 500 at NAPA’s home track, the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia. Broadcast coverage gets underway Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX. It can also be heard on PRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite Radio starting at 1:00 p.m.

Reutimann Previews Las Vegas

BREAK ISSUE AT CALIFORNIA

“It was frustrating,” said Reutimann. “We had a really good car from the time we unload the Aaron’s Dream Machine to qualifying. We had a great qualifying run, but we had to change the motor causing us to start in the back. We got the car up front pretty well when the brakes began to fade. Normally the brakes would not be a problem at a track this size. We definitely could have finished better than we did and that cost us a top-10. Given the situation the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine still came out with a decent finish.”

HANGING OUT ON THE WEST COAST

“I have been on the west coast a little over a week,” said Reutimann. First with the race in California, then I went out to Phoenix for an appearance, and now I am here in Vegas for the race this weekend. Friday I have an appearance at a newer Aaron’s store. There won’t be any gambling for me, it’s just not my thing. I have never really had much luck with it; I would rather give my money away to charity instead of to a machine. At least I can feel good about where my money is going. As for preparation, the crew will be preparing the car and I will be in contact with Rodney the crew chief to discuss some ideas and come up with a game plan for the race this weekend. Then it will be time to unload the Aaron’s Dream Machine.

EXPECTATIONS FOR VEGAS

“Vegas has not been very good for me,” said Reutimann. “I have not had a lot of luck at this track. Last year, I had a bang up early in the race and didn’t finish well. In the Nationwide series last season, the car was running well for most of the race. We had a mishap during the race and just was not able to ever get back up towards the front. I hope to be able to turn that around this year. We have a better program this season and Rodney and the guys have been doing a great job so far; we should be able to have a stronger finish this time around.

NEW CHALLENGES AT VEGAS

“The new surface at Vegas will be somewhat of a challenge this weekend,” said Reutimann. Vegas is a fast track where you race on hard tires. The hard tires are not very forgiving making it difficult to get a hold of. The challenges at this track are nothing out of the ordinary. Each and every track has its own challenges you adjust to each week.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE REST OF THE SEASON

“At this point, I really am looking forward each race in the Sprint Cup series,” said Reutimann. We have had a solid start for the 2009 season and I look forward to each week. We have a strong program this year and Rodney and the guys are great to work with. Having Aaron’s on board with us all season, makes it even more exciting. I know we can do great things this year.”

CHASSIS INFORMATION

The primary chassis for the Shelby 427 is #625. This is a new car for the 2009 season. The backup car will be #608; this was a good car for David in the 2008 season.

RACE INFORMATION

Catch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Shelby 427 on Sunday, March 1st at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Watch the race live on FOX at 3:30 pm EST. 

Shelby 427 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway NAPA Racing Preview

How happy are you to have left Fontana with a top-15 finish?

“I am really proud of my team and what we were able to accomplish at the Auto Club 500. I was nervous heading into this past race weekend because last year, we couldn’t pass a soul. We were terrible. While we got off to a great start at Daytona this month, I knew California would be more indicative to what we would see throughout the course of this season. I believe we have passed an important test. We were really strong throughout the early and middle stages of the race. We started the Auto Club 500 in the last spot and we were able to drive up through the field and pretty much stay on the lead lap. We were able to gain a lot of ground. I am really proud of Bootie (Barker) and the guys and what we were able to accomplish in California. As for my other two drivers, Marcos Ambrose and David Reutimann had good races too so all three teams are off to a good start.”

Do you still like what you see with the new car especially after you drove your Nationwide car this past weekend?

“Absolutely. I really believe this new car is great for racing. The car we are racing now in Cup is a much better race car. Guys can do more stuff by driving them than they could with the old car because the old car was so aero dependant. Now, we are not really leaning on the air that much. We are working on set ups, springs and shocks. It isn’t quite as dramatic when you get behind cars. It makes for much better racing.”

What can we expect to see this weekend at Las Vegas?

“Las Vegas Motor Speedway is really fun to race on. Granted, everyone likes the way the garage is set up. It is very fan friendly. But the best part I like about Las Vegas Motor Speedway is it provides for really good racing. You can go three wide. You can race all over the track. There is a lot of speed out there so it provides for plenty of side-by-side racing. You go to Vegas to do the shows and have fun and when they throw the green flag on Sunday, you are going to see another good show. Plus, it’s always nice to see Wayne Newton and the showgirls in victory lane.”

What does it take to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

“When you look at the teams who have been successful, you’ve got Hendrick and Roush. Predominantly, those two teams have been the only ones to have been able to figure Vegas out. When you take those teams into consideration, they are basically going to have nine cars out there. That’s about a quarter of the field that you are going to have to beat. It’s very difficult to overcome those super teams, but it’s not impossible. It’s my plan to take them on and beat them.”
 
 
MICHAEL WALTRIP FAST FACTS

NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will start in his 728th NASCAR Sprint Cup race when he competes in the Shelby 427 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

He will start in his 11th race at LVMS. His best start at the 1.5-mile track is 2nd (March 7, 1999) and best finish is 3rd (March 2, 2003).

During his career at the 1.5-mile oval, Waltrip has earned one top-5 and one top-10 finish. His average start is 16th and average finish is 23rd.

Waltrip has completed 2,438 of 2,554 laps (95.5%) at the track and has led a total of 18 laps in competition.

The NAPA AUTO PARTS team is guaranteed a starting spot in the Shelby 427. The team finished 29th in the owner points standings in 2008. Currently, Waltrip ranks seventh in the driver and owner points standings.