David Reutimann Martinsville/Memphis Preview

Fan question of the week: Teema from Prince Edward Island, Canada asks, 'Where does Martinsville rate in your pick of short tracks and how do you think your short track program is going?' "All of the short tracks on the NASCAR schedule are tough but Martinsville ranks right up there at the top. I think we have a good short track program and we've raced well at almost all of them this year. Of course, we've have some bad luck in a few, so our results haven't shown how well we've preformed."

What was it like to race as sick as you were last week and are you feeling better? "After some rest and plenty of fluids, I feel much better. It didn't bother me while we were under green - you just don't focus on anything else except what’s happening on the track. Under caution is when it really hit me and I remembered how bad I was feeling. It was a tough night; one that I'm glad is over."

With Memphis and Martinsville on your schedule this weekend, what's it like to have to go back and forth between two cities, two different tracks and two different cars? "I've kind of grown accustom to doing it, since this will be our third year traveling to Memphis from another track. Everyone at MWR does a great job of getting everything set up, so all I have to do is jump on the helicopter and plane to get there on time. Trevor Bayne is going to be practicing and qualifying the No. 99 and I have faith that Trevor will have the Aaron's Dream Machine in great shape and ready to race."

You've had a lot of success at Memphis, averaging a top-5 over three races there plus a win. What do you like or what suits you about racing at that track? "I love racing at Memphis. For some reason, that track just forms to my driving style perfectly. I've had some awesome runs at Memphis, including my first Nationwide pole and win."

What's the challenge of racing at Martinsville and how is it different from other short tracks? "First of all it's the only track we compete on that's shaped like a paper-clip and has such sharp corners with little banking. Plus, it's not a very easy place to pass, so tempers can get a little testy. It's just a tough track all around."

What are your expectations and goals for this weekend at Martinsville? "My goal is to keep the fenders intact and stay out of trouble for 500 laps. We're not that far out of 13th, so we need to have some strong finishes in these last few races in the Aaron's Dream Machine."

2009 NSCS Points Standings: David Reutimann sits 16th, 130 points behind Matt Kenseth in 13th place.

Chassis Information: The No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine for this week is chassis No. 628. This Aaron's Dream Machine has run several races this year and scored several top finishes including an 8th at Phoenix, a 3rd at Pocono, and a 4th at Loudon. It was also used in the last Martinsville race where Reutimann was in the top-10 all day before a late-race accident.

Race Information: This weekend catch David Reutimann in both Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series action. On Saturday, Oct. 24 Reutimann will race the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine at Memphis Motorsports Park. Television coverage for the Kroger on Track for the Cure 250 will be provided by ESPN2 beginning at 3 p.m. Then he’ll climb into the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 25. Race coverage for the Tums Fast Relief 500 begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

A GUTSY PERFORMANCE: REUTIMANN FINISHES 15TH WHILE EXPERIENCING FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS

CONCORD, N.C. (October 17, 2009) – David Reutimann was ill all day Saturday to the point where Michael Waltrip Racing asked Dave Blaney to serve as relief driver should Reutimann need to get out of the car before the end of Saturday night’s Banking 500 only from Bank of America. But Reutimann refused to climb out of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine. Despite getting sick in the car on more than one occasion, Reutimann persevered and was able to gut out a 15th-place finish in his return to the track where he scored his first win earlier this season.

On Friday night David Reutimann felt a little under the weather before getting into his Nationwide car. But he felt fine during the race so he thought it had passed. Later that night Reutimann awoke to realize the ailment had not passed after all.

“I thought maybe I was just coming down with something or whatever and then last night about three or four in the morning I woke up feeling really bad,” explained Reutimann. “I got up today and it just got worse and worse. By one o’clock I was starting to wonder how things were going to go.”

But no matter how bad he felt throughout the day, Reutimann was determined to run the race on Saturday night.

“It doesn’t matter who you are, you never want to give up your ride,” said Reutimann. “Dave Blaney was there and I appreciate him coming down. Dave (Blaney) would do a tremendous job and probably would have run better than I did really. I waited my whole life to go Cup racing so as long as I still have a pulse, I’m going to stay in the car if I can, as long as it’s not going to affect the overall performance of the car. If I’m just not doing the job then I need to get out because it’s more than just me involved here, it’s a lot of other guys.”

After starting the race 21st, Reutimann quickly piloted the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine into the mid-teens where he would spend much of the race. On lap 35, crew chief Rodney Childers brought his driver into the pits for new tires and fuel, but the car was running so well that no adjustments were made to it.

By lap 74, however, the Dream Machine was starting to lose front grip so an air-pressure change was made on the next stop.

But Reutimann reported in that his car was still sliding the nose going into the corner and was really loose coming out of the turns.

Throughout the middle part of the race the Aaron’s team would continue to make adjustments to the No. 00 in an effort to get the handling under control. All the while their driver would battle his own illness as well as the car, admirably keeping the Aaron’s Dream Machine inside the top 15 and even as high as 10th by lap 195.

Then on lap 290 Reutimann averted a near disaster. While he was in the pits a caution came out. The team scrambled to get the Aaron’s Dream Machine serviced as quickly as possible and only went one lap down before receiving a wave-around to get back onto the lead lap.

When the checked flag dropped to end the agonizing evening for David Reutimann he was in the 15th position, a remarkable accomplishment for his condition.

“I’m one notch above death,” said an exhausted Reutimann. “With about 30 (laps) to go, we were struggling pretty bad. The yellows helped a little bit. The guys were able to keep fluids in me and stuff like that. I was having a hard time concentrating and kept getting sick. Getting sick in your helmet is not exactly – I wouldn’t recommend it if you can avoid it.

“Towards the end, the car got better and better as we went,” Reutimann continued. “The guys did a good job. They gave me a good car to drive and if it would have been something really, really bad then we wouldn’t have been remotely competitive so I’m really proud of my guys.”

Jimmie Johnson extended his points lead with another dominating victory. Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano completed the top-five.

Next weekend the Sprint Cup series returns to short-track action at Martinsville Speedway. ABC will provide television coverage for the Tums Fast Relief 500 beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET on October 25.

DAVID REUTIMANN CHARLOTTE PREVIEW

Fan question of the week: Amy from Winter Haven, FL asks, 'Since it is college football season and you're from a big college football state like Florida, do you have a rooting interest or have time to keep up with it?' "To be honest, I don't have that much time to keep up with it but I like to root for all of the teams in the state of Florida. If I had to say a team that I tend to follow more it would be the Florida Gators."

What do you like about racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway? "I like all mile and half tracks – they’re fast and you can race around to find different groves to get your car to handle better. And Lowe’s has been good to me. In addition to the win, my first top-10 in Sprint Cup was here in 2008 and I got my first start in a Sprint Cup car here back in 2005.”

How does it feel to know you're the returning champ at this track? "It feels awesome. It's special anytime you can say ‘defending winner’ and I'm proud to have that distinction this weekend with our Aaron's Dream Machine."

Is there more pressure racing in Charlotte because it's NASCAR's hometown and the family and friends of everyone from the drivers to the crew will be in attendance? "Sure, it gives the winner bragging rights. All the teams have employees that work at the shops that are able to bring their families, and everyone wants to show what they've accomplished."

Because everyone on the team lives in the Charlotte area how does that change the preparation this week? "Well, you get to sleep in your own bed for one thing. The work aspect doesn't change - everyone remains focused on their responsibilities heading into the weekend. But you don't have all the travel so you get to visit with friends and family longer."

Goals for this weekend: "I'd love to repeat as the winner in the Aaron's Dream Machine, but a solid top-five or top-ten would be nice too."

2009 NSCS Points Standings: Last week’s tough finish dropped Reutimann to 16th, but the gap to 13th place – the highest non-Chase driver – actually closed to just 87 points.

Chassis Information: The No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine for Fontana is chassis No. 638. This Aaron's Dream Machine ran at Chicago in July where it scored 12th and was driven to an impressive 4th-place finish at Atlanta in September.

Race Information: Watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in action at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 17. Race coverage for the NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America begins at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

REUTIMANN FIGHTS BACK TO FINISH 18TH AT FONTANA AFTER STARTING AT THE BACK

FONTANA, Calif. (October 11, 2009) – David Reutimann came into the Auto Club Speedway fresh off a top-10 finish at Kansas and looking to continue that success on a track where he’s run well in the past. On Friday it appeared he was well on his way, scoring the number two starting position. Unfortunately, the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine was found to have exceeded NASCAR's gas-level limit in the rear shocks. The resulting penalty put Dream Machine at the back of the field to start Sunday’s Pepsi 500. It would ultimately be a handicap too big to overcome as Reutimann was only able to work his way up to 18th before the checkered flag dropped.

Throughout the practice session on Friday David Reutimann struggled with his Aaron’s Dream Machine, posting the 26th fastest time. So the team regrouped and made several changes to the car before Saturday’s qualifying run. The changes seemed to work as Reutimann jumped up to the outside pole. The fast lap even surprised the driver a little.

"We weren't all that good in practice,” said Reutimann. “But I’m proud of my guys. They did a really great job. They beat on the car a little and made it a lot better."

However, the celebration would be short-lived. During the post-qualifying inspection NASCAR found the rear shocks did not meet the required specs. Knowing the issue wasn’t likely intentional, NASCAR tested the team’s shock equipment against their own and found that the gauge the Aaron’s team used to measure the shocks was off.

“The No. 00 team got a new gauge,” explained team owner Michael Waltrip. “We are responsible for our gauges. We should have calibrated it against NASCAR’s. It’s unfortunate, but rules are rules and we’ll move on.”

“It just really, really stinks that we have to go to the back,” Reutimann said. “My crew does a great job. And my shock guy (Dave Lovendahl) does a great job. It’s not like we came in here with 100 pounds more of rear shock pressure or something. But what can you do? The rule is black and white.”

In accordance with the penalty, on Sunday David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine dropped to 42nd position for the start of the race. Being that far back allowed the team to try various lines around the track to see which might allow them to move their way through the field.

Throughout the first half of the race Reutimann battled a loose Dream Machine, making it difficult to find a good racing line. While crew chief Rodney Childers and the Aaron’s team would try many changes to the No. 00, these new Sprint Cup cars require very specific changes and any over-adjustment can simply worsen the situation.

Finally nearing the homestretch the team hit on something and David Reutimann began to slowly move up, making it into the top 20.

Then, with 15 laps to go and the Aaron’s Dream Machine making progress, Elliott Sadler and Dale Earnhardt touched off a multi-car accident right in front of Reutimann. While he was able to get through it without major damage, the No. 00 did receive some fender damage.

After a 21-minute delay while NASCAR cleaned up the track, Reutimann the team decided to bring the Aaron’s Dream Machine in for minor repairs and new tires. With only a dozen or so laps remaining Reutimann did his best to capture as many positions as possible, crossing the finish line 18th.

“That was probably about as good of a finish as we could’ve hoped for with the handling problems we had today,” said Reutimann. “It’s frustrating because we were running lap times on pace with the top-10 drivers, we just couldn’t get up there.”

Jimmie Johnson cruised to a dominating victory to move into the points lead with six races left. Jeff Gordon finished second for the second consecutive week, followed by Juan Montoya, Mark Martin and Tony Stewart.

Next weekend the Sprint Cup series heads home to Lowe's Motor Speedway for a Saturday night shootout on October 17. Coverage for the NASCAR Banking 500 starts at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC.

David Reutimann Quotes - Auto Club Speedway Preview

Fan question of the week: Derek (twitter.com/DMPicone) asks, 'In 2007 you had a really scary wreck at California. Do you ever think about that when you return to that track?' "It may cross my mind because it was such a hard hit but I never dwell on it. Once I hit the track in my Aaron's Dream Machine it's time to focus on the job at hand."

Racing at Auto Club Speedway: "I really like California and I think my recent finishes reflect that. It's fast and you can race multiple grooves which makes it fun to pass, plus if your car is not handling the way you prefer, then you can move around the see if it works better somewhere else on the track."

When you make the long trip to the West Coast do you have any rituals or habits that you do to help with the time difference? "Well, I sleep all the way there - is that a ritual (smiling)? We're on such a fixed schedule every weekend, so when everything gets going at the track you really don't notice the differences. I think the biggest difference for me is not having my motorcoach out there and having to stay at a hotel."

What's unique or challenging about racing at Fontana? "It's a lot like Michigan so aero plays a big part. You can't knock in your fenders if you want to keep up the speeds we run there. The most important part is keeping up with the changes that occur to my Aaron's Dream Machine. How your car starts doesn't necessarily mean it will remain that way, so you must keep up with those changes to have a strong day."

Has your strategy for the rest of the season changed? "You just go as hard as you can to try to win races and try to learn some stuff for next year. It is really no different than your approach has been all year. We'll try to gain a little momentum through the last part of the season for the off-season."

Goals for this weekend: "The No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine was the only non-chase car to finish in the top ten last weekend, so I think that shows how capable we are week-to-week. This weekend at California, we'd like to pick up right where we left off and have another strong top-five or top-ten finish."

2009 NSCS Points Standings: The eighth-place finish last week moved Reutimann up to 15th, 105 points behind Kyle Busch in 13th place – the highest non-Chase driver.

Chassis Information: The No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine for Kansas is chassis No. 641. This Aaron's Dream Machine ran at Michigan in August and finished 9th.

Race Information: Watch the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in action at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 11. Race coverage for the Pepsi 500 begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC.