UPS Racing

Reutimann Bounces Back at Daytona

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:03:49 -0500

It was an up and down battle for David Reutimann and the UPS Team during Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Reutimann looked to be down and out when a faulty spark plug wire sent him to pit road for repairs but the Florida native was able to make up five laps and rebound to finish in the 21st position, even after involvement in a late race accident.

Reutimann started the race in the 34th position but used the draft to his benefit to quickly move up through the field. When the first caution flag fell for a single car accident on lap 20, Reutimann brought his UPS Toyota to pit lane for a four tire stop. The driver of the #44 Toyota called for no adjustments to his car, reporting that the car was "a little loose" but working well in the large pack of cars.

Reutimann took the restart in the 22nd position and wasted no time making him move into the top-20. The second pit sequence brought the same results for the #44 Team as the first as Reutimann pitted only for fresh rubber and fuel, taking the restart on lap 47. Reutimann again advanced during the subsequent green flag run moving into the top-12 but made his biggest jump of the day during the third caution period when the UPS Pit Crew executed a fast four tire stop, vaulting the #44 into the ninth position.

The field took the green flag for the restart on lap 74 with the #44 fighting to hold his position in the top-10. Reutimann's battle was successful until he radioed to crew chief Ryan Pemberton that the motor seemed to be quickly losing power. Pemberton did not need to hear the bad news as he could see it for himself watching the #44 quickly fall to the rear of the field. As Reutimann's motor faltered, his lap times slowed and exceeded the NASCAR mandated safe lap time which each car must maintain to stay on the track.

Forced to pit road, the #44 Team raised the hood to determine and the problem and easily identified the faulty spark plug wire in the engine. Reutimann lost five laps on pit road while the team fixed the issue but was able to return to competition on lap 98, running in the 39th position.

With just a little more than sixty laps remaining, Reutimann would have to rely on caution flags to advance his position. Even at five laps down to the race leader, Reutimann was the first car eligible to receive the "Lucky Dog" award. Reutimann took his first lap back with a caution at lap 109, his next with the race's fifth yellow flag at lap 124 and pulled to within two laps down when a caution fell on lap 131. Two more yellow flags at laps 136 and 140 would place the #44 Team back onto the lead lap, providing them with an amazing opportunity to still pull out a solid finish at DIS.

Reutimann would return to the top-15 with just five laps remaining before the drop of the checkered flag but a spin by Jimmie Johnson forced the field to check up and Reutimann was knocked from behind, sending the #44 Toyota spinning through the infield grass and into another car. The result was heavy damage to the car's front end and Reutimann entered pit road for repairs prior to returning to the track for the green-white-checkered shootout.

Restarting from the 30th position, Reutimann hoped to be able to limp around to complete the final laps in the battered #44 Toyota but another yellow flag would fall on the final lap to end the race after a multi-car accident erupted just behind the race leaders. Reutimann managed to avoid the incident and would finally take the checkered flag in the 21st position.

"It is what you have to expect during a restrictor plate race," Reutimann after exiting his UPS Toyota. "Absolutely anything can happen and we were lucky we were able to make up those five laps. That's just amazing. Our UPS Toyota was fast and to have a faulty plug wire is very disappointing. We can't have things like that happen but to be able to rebound from that, finish on the lead lap even with that last accident, is a decent day at Daytona."

Kyle Busch edged out Carl Edwards for his sixth victory of the season as the race ended under caution on Saturday night at Daytona. Matt Kenseth finished in the third position with Kurt Busch in fourth. David Ragan rounded out the top-five finishers in the Coke Zero 400.

Teammate Michael Waltrip watched a shot at his second straight top-10 slide through his fingertips after being involved in the race's final accident resulting in a 27th place finish for the #55 team. Michael McDowell struggled to keep pace with the lead draft throughout the race but still managed to take the checkered flag in the 25th position to complete his first Sprint Cup race at Daytona.

The Saturday night action continues for a second straight weekend as the Sprint Cup Series heads to the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. Live coverage of the Lifelock.com 400 will be broadcast on TNT beginning at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. EDT. Radio coverage of the race will be simulcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN).

Reutimann to Start 34th at Daytona

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:21:15 -0500

David Reutimann and the #44 Team will start Saturday's Coke Zero 400 from the 34th position. Reutimann ran a fast lap of 49.013 seconds and will start the UPS Toyota from the outside of row 17 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS).

"We're not too happy with that qualifying attempt," Reutimann said. "We came down here in February and qualified in the fourth position to start the 500 but this is the first time that we've been locked into the starting line-up at this track so qualifying is a totally different animal. This is an impound race and you've got to be ready to race and not focused on running a quick lap. Here it doesn't really matter where you start so we'll focus on getting the UPS Toyota handling well and work our way to the front."

Qualifying was the only scheduled Sprint Cup activity on Friday at DIS. On Thursday, the 45 drivers attempting to qualify for the Coke Zero 400 were scheduled to participate in two practice sessions but weather shortened the first session and forced the cancellation of the second. For Reutimann and the #44 Team, the small window of opportunity to get on track allowed them to run a total of eight laps.

Unfortunately, Reutimann was forced to enter the garage after it was spotted that the #44 Toyota was leaking an oil substance from the rear of the car. The team brought the car in the garage to replace the rear end gear, limiting their on-track time in practice.

Michael McDowell in the #00 Toyota scored the top-qualifying spot of the three Michael Waltrip Racing teams with a fast lap time of 48.817 seconds to roll off in the 21st position. This marks McDowell's first attempt to start a Sprint Cup race at DIS. Teammate Michael Waltrip and the #55 Team will start from 29th starting spot after posting a fast lap time of 48.921 seconds.

Paul Menard scored his first Sprint Cup career pole position with a fast lap time of 48.409 seconds at a fast lap speed of 185.916 mph. Menard's teammate Mark Martin will start from the outside pole position followed by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the third spot. Two go-or-go home cars, forced to qualify on speed, will round out the top-five starters with Joe Nemechek and Johnny Sauter in the fourth and fifth positions.

The Coke Zero 400 is scheduled for an 8 pm EDT start on Saturday with live pre-race coverage beginning on TNT at 6:30 pm EDT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide simultaneous radio coverage.

NASCAR Action Returns to Daytona

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:01:03 -0500

It's official. The NASCAR season has hit the second hand swing as the Sprint Cup Series returns to Daytona International Speedway for the running of the Coke Zero 400. The legendary speedway has a prominent place in stock car history, topping the list of nearly every driver's "most desired track to visit victory lane" list. But for Florida native David Reutimann, Daytona looms even larger as the driver of the UPS Toyota grew up in the shadow of the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

"It is huge for me to race here," Reutimann said. "I don't know that anything will ever eclipse running in my first Daytona 500 outside of winning a race here. I can still remember all the emotions of that day and every time that I hear the command to fire engines and see the green flag wave, it's just a little more special because its Daytona."

The Coke Zero 400 will take place this Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m. EDT. The TNT television network will carry the live television broadcast of the race, with limited commercial interruptions, beginning at 6:30 p.m. EDT while Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide live radio coverage.

Reutimann Discusses Racing at Daytona International Speedway

Talk a little about this weekend's race at Daytona...

"Being from Florida, Daytona is what I can consider my home track. Our goals remain the same here at Daytona and that's to get a good finish and keep moving up in the points. But there is definitely a difference for me personally when I come to Daytona. I'm back home, in front of family and friends, and people who have followed my racing career so of course it is a special place to run. It tops my list of tracks where I'd like to get a win, because of the history obviously, but also because this is the track that I dreamed about racing at as a kid."

"I had my best Sprint Cup finish in February with Ryan (Pemberton, crew chief) atop the box. We were going to be close to getting a top-10 finish but had a little trouble at the end, made some contact with another car, and were shuffled back into 18th. The July race is a little shorter, under the lights obviously which also makes it very exciting. It's the first time that I've been here when I've been locked into the race and that's a good feeling especially coming to my home track. Ryan has had a good bit of success here and he called a great race in February so I'm looking forward to a really strong run this weekend for the UPS Toyota."

UPS Racing Team Notes of Interest

David Reutimann has three Sprint Cup starts at Daytona International Speedway.
Reutimann considers Daytona to be his home track after growing up in nearby Zephyrhills, Florida, located about two hours south west of the famed track.
This marks Reutimann's first appearance for UPS at Daytona International Speedway as he drove the #00 Toyota in the Daytona 500.
Dale Jarrett, former driver of the #44 UPS Toyota, will serve as Grand Marshal for the Coke Zero 400.

Race Fans Ready for Daytona Return

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:20:14 -0500

NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers are making their way from the quaint towns and villages of New Hampshire to the white sandy beaches of Daytona Beach, FL and the Daytona International Speedway (DIS), known as the "World Center of Racing." This top-line race track has a total of 480 acres and has nine major weekends of racing activities throughout the year. As the birthplace of stock car racing, this track tops many a driver's list as a place to lay claim to a victory.

This weekend DIS is celebrating a decade-long tradition, which recognizes something most NASCAR legends never had the opportunity to do, racing under the lights at Daytona. The Florida summer months typically prove to be extremely hot. By having the lights at the track, the race start time is scheduled for an evening drop of the green flag hopefully bringing relief to drivers, crews and race fans alike.

Away from the on-track competition, DIS held its 4th Annual Straightaway to Stardom singing contest this past month. This year's winner Kimberly Dunn, a recent DeLand High School graduate, will be performing the National Anthem on Friday before 100,000 plus fans at the NASCAR Nationwide race.

In addition, a new project is underway near the DIS facility. Recently unveiled, the Daytona Live! Project is a 71 acre, $437 million new construction that will be housed across the street from the track. Plans call for an upscale building which will include retail, dinning, entertainment space that will feature a 14-screen theater, a proposed 160-room hotel, residential units and office space. This building will be green making it environmentally friendly. This project is slated to be completed early 2010.

As always, there are many events taking place throughout the race weekend. Race fans have the opportunity to be in the center of the action by purchasing a Sprint FANZONE ticket. The Sprint FANZONE ticket will allows access to the infield area as ticket holders will be able to walk across the track surface, the grass, down pit road, and even take an inside look at the garages and inspection bays prior to the start of the race. Fans also have access to the pre-race concerts, autograph sessions, and activities for kids hosted by the Daytona International Speedway. Fans must purchase or hold a grandstand ticket prior to purchasing the Sprint FANZONE ticket.

This weekend the track has scheduled two autograph sessions for fans. On Thursday from 5:00PM - 6:00PM in the Rolex Series garages there will be select drivers racing in the Brumos Porsche 250. On Friday from 5:30PM - 6:30PM there will be select drivers from the Nationwide Series greeting fans in the Goodyear Legends area.

Kevin Costner and Modern West will perform on the Sprint FANZONE stage at 5:00PM followed by the pre-race concert which will be performed by Lady Antebellum. The National Anthem will also be performed by Lady Antebellum before the start of the race Saturday night.

Live television broadcast of the Coca-Cola 400 will be covered by TNT Television Network. The green flag is set to drop at 8:00PM and pre-race coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. Radio coverage by MRN will begin at 7:15 p.m.

Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway

Qualifying Record: Bill Elliott (210.364 mph, 42.783 seconds), February 9, 1987

Race Record: Bobby Allison (173.473 mph, 2 hours, 18 minutes, 21 seconds), July 4, 1980

2007 Winner: Jamie McMurray

Total Purse: $6,284,969.00

Daytona Welcomes Return of Cup Series

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:14:14 -0500

This weekend marks the official midway point of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season. When the checkered flag drops on Saturday night following the completion of the Coke Zero 400, there will 19 races in the books and just eight races remaining prior to the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

In addition, this race will serve as a return visit to Daytona International Speedway (DIS), "The World Center of Racing." As one of the premier events of the 38 race season, NASCAR sponsors and partners pull out all the stops to show case the race and draw fan attention to kick off the second half of the year.

For the fans watching the Coke Zero 400 from home, it will feel as if they have a front row seat as TNT celebrates the return of its "Wide Open Coverage" Broadcast format. The format was debuted by TNT during last year's July race at DIS and is groundbreaking as it allows viewers to see the race with limited commercial interruption. When the broadcast would typically go to commercial, viewers instead see the race broadcast at the top of the screen while commercials or vignette video from advertisers are televised across the bottom. The network will televise messages only from the sponsors as there will be no national breaks for traditional commercials.

"If I wasn't behind the wheel of the UPS Toyota, this would be the way I would want to watch the race," said David Reutimann, driver of the #44 Toyota Camry. "Our sport is one that packs plenty of action, especially at a restrictor-plate event such as Daytona. Anything can happen at any second and this way, the fans are pretty much guaranteed to see it all happen live. It's the next best thing to have either my seat or one up in the grandstands."

Last season, fans only missed three green flag laps of action of the race now known as the Coke Zero 400. The break was required for cable and satellite providers who are allowed to sell limited commercial space each hour, bypassing the cable network entirely.

"Wide Open Coverage is a truly unique television concept that provides sponsors with the opportunity to reach the audience in a new and different way while giving fans more racing action. We're thrilled to bring back this exciting race presentation and continue to offer our advertising partners innovative concepts that showcase their brand and tell their story with dynamic flair," Trish Frohman, executive VP of Turner Sports sales, said in a statement.

With the special television coverage of the race, UPS fans will be able to keep track of Reutimann and his progress during the 160 lap event. For Reutimann, the race marks a return to his "home track" and his home state of Florida. As a native of Zephyrhills, located about two hours to the southwest of the 2.5-mile speedway, Reutimann dreamed of racing at Daytona. Saturday's start will mark his fourth run in a Sprint Cup car but taking the green flag at Daytona is still a thrill for Reutimann.

"Daytona is definitely a big deal for me and my family as well as one of my favorite tracks," Reutimann said. "For so many stock car drivers, this is the track that you dream about racing on but being from Florida just makes it that much bigger I think. This is my first time to the track behind the wheel of the UPS Toyota and I'm really looking forward to this weekend."

Reutimann will not be the only UPS figure making a return appearance at Daytona as former driver Dale Jarrett has been selected to serve as the grand marshal for Saturday's race. Jarrett, who retired from full time competition following the Sprint All-Star Race in May, will give the command for the 43 drivers to fire their engines. This marks the first time that Jarrett has not climbed the wheel of a stock car at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Jarrett captured a victory in the Independence Day classic in 1999 and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500.

"It will be a little different to give the command instead of being the one in the seat to fire the engine but I'm honored to play a part of this race," Jarrett said. "I've really enjoyed a couple of weeks away from the race track since the last race in Charlotte but I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. In just a couple of weeks I'll be in the booth full-time with ESPN, broadcasting the Sprint Cup races, so it will be good to be back at the track and prepare for the second half of the season."

Top-20 Finish for UPS Team in N.H.

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:28:03 -0500

UPS driver David Reutimann and the #44 Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) Team took the New England area by storm as they earned a top-20 finish during the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Although rain had been forecasted for the area, blue skies prevailed as Reutimann and his fellow 42 competitors began the LENOX Industrial Tools 301, with the #44 UPS Toyota starting from the 29th spot. Methodically, the Florida native took his Toyota through the field and was posted in 22nd by the first round on pit stops on lap 68. With crew chief Ryan Pemberton only making an air pressure adjustment during the stop, Reutimann returned to the track in great competitive form where he once again gained positions.

Following the first caution period at lap 86, the UPS Toyota moved into the top 20 and began to drive away. Running times quicker than the leaders, Reutimann picked off a couple of more spots and was 18th at lap 122. Following a fast pit stop when the caution was thrown for debris, Reutimann was shown in the 16th slot when green flag conditions returned at lap 143.

As the race continued past the halfway point, Reutimann continued to run strong and remained in the top 20, moving into the top 15 shortly thereafter. Pit strategy came into play as Pemberton made the call for a two-tire only change at lap 206, putting the #44 UPS Camry 12th in the running. Remaining strong, Reutimann held his own and with rain moving into the area, the question remained whether he would have to pit before the dark sky opened up.

On lap 271, the #44 Team received their answer as caution fell over the track for the sixth time. The leaders opted to come down pit road and Pemberton made the call for Reutimann to follow suite, pitting for four tires to finish the race. Reutimann managed to pass a couple cars on the restart to move back into the top-20 but ran out of laps as the rains began to fall on lap 285.

"The UPS Toyota was strong all day," said Reutimann. "Ryan only had to make small changes throughout the race and we were solid. It was a tough call of whether to pit with the leaders during that final caution and in the end it wasn't the best call for us to come. You just never know what the weather is going to do so we'll just take a top-20 and head back to Daytona next week."

Reutimann's teammate and owner Michael Waltrip finished in the second position in the #55 Toyota Camry in the rain shortened event. Starting from the race in the 42nd position, Waltrip opted to stay out when the leaders pitted on lap 274 going on to post his best finish of the season. Teammate Michael McDowell, who fell behind early in the race, ended his afternoon early in the 42nd spot after the engine on his #00 Toyota expired at lap 210.

Kurt Busch posted his first win of the season after deciding not to pit in the closing laps of the race betting that the precipitation would fall prior to the checkered flag. JJ Yeley finished behind Waltrip in the third position with Martin Truex, Jr. in fourth. Elliott Sadler, who scored the lucky dog on lap 217, also used pit strategy to help him bring home a fifth place finish on Sunday.

Next week Reutimann and the UPS Team return to Florida as the Series travels to Daytona International Speedway (DIS). Live television coverage of the Coke Zero 400 will be broadcast on the TNT network beginning at 6:30 p.m. EDT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide simultaneous radio coverage of the race beginning at 7:15 p.m.

Reutimann Starts #44 UPS Toyota In 29th

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:21:34 -0500

David Reutimann and the #44 UPS Team will start Sunday's LENOX Industrial Tools 301 from the 29th position after cooling rains lowered track temperatures for the final 21 drivers. Reutimann was one of 24 cars that made their qualifying attempts and ran a fast lap of 29.821 seconds before rain stopped all track activity for nearly 2 hours.

Once qualifying resumed in the early evening, faster conditions prevailed as the remaining drivers made their attempts with most of them posting much faster times than from practice.

"The UPS Team made some great adjustments during practice and we thought we had something today," Reutimann said. "Track conditions changed so drastically with the cloud cover and everybody started complaining of loose conditions. Then the rain gave some of those late cars a big advantage."

During the 90-minute practice session earlier in the day, Reutimann and his #44 UPS Team made vast improvements to the race car after fighting loose conditions on their first circuit around New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Throughout the afternoon, crew chief Ryan Pemberton made the right changes to put Reutimann fifth on the board following his dry run for qualifying and then end the session 14th on the board.

As threatening skies had most watching the weather radar, Reutimann went out 22nd in the qualifying order and posted a fast lap speed of 127.722 mph. His time placed him 14th at the time. With both the Nationwide and Cup series in New Hampshire this weekend, Reutimann only has to walk through the garages - giving him a break from the hectic travel schedule of recent weeks. The Cup teams will have two practice sessions tomorrow morning with the UPS Team searching for answers on tightening up the car.

Reutimann's MWR teammate Michael McDowell completed his qualifying run just prior to Reutimann and posted a time of 30.027 seconds to place his #00 Toyota 38th for Sunday's start. Team owner and driver of the #55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip was scheduled to qualify just prior to Reutimann's run but a broken motor excused him until later in the draw and he managed to circle the 1.058-mile track in exactly 30 seconds. He will start 36th on the grid.

As one of the drivers needing to make the race on speed, rookie Patrick Carpentier scored the first pole position of his career with a time of 29.35 seconds, 129.776 mph, after qualifying late in the draw. Rounding out the top five are Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick, Scott Riggs and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The LENOX Industrial Tools 301 is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EDT start on Sunday. TNT will provide live coverage of the race with a schedule broadcast start at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast simultaneous radio coverage.

UPS Team Travels to New Hampshire

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:14:40 -0500

This weekend the Sprint Cup Series moves to the 17th race of the season nearing the halfway point for the 2008 NASCAR calendar year. Recently purchased by Speedway Motorsports, Incorporated, New Hampshire Motor Speedway will have an updated look when the fans arrive at the 1.058-mile track but the competitors are expecting the same exciting racing action.

For Reutimann and the UPS Team, the month of June has not been kind to their quest to break into the top-20 in the championship driver's point standings. After a top-10 finish at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, Reutimann has had an average finish of 30th over the past four races. This weekend Reutimann hopes to turn things around and begin an upward swing for Team 44 heading into July.

"We still have a lot of ground to cover and all of us are still closer to being outside the top-35 than we would like," Reutimann said. "I would like to be inside the top-20 where you feel like you could get away with having an off-race or two. I think our team is doing well, I think they still have work to do and I think they would all agree with that if you were to ask them all the same question. I applaud the efforts that they are making. When you go into the shop and you see different pieces of equipment and different engineers and different things they are doing to our cars to make them better - you can't help but to be excited about that."

The LENOX Tools 301 will take place this Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m. EDT. The TNT television network will carry the live television broadcast of the race beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT while Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide live radio coverage.

Reutimann Discusses Racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Talk a little about this weekend's race at NHMS...

"New Hampshire is a tough, flat track that is easy to overdrive. The place is really fast for a flat, small type race track. It has a lot of grip and its one of the neatest places we go to during the year. It's pretty racey with a lot of passing and side by side racing. The track sells out every year. There's a reason for that and that's because of the caliber of racing that we see at that track."

Do you think that NHMS is a place where you can turn around the performance from the past couple of weeks?

"We need a good run in our UPS Toyota this weekend. The last couple of races have been pretty tough on our team and we just need a good run to get the second half of this season started on a positive note. Our goal is to try and get inside the top-20 in points before the end of the season and we've lost a little ground on doing that this month. New Hampshire is a track where I've had some good runs during my career. We had some engine problems last year which affected our finishes in the Cup car so I'm hoping to improve our my results there on the Cup side and have a good run with our UPS Toyota."

UPS Racing Team Notes of Interest

David Reutimann has competed at NHMS in all of NASCAR's top-three touring series with a total of five combined career starts at the 1.058-mile track.
Reutimann's best finish at NHMS came in his rookie season in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he posted a top-five after starting from the 17th position.

NHMS Goes the Extra Mile

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 04:16:45 -0500

New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) is the home of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 with a track length of 1.058 miles. This race was formally known as the LENOX Industrial Tools 300 but this year was changed to 301 laps. An additional lap was added for the sponsor. LENOX looks for users and suppliers of industry tools who go the extra mile even though their jobs are demanding and require many hours of work. No matter what, they still find time from their day-to-day jobs to contribute to the community. Their vision is to be known for best-in-class results and by adding this lap everyone will be going the extra mile aiming for a win in New Hampshire.

NHMS was the first superspeedway to be constructed in the U.S. since 1969 and in terms of seating capacity it is the largest sports facility in New England. With a spectator seating capacity of over 100,000, NASCAR events usually sell out and exceed events such as the NFL Super Bowl when it comes to attendance. It is also the only state in the six-state New England region that hosts a NASCAR series event.

The speedway was recently purchased by Bruton Smith, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Speedway Motorsports, Inc. The final closing documents were completed in January of 2008 of the newly renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Upgrades are underway in all parts of the speedway with bigger and brighter signs, new banners, PA system, television compound, and more. Beginning this year the Administration Building is being remodeled. All of these changes are underway to help make the fan experience more enjoyable

NHMS feels their fans are their greatest asset. To do more for the fans they have created a program for all attending the LENOX Industrial Tools 301. Ticket holders will have the opportunity to have their mortgage or rent paid through this year, share in $10,000 worth of free gas, or to experience luxury suite level seats. All race fans which have purchased tickets by June 25 are eligible to win. All winners will be announced during the pre-race ceremonies on Sunday.

And while fans are at the track and don't feel like trekking to the grandstands, they can just hop on one of their new Disney-style trams to help get from parking to the grandstands in a quick and comfortable manner. There will also be over 60 busses that will shuttle fans from outer parking areas.

Live broadcast of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 will be covered by TNT Television Network. Pre-race events begin at 12:30 p.m. and the green flag is set to drop at 2:00 p.m.

LENOX Industrial Tools 301

Qualifying Record: Ryan Newman (133.357 mph, 28.561 seconds), September 12, 2003
Race Record: Ricky Rudd (81.007 mph, 2 hours, 42 minutes, 8 seconds), June 23, 2002
2007 Winner: Denny Hamlin
Total Purse: $5,383,710.00

Sprint Cup Drivers Log Miles In '08

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:52:12 -0500

For 38 weekends during the 2008 season, Sprint Cup drivers will spend countless hours behind the wheel of their cars competing for thousands of miles. But for many, one race a weekend is not enough and the trend has become for drivers to double or even triple dip in NASCAR's top-three premier series.

Currently four drivers, who compete on a full-time basis in the Sprint Cup Series, have also started all 17 races in the Nationwide Series to date. The list includes Roush-Fenway Racing teammates Carl Edwards and David Ragan as well as Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer. The fourth is UPS driver David Reutimann, who is in the midst of running his second season in all of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events.

Over the past three weekends, Reutimann has been forced to travel from city to city to complete his driving duties in both series. To pull off such a feat, it takes a fleet of planes, helicopters and automobiles as well as hours of planning by the staff at Michael Waltrip Racing to ensure that every detail of the trip can be executed flawlessly.

"The travel and logistics is the tough part for some of the people - not for me because I just go where they tell me to go whether it's on a plane or a helicopter or whatever," Reutimann said. "Everybody at the shop and everybody at Michael Waltrip Racing already have the logistical part planned out. Everybody thinks it's trying or stressful and for me, it's not because I just get on a helicopter or get on somebody's private plane and I'm able to go to sleep and then I wake up and get on another helicopter and go to the race track - that's pretty cool."

The first weekend found Reutimann logging miles between Pennsylvania and Tennessee to compete followed by the second weekend with travel between Michigan and Kentucky. This past weekend was the longest trip of all between the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California and the Milwaukee Mile in Wisconsin.
"This weekend is the killer," Bowyer said of the Sonoma-Milwaukee double. "You're tired and miserable all weekend but it is only one weekend. You just have to get plenty of rest going into the weekend to be prepared."

For Reutimann, he claims that he doesn't prepare any different but that he just keeps his normal race week regimen intact.

"I don't really prepare any differently than I do for any other week," Reutimann continues. "We've been running a lot of races this year and a lot of those races have been conjunction events at the same race track so it hasn't really been a big deal. You're still running back and forth driving two different cars. Now it becomes a little tougher because you have to try to be two places at once. I just have to stay hydrated and eat good foods to keep my energy up because there is a lot of travel involved."

"My food of choice at the race track - I eat a lot of bananas and I like stuff like pasta with no sauce on it or chicken breast or things like that. I like pretzels - I get pretty nervous most of the time so I like things that are easy for me to digest and give me some energy. I like carbs (carbohydrates) that get me going. I eat some fruit and not too much high acid content. I drink tons and tons of water and as much water as I can get - I try to alternate that with PowerAde. That is a typical race weekend for me."

With as competitive as the Sprint Cup Series is, many fans have been critical of the drivers that opt to compete in two series on a full-time basis. One prime example is the recent quest by current championship point's leader, Kyle Busch, to compete in three series at three different tracks in the same weekend. While Busch was successful in his attempt, he was the victim of an accident in the Nationwide as well as in the Sprint Cup race which slashed into his dominant points lead. While many pointed to Busch's travels for the on-track troubles, drivers solely enjoy the competition not the challenge to run multiple events.

"I think I actually like going to a different race track because mentally and physically the Nationwide cars and the Cup cars drive so drastically different now from what they used to that it might be a benefit to have just one car to focus on that particular race track and just concentrate on that and then go to another race track and concentrate on that particular car at that race track," Reutimann said. "In some respects it might be easier to do it that way than what we normally do on a race weekend when we race two events at the same track."

While seeking the thrill of competition, there is still a thrill Reutimann could sometimes do without.

"As far as the flying part goes - I have never been a huge fan of flying. The lifestyle that we lead now - it's a necessity. It's cool - I am getting the opportunity to do things that people just dream of doing. It's a lot of fun and I enjoy it - it makes me feel like a rock star with the helicopters, private jets and such."

Accident Ends Reutimann's Day at Sonoma

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:08:37 -0500

UPS driver David Reutimann and the #44 Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) Team competed in the first of two scheduled road course events for the season on Sunday at Infineon Raceway. The race marked the first start for Reutimann behind the wheel of a Sprint Cup car on a road course. With just nine laps remaining, the #44 Toyota suffered a blown left front tire sending the car into the Turn 9 wall, ending the team's day with a 40th place finish.

Reutimann started the Toyota/Save Mart 350 from the 42nd spot. Throughout Friday and Saturday's practice session, crew chief Ryan Pemberton worked patiently with his driver to determine the starting set-up for the #44 UPS Toyota. When the green flag dropped, Reutimann methodically began his quest to advance to the front but the handling on his MWR Toyota was loose, hindering the driver's ability to pass.

With limited road course experience, Reutimann logged laps until Pemberton had an opportunity to make adjustments to the #44 Toyota during the first round of pit stops starting on lap 30. Under the first caution of the race, the field entered pit road and Reutimann came to the attention of his UPS pit crew for four tires as well as a track bar and an air pressure adjustment to aid the ill-handling condition.

Reutimann took the restart on lap 32 and immediately reported to his team that the changes to the car did make the handling tighter but were too extreme. The tight handling condition made the car very difficult for Reutimann to maneuver through the turns and as a result Reutimann would fall a lap down to the race leader, Kyle Busch, at the midpoint of the race. On lap 70, the #44 Toyota returned to pit road for service and the team reversed the track bar change made during the first pit stop. The handling on the car improved significantly but Reutimann would not be able to return to the lead lap to advance his position.

With the checkered flag in sight, Reutimann was hoping to cross the finish line to complete his first road course event but a blown left front tire sent the #44 hard into the Turn 9 tire barrier severely damaging the UPS Toyota. Reutimann was unable to drive the car back to the garage and the day for the #44 Team ended with just nine laps remaining.

"I knew today was really going to be a learning experience," Reutimann said. "Chris Cook (road course instructor) was really encouraging during the race over the radio and I wish that we had more to show for the time he has spent working with me. This wasn't a good weekend at all and I'm glad to have this first road course race behind us and to move ahead to New Hampshire next week."

After a quiet 100 laps, the final ten were full of fireworks as three caution flags littered the closing stages of the race. The final yellow period forced the race into overtime and Kyle Busch prevailed posting his fifth victory of the season following a green-white-checkered conclusion. Busch started deep in the field to take his first Sprint Cup Series victory on a road course at Infineon Raceway. Following the #18 Toyota to the checkered flag was David Gilliland in the second position. Rounding out the top-five finishers were Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Casey Mears.

After starting from the 35th position, Reutimann's teammate Michael Waltrip finished in the 25th position in the #55 Toyota Camry. Teammate Michael McDowell, who has several starts including three victories at Infineon, made his first Sprint Cup start at the track from the 34th spot in his #00 Toyota. McDowell ended his race in 21st.

Next week Reutimann and the UPS Team return to the ovals as the Series travels to New Hampshire International Speedway (NHIS). Live television coverage of the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be broadcast on TNT beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will provide simultaneous radio coverage of the race.

Sonoma Qualifying Struggles for Team 44

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 22:32:16 -0500

David Reutimann and the #44 UPS Team will start Sunday's Toyota /Save Mart 350 from the 42nd position. Reutimann ran a fast lap of 80.660 seconds and will start from the outside of row 21 in his first race at Infineon Raceway, the first of two road course races on the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule.

"Our UPS Team did a lot of work today on this Toyota Camry," Reutimann said. "We weren't where we needed to be at all when practice started but the guys kept making changes to help try and improve this car. Our qualifying spot is really disappointing but this is my first time racing at this track and we've still got a lot of work to do before Sunday."

Reutimann and his #44 UPS Team spent the duration of Friday's practice session in race trim. Guaranteed to start the race based on their standing in the top-35 in owner's points, Reutimann logged laps attempting to find a comfortable set-up for Sunday's event. Initially, Reutimann found the car to be extremely loose and immediately returned to the garage for drastic chassis changes.

As the practice continued, crew chief Ryan Pemberton translated Reutimann's feedback, regarding the car's handling, into adjustments to assist the Toyota's performance. At the end of practice, Reutimann had not made much ground in terms of the speed charts as the team opted to not to make a mock qualifying run. More importantly, though, Reutimann picked up valuable track time continuing to flatten his road course learning curve.

With temperatures looming near the triple digit mark, Reutimann went out 14th in the qualifying order. He posted a fast lap speed of 88.817 mph on his first and only timed lap. His time placed him in the 42nd position to start Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350. The team will now have one final practice session on Saturday to continue to work on the car's handling before Reutimann travels to Milwaukee to compete in Saturday's Nationwide Series race.

Reutimann's teammates at Michael Waltrip Racing will also have to make the trek from the rear of the field during Sunday's race. Team owner and driver of the #55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip, earned the 35th starting position with a qualifying lap of 79.03 seconds. Meanwhile, Michael McDowell who has posted numerous victories at Infineon Raceway in other series will start his #00 Toyota from the 34th spot with a lap time of 78.99 seconds.

Kasey Kahne earned his first career road course pole start on Friday by posting the quick lap time of the session at 77.740 seconds. This marks the second race of the season where Kahne will start from the top spot, the other track being Pocono where the driver of the #9 car took the win after starting from the pole. Rounding out the top five starting positions are Jimmie Johnson in the second spot followed by Kurt Busch, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Gordon.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 is scheduled for a 5 p.m. EDT start on Sunday. TNT will provide live coverage of the race with a schedule broadcast start at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The Performance Racing Network (PRN) will provide simultaneous radio coverage.

Reutimann to Make Debut at Infineon

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:48:25 -0500

With his racing roots on the local short tracks of the East Coast, David Reutimann did not come across too many road courses while on his path to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Last season, MWR opted to substitute a road course ace in Reutimann's then #00 entry for the two road racing stops during the 2007 season. With Reutimann locked solidly into the top-35 in points this season, the wheel is firmly in his hands to take the UPS Toyota on a ride which includes right turns as well as lefts in this weekend's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway.

"I don't have a lot of road course experience and in March I went out to Infineon Raceway in a late-model car to do some driver training with Chris Cook and his school," said Reutimann. "He taught me a great deal about the race track - which will be a big benefit for this weekend - and also provided me with some other techniques that will help me when we come to these road courses so I can be more productive."

While this marks his first start on a road course in the Sprint Cup Series, Reutimann proved that the right turns are not all that intimidating after finishing 11th in the Nationwide Series event at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in April. In addition to the action on the track, he is looking forward to a return visit to the Northern California region.

"It's a beautiful area," Reutimann said of his visit to the Sonoma Valley in March. "I've never been here before, and it'll be great to come back in June."

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 will take place this Sunday, June 22 at 4 p.m. EDT. The TNT Television Network will carry the live television broadcast of the race beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT while Performance Racing Network (PRN) will provide live radio coverage.

Reutimann Discusses Racing at Infineon Raceway

Talk a little about the upcoming race at Infineon, which will be your debut at the road course.

"I had the opportunity test in a late model car there in March with Chris Cook as my instructor. Running road courses is a different discipline for me and Chris hopefully helped me to accelerate my learning curve. The track is pretty tricky. It's a really neat layout with all of the elevation changes. It's a lot to take on but we are looking forward to going there this weekend. My goal is just want to be competitive and hopefully the work I've done will translate."

With less experience on road courses, do you change how you measure a successful day?

"We definitely cannot lower our standards just because this is a new element for me. We measure success the same way that we would on an oval. We want to be in the top-10 and gaining points on the teams in front of us.

Our goals are the same and that's to be running up front."

The outcome of this race can depend heavily on pit strategy or fuel mileage. Does that change your approach as a driver?

"Not at all. My job is to run up front and be successful that way versus relying on fuel mileage. Obviously both of those elements play a big part in being successful, especially on these tracks, but that doesn't mean that you can just rely on fuel mileage or pit strategy to be your only keys to running well."

UPS Racing Team Notes of Interest

Sunday's race at Infineon will mark Reutimann's first start at the 1.99-mile road course. P.J. Jones subbed for Reutimann in last year's Toyota / Save Mart 350, finishing in the 12th position for MWR.
Reutimann will travel between Infineon Raceway and Milwaukee Mile to compete in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide events this weekend.
Reutimann participated in a test session at Infineon in March marking his first time visiting the speedway.
During his test Reutimann worked with Chris Cook, an experienced road racer who has helped train other NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers.

NASCAR Heads to Wine Country

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:00:14 -0500

It's time for NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and fans to make their way out to the 12-turn, 1.99 mile road course in Northern California, Infineon Raceway. The beautiful Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the wine industry and is home for the Toyota/Save Mart 350. This will be the first of two road-course events on the NASCAR schedule this season.

The Toyota/Save Mart 350 running on Sunday, June 22 will mark the 20th anniversary of memorable NASCAR racing taking place at Infineon Raceway. As part of the festivities, the speedway will also be inducting Ken Clapp into the Wall of Fame on Friday, June 20. Clapp was essential to the creation of what was then known as the Sears Point Raceway. Clapp was also one of the principals who helped bring NASCAR to the Sonoma Valley. With his efforts, along with a few others, in 1989 the first race of what was then known as the Winston Cup Series was hosted at the road course.

With gas prices on the rise, Infineon Raceway is pulling out all the stops to accommodate its fans. For the sixth consecutive year the Ride the Bus Program is option for those interested in attending Sunday's race. Infineon Raceway with Storer Tours provides transportation from 19 cities across California and Nevada to help fans avoid the high gas prices. The program starts at $127 and includes transportation, premium seating for Sunday, and a commemorative souvenir race program.

The environment is important to those at Infineon Raceway. In 2004 the track introduced its Recycling Program. Since its beginning, over 56 tons of materials have been recycled and eventually put back into usable products. Along with the recycling program, Infineon Raceway has recently brought nearly 3,000 sheep on property to help maintain grasses and fire lanes around the raceway. These sheep live on track acreage and are tended by two shepherds. They have been brought to the facility because they naturally mow and fertilize the grass. By having the sheep, they help to maintain the Raceway's beautiful landscape in an eco-friendly way.

TNT Television Network is schedule to broadcast live television coverage for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350. Pre-race events begin at 3:30pm EDT. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 4:00pm EDT.

Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway

Qualifying Record: Jeff Gordon (94.325 mph, 75.950 seconds), June 24, 2005
Race Record: Ricky Rudd (81.007 mph, 2 hours, 42 minutes, 8 seconds), June 23, 2002
2007 Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya
Total Purse: $5,588,135.00

Reutimann Family Celebrates Father's Day

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:44:31 -0500

In the 60 years of its existence, NASCAR has provided entertainment for millions of families. Just as special though as those families who share in watching the sport together are the families which have played a large part in it. The father-son duos which have graced the sport, and in part made it what it is, are iconic with names ranging from the Allison's to the Petty's to the Earnhardt's to the Jarrett's.

Bobby and Davey Allison may be best known as the major players in one of the sport's classic battles, coming in the 1988 Daytona 500. Bobby took the win over son and second-place finisher Davey, but both father and son celebrated together in victory lane.

Richard and Kyle Petty shared the same track while competing in the Sprint Cup Series for several years, just as Richard did with his father Lee years before. The Petty's have produced four generations of drivers to participate on the NASCAR circuit, the first of family to do so in professional sports.

The Earnhardt's, Dale, Sr. and Dale, Jr., also battled for the same track real estate as competitors but shared a shining moment as family when the elder Earnhardt raced to victory lane in Texas in 2000 to congratulate his son on his first career Sprint Cup Series win.

Ask several NASCAR fans and they will tell you that their NASCAR family moment is when Ned Jarrett called his son, Dale, to the finish line in the broadcast booth during the 1993 Daytona 500.

NASCAR's family history is not lost on UPS driver David Reutimann. While his father, Emil "Buzzie" Reutimann, only participated in one NASCAR sanctioned event during his driving career, Reutimann fully credits his dad with his current position as a competitor in the Sprint Cup Series.

Buzzie Reutimann is a legend on the short tracks of the East Coast. Starting his first race at the age of 13 years-old, the elder Reutimann claimed that he caught the bug from his father.

"For as long as I can remember, we have been a racing family," Buzzie said. "My grandfather came over from Switzerland and he traveled with the circus. His act was that he drove a car off a tower through a ring of fire and into a tank of water below, so I guess that's where our love for showmanship began. I remember my dad racing ever since I was in diapers and naturally I wanted to be a racer too."

It is a sentiment shared by his son, David, who watched his father dominate the competition during his formative years. Watching Buzzie at the top of his game left little room for doubt that a third generation Reutimann driver would chose to follow in the footsteps of the generations before him and make his living behind the wheel of a race car.

"I don't remember just one event, where I watched my dad, that convinced that I wanted to drive a race car," David said. "There's just so many. He just won so often that all the races just ran together. It was on such a regular basis and I saw how the fans would cheer for him. For me it was a no-brainer, I wanted to be my dad. He was winning and people loved him and it was really cool to see that. He won many, many big races but it was the sheer volume of races he won that really stuck with me."

The Reutimann's have also shared the track on certain occasions. The first occurrence took place when David was just 16 years-old and had the opportunity to climb behind the wheel of a friend's late model car at East Bay Speedway, located just south of Tampa, near the family's hometown of Zephyrhills.

David recalls what it was like to take the track alongside his racing hero, his dad.

"I had been racing a limited schedule in the late models and Dad was racing late models and we had both been winning pretty regular so I got the opportunity to drive a guy's late model one night," he remembers. "I think it was 1986 and to me it was a big deal to be on the same race track as my dad. I was pretty pumped up about the opportunity to race with him after watching him for so many years."

It was another instance when the Reutimann pair took the track against each other, when Buzzie realized the talent that his son possessed when holding the wheel.

"I never really realized how good David really was until one day we were racing at East Bay on a Sunday afternoon and the track was really hard and slick and he was running ahead of me. He was running second and I was running third. I figured that I could get him to slip. I worked him really, really hard and I could see that when the car was starting to make a mistake, he would correct it before it would make the mistake. And I really realized how good of a driver he was and what a natural feel he had for a car."

While the family spends the majority of its time around the race track, there is no doubt left as to love and admiration they have for one another when the engines are off.

"One night we were at NASCAR All-Pro Series awards dinner," remembers Buzzie. "The chaplain got tied up and couldn't make it to the banquet and they asked David to step in and say the prayer. That night I just really thought about how proud I was, to know the type of son I had raised. Just having a son like David gives you great feelings every day."

David now has the chance to understand the pride his father has experienced watching him succeed both on-track as well as off. As a father to six year-old Emilia Reutimann, a self-described Daddy's girl, David can take his turn at seeing the world from a father's perspective.

"The day she was born will far outweigh anything that I could win – whether it is Cup championships, Daytona 500's – anything would pale in comparison to birth of Emilia," states David about his daughter. "She and I have a cool relationship. We're buddies. We go get ice cream, goof off, play video games. I just enjoy teaching her things and showing her things and taking her places. I just enjoy hanging out with her."

"He's just really a great father," Buzzie says of his son. "Working on my racing, I didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time with him away from the track and do the little things, like read him bedtime stories. I called David the other night and he was reading Emilia a bedtime story. He just takes the time to make the most of every moment he has to spend with her. It makes me very proud that he is such a great father."