Wednesday, April 1, 2009

David Reutimann

By Denise I Smithson

Representing the third generation of "racing Reutimanns", David Reutimann is the son of DIRT Motorsports Hall of Famer (and still active participant in racing) Emil "Buzzy" Reutimann. The two still often race together at the "Clay by the Bay", as Florida's East Bay Raceway Park is known to racing enthusiasts.

David got his start in dirt track racing and by 1997 was named Rookie of the Year in the Slim Jim All Pro Series, later becoming the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2004. Reutimann has had a number of top ten finishes in the league, although he has racked up few wins thus far.

Reutimann won Nashville's Toyota Tundra 200 in 2005, followed by his first Busch Series car win in 2007's Sam's Town 250 in Memphis. In 2007, he ran the whole Busch Series and came in second overall.

Since joining the NASCAR Southeast Series in 1997, Reutimann has been the winner of several awards. He spent a long time preparing on Florida's many short tracks, where he was an avid modified racer.

He now has been racing for Michael Waltrip Racing for the past couple years, in the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series. While he has not enjoyed the overwhelming success of some of the NASCAR greats, he has made strides in top finishes in many important races.

David Reutimann chose an old acquaintance from the racing world as his crew chief in 2009. Rodney Childers is now taking care of the number 00 Toyota; the two have known each other since 1999's Slim Jim All Pro race. Childers says that he was eager to take on the position, appreciating as he does Reutimann's personality and lively sense of humor.

Reutimann has been on the scene for some time, but in the last year has really started to come into his own. He and his team are hoping to build on his momentum and score some top 10's, top 5's and even some wins this year.

In fact, the choice of Childers as new crew chief may be exactly what Michael Waltrip racing was looking for. Childers has four years of experience as a crew chief on the Sprint Cup Series. Michael Waltrip Racing has a great relationship with Toyota and is committed to winning.

While they may not be the most famous NASCAR names, they are making a run at becoming top in the upcoming year with Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann sharing the wheel of No. 00, Aarons Dream Machine, sponsored by Aaron Rents. This will be Aaron's tenth year with Michael Waltrip Racing and getting Michael back behind the wheel is something fans have been asking for.

David Reutimann has shown tremendous progress in the Sprint Cup Series and 30 top 10 finishes in the Nationwide Series, and Aarons is excited to be a part of the upcoming racing series with him, according to their spokesperson.

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