Archive for the ‘David Reutimann’ Category

Oh how things have changed…

David Reutimann has taken Michael Waltrip Racing from a mangled mess at Texas to the front of the field.

Reutimann earned the pole for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the 1 1/2 -mile, high-banked Texas Motor Speedway with a lap of 190.517 mph on Friday.

“I guess that puts an exclamation mark on just how things have changed,” said Reutimann, driving the No. 00 Toyota owned by Waltrip.

A year ago, the No. 00 was driven in Texas qualifying by Cup rookie Michael McDowell, who escaped unscathed from a horrific, tumbling crash when he slammed into the wall and rolled at least eight times before coming to a rest at the bottom of the track.

One thing for sure, it’s good to see all three drivers at Michael Waltrip Racing making the races. They had a rocky start, but it looks like things are finally coming together.

For the second consecutive event, all three Michael Waltrip Racing teams qualified for a Nextel Cup Series event Friday at Kansas Speedway.

And in that upbeat atmosphere, both MWR general manager Ty Norris and rookie driver David Reutimann expressed optimism that Reutimann’s multi-year contract extension, which was given to the driver on his way to Dover last weekend, would be acceptable.

“We feel real good about where it is, we just have a few details to work out,” Norris said. “There was one detail that was clarified this week as it relates to the Busch car — everything else seems to be easily worked out. David and I talked Wednesday and I feel like we’re in a great place with him.”

Norris said Reutimann also wanted to run for a championship next season in what is now the Busch Series, where he currently sits second in the standings.

[Source: NASCAR]