NRA 500 Race Report
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series | Race 7 of 36 | Saturday, April 13, 2013
David Reutimann’s No. 83 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (April 16, 2013) – David Reutimann and the No. 83 Dr. Pepper Toyota team finished 24th at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday night. Running one of the best cars they have had all season, the team had a competitive race logging laps inside the top 20 before being caught off the lead lap to finish the event in the 24th position.
The 500-mile race at Texas Motor Speedway marked the first Saturday night race of the season, challenging the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors with changing track conditions and cooling temperatures as the sun set over the 1.5-mile speedway near Fort Worth, Texas. Like many teams, the No. 83 Dr. Pepper Toyota team worked closely with their driver, identifying how their car was handling and continually fine-tuning their set up throughout the evening. For Reutimann, his No. 83 Camry fluctuated between being a bit too tight and a bit too free. With several rounds of pit stops, the Dr. Pepper team utilized each opportunity to help the balance of their car with slight air pressure adjustments.
Race strategy also played a role in the 500-mile race as many competitors found themselves trapped a lap down to the leader. After being caught a lap down, the No. 83 Dr. Pepper team took a gamble on their pit strategy during a round of green-flag pit stops. When the caution flag waved just a few laps later, Reutimann and the team were left in a two lap deficit to the leaders. At the conclusion of the event, Reutimann was scored in the 24th position.
“Our No. 83 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry was a really good car this weekend,” commented Reutimann. “We turned competitive lap times and raced hard for positions. Our spotter did a great job keeping us out of trouble so we could run the entire race, and the crew did a great job keeping up with adjustments to keep the balance of our car. We had a lot of guests from Dr. Pepper with us at the track this weekend, and I feel like we were able to put on a good show for them. I’m really proud of everyone for all their hard work that went into getting ready for the race this weekend. I’m looking forward to getting to Kansas next week.”
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will race at Kansas Speedway next Sunday, April 21. Fans can tune in to SPEED on Friday, April 19 (1 p.m. EDT) and Saturday, April 20 (10 a.m. EDT and 12:30 p.m. EDT) to see live coverage of practice, as well as qualifying on Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. EDT. Race coverage of the STP 400 will begin at 1 p.m. EDT on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Sunday, April 21. As always, fans can visit BKRacing.com, twitter.com/bkracing8393 or facebook.com/bkracing8393 for the latest news and updates about David Reutimann and the No. 83 Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry team.
