DAVID REUTIMANN No. 00 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE TOYOTA POCONO RACEWAY
CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann returns to his racing roots Wednesday when he joins 20 plus drivers from all forms of racing at Eldora Speedway in Tony Stewart’s seventh annual Prelude to the Dream charity race. While Reutimann is racing dirt late models at the half-mile track in Rossburg, Ohio his Michael Waltrip Racing car owners Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman compete in France on the 8.4-mile Circuit de la Sarthe in Saturday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – the world’s most famous endurance race. Le Mans is something even a longtime dirt track racer like Reutimann admits he’d like to try some day.
DAVID REUTIMANN QUOTES
ON RACING IN THE PRELUDE TO THE DREAM AT ELDORA SPEEDWAY: “I just love racing on dirt. I basically had to beg Tony Stewart to let me come be a part of it and he finally said okay. We’ve been going back ever since. I’ve been able to race the last couple years. It’s just a great event and an awesome group of people. I think Tony Stewart just finally felt sorry for me after I begged him to let me race and he finally let me come race.”
ON RACING AGAINST DRIVERS FROM OUTSIDE OF NASCAR? “I think it’s great. The first year I went Juan Pablo Montoya was there. How often do you ever think you’ll get the opportunity to race against an F1 guy on dirt in a late model. You got drag racing guys like Cruz Pedregon and Ron Capps and guys like that from all different disciplines of motorsports. Travis Pastrana raced last year. Again, you never know who is going to turn up and run these races.”
ON RACING IN THE PRELUDE THE SAME WEEK MICHAEL WALTRIP AND ROB KAUFFMAN RACE THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS? “That’s something I think all drivers of any discipline have always wanted to do. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is just a really cool race. It’s awesome that Michael (Waltrip) and Rob (Kauffman) are getting the opportunity to do that. Obviously, if you want to talk about two completely opposite ends of the spectrum with me being at Eldora for the Prelude to the Dream racing on a dirt track and those guys racing a 24 hour race in France is a neat perspective that two people involved at MWR are racing at two extremely different types of race tracks. One of the cool things about having Rob as part owner in this deal is that he’s a guy that has broad interests in motorsports. Not only does he focus on Cup Series racing, but road racing as well and it’s neat to be a part of that.”
WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN RACING LE MANS? “Absolutely! I’m not a road racing guy by any stretch, but I figure it would be a neat opportunity to race that length of time with a team of drivers. I figure if I could get two really, really good road course drivers and me maybe everything I screwed up those guys could make up for.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· Reutimann at Pocono Raceway:In eight career NSCS starts at Pocono, Reutimann has one top-five finish – a third in the 2009 spring race. His average starting position is 25th and finish is 24th. He led one lap in the 2009 fall race. In 2010, Reutimann had a top-15 in the spring and finished 17th in the fall.
· Dreaming of Dirt:Money raised by Reutimann at the Prelude will directly benefit Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.
· Michael Waltrip at Le Mans: Michael Waltrip Racing co-owners Rob Kauffman and Michael Waltrip race this weekend in the 24 Hour of Le Man sports car race in Le Mans, France. Waltrip, Kauffman and Rui Aguas are racing for the AF Course Ferrari team in world’s oldest sports car endurance race. The team previously raced together in 24 hour races in Dubai and Spa.
· Meet The Driver: Reutimann will sign autographs at the MWR merchandise hauler from 10:10-10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
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Driver Information Driver: David Reutimann Born: March 2, 1970 Hometown: Zephyrhills, Fla. Resides: Terrell, N.C.
