CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver David Reutimann races in the second of Thursday’s two 150-mile qualifying races at Daytona International Speedway. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver has two goals in mind for Thursday. The first is learning all he can about his Toyota so he can continue his recent restrictor plate racing success. Last year, Reutimann scored the third most points at the four restrictor plate races. Reutimann’s second goal is to help his team owner Michael Waltrip race his No. 15 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota into his 25th Daytona 500. Reutimann, Waltrip and Martin Truex Jr. are all in the second race. Reutimann starts ninth, Waltrip 11th and Truex Jr. starts 14th.
REUTIMANN QUOTES
ON GOALS FOR THURSDAY: “My primary goal is to learn as much as I can so we are ready for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Sure, you want to win and that’s what we plan to do, but winning on Thursday doesn’t pay what Sunday’s race does. As a team our next goal is to do whatever we can to help Michael Waltrip race his way into the Daytona 500. Michael loves this race and it’s an important anniversary for him and we’d all like to help him any way we can. He has given me so many opportunities in this sport and anything that I can do to help him make his 25th Daytona 500 is what I’m going to do.”
DAYTONA SO FAR: “We knew we would be better in the draft than we would in single lap qualifying. But, we were decent on our qualifying run last Sunday so we are very optimistic about the rest of the week. Michael’s Toyota looked really good in the Shootout Saturday night so I expect we’ll be good when we start drafting practice on Wednesday. It’s really kind of exciting. The speeds we saw Saturday, the tweaking of the rules, it kind of creates a lot of suspense and drama for what is going to happen Wednesday and Thursday and especially on Sunday.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
- In 2010, Reutimann scored the third most points (576) of any NSCS driver on superspeedways and the fifth most points (285) of any driver at Daytona. His average starting position was 22.5 and average finish was 8.5 at superspeedways. Reutimann led 18 percent (19/104) of his total laps led at superspeedways in 2010.
- Reutimann formed The David Reutimann Foundation in 2009 to benefit Florida based charities, including: All Children’s Hospital, Camp Boggy Creek and Zephyrhills Meals on Wheels. Reutimann’s annual Cookout and Golf Tournament in Zephyrhills, Fla., started in 2005 before the formation of his foundation, has raised and distributed nearly $500,000 to local charities.
- When Reutimann first moved to North Carolina he was given work in Joe Nemechek’s (NEMCO Motorsports) fabrication shop as a welder until he was able to find a job as a driver. Nemechek gave Reutimann his first opportunity to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2002 driving the No. 87. High school friend Brian Pattie, now Juan Pablo Montoya’s crew chief, introduced Reutimann to Joe Nemechek
- Reutimann earned his first career NSCS win in the 2009 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and his second career win at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10, 2010 leading 52 laps.
