CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota driver David Reutimann admits his season has not started the way he would have liked, but a review of his 2011 statistics show he is off to a better start than he was in 2010. Reutimann is four positions higher in the standings, has a better average finish, the same number of top-15s, completed a higher percentage of laps and led a lap. And all of this heading into May – statistically one of Reutimann’s best months. Last year in May, Reutimann scored back-to-back top fives for the first time in his NSCS career and finished no lower than 11th.
REUTIMANN QUOTES
What grade would you give yourself for the first part of the season? “We’re working on about a D I guess and that’s giving ourselves a lot of credit. Wait, let me back up – the team gets an A. They’ve been doing a great job and they are giving me great cars. We just haven’t had any what you want to call racing luck. Hopefully we’ll get that turned around and we’ll be okay. Luck category gets an F but my team gets an A.”
What does it take to get around Richmond successfully? “I haven’t really been that successful at Richmond so I’m not really sure I’m the right guy to ask. It’s just a tough race track when making your car rotate the center and keeping good forward traction. Obviously the place is a little bit rough on brakes too. So, you have a lot of different scenarios that you have to get on the other side of and Richmond is a pretty challenging place.”
ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST
· 2010 vs. 2011: Through the first eight races of 2011, Reutimann is ranked higher in the standings (2011: 26th, 2010: 30th), has a better average finish (2011: 22.4, 2010: 24.5), the same number of top-15 finishes (three) and completed a better percentage of laps (2011: 95 percent, 2010: 79 percent). Even after a slow start in 2010, Reutimann and the No. 00 team battled back into the top-15 following the Chicagoland race in July before a series of wrecks took them out of serious Chase contention.
· Good Things MAY Be On The Horizon: Last season in the month of May, Reutimann recorded three consecutive top-15s – including his first back-to-back top-five finishes of his NSCS career (fifth at Dover and Charlotte). Reutimann also collected bonus points for leading laps in all three May point races. In 2009, Reutimann recorded his first NSCS win at Charlotte and won the pole award at Dover.
· In the fall race at Richmond, Reutimann started fifth but ran into trouble early as contact with Kurt Busch caused tire damage leading to an early race spin. Reutimann finished two laps down in 19th.
· Reutimann at Richmond: In eight NSCS starts, Reutimann has qualified in the top-10 three times and in the top-15 five times. His highest-starting position was second last spring. He has one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. In the 2008 fall race, Reutimann led a career-high 104 laps (26 percent of the total laps) and recorded a ninth-place finish.
· Career Numbers: In 143 career Sprint Cup Series starts, Reutimann has two wins, 11 top-fives, 23 top-10s and three career pole awards and has led 327 laps.
· Social Winning: Fans can win an autographed Reutimann hat from Aaron’s when the No. 00 logs a top-10 finish. To win you must follow Aaron’s @AaronsSports on Twitter or become a fan at www.Facebook.com/AaronsSports.
