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BY DAVID POOLE
McClatchy Newspapers
Living the dream was supposed to be a
good thing for David Reutimann.
Getting a full-time ride in a NASCAR
Sprint Cup car was supposed to put a smile on
his face and a warm feeling in his gut.
The big time was not supposed to make him
ill and unable to sleep. But that’s what happened
after Reutimann was hired by Michael
Waltrip Racing in 2007.
Losing, it seems, even when it is in the highest
level of professional sports, lays waste to
dreams in a hurry.
After just four races this season, well, this is
more like it. This is what life in Sprint Cup is
supposed to be like, Reutimann said earlier this
week. Yes, life is now a dream.
“It’s fun to drive cars right now,” he said.
Reutimann has been a fixture near the front
during races this season. Before last week’s
race in Atlanta, Reutimann finished 12th at
Daytona, 14th at California and fourth at Las
Vegas.
After Las Vegas, Reutimann found himself
fifth in the points standings.
Then, two Sundays ago at Atlanta Motor
Speedway, he finished 32nd but still held on to
the No. 12 position in the points standings.
The reason for Reutimann’s good start and
big smile is simple.
“We’re better,” he said. “It’s so early in the
season right now that points positions switch
back and forth. You need to get into the season
a little bit further. But our organization is definitely
much stronger. Our cars continue to get
better, and they got better during the off-season.”
Fast cars for Reutimann — imagine that. In
his first two years as a full-timer in Sprint Cup,
all Reutimann could do was imagine that concept.
In 2007, his average finish in races was
30th.
"It's fun to drive cars right now."
- David Reutimann, driver of No. 00 car
And that average was built on 26 races, as
Reutimann and his team had to qualify for races on
time as they continually sat week after week outside
the top 35 in owner points.
That’s why life was anything but dreamy for
him.
“I can assure you it’s not any fun, remotely, at
all,” Reutimann said. “Being outside the top 35,
you’re sick to your stomach every time qualifying
time rolls around. You know you have to go out
there, and you basically have one lap to try to get
into the race.
And it’s going to make or break your
weekend. And that’s the mentality you have. |
You unload
and you’re just a nervous wreck from the time the
practice starts until the time you get into the race.”
Last year, the qualifying angst
dissipated as
Reutimann worked his way into the top 30 in
points early in the season and then hung on to
his automatic race entry status. But that did not
mean that he began winning — or smiling.
Reutimann still had to go out
and drive fast on Sundays.
“The pressure is a different kind of
pressure,” he said. “The pressure is to go
out and run good in the race, as opposed to
the pressure to just get into the race. And
it’s pressure, but it’s a different kind of
pressure. There’s no worse feeling at all
than having that pressure on you. And
sometimes when
it does happen, you end up
having to
go home, which I’ve had to do in
the
past. It’s just miserable.”
Reutimann has gone home much happier
during the last month. And he and his
team say that’s a trend that will continue.
There have been some changes made at the
Waltrip shop, changes which have improved the
operation. There are new people, new methods and a
new technical alliance with JTG Daugherty Racing.
“When we unload our cars now, they are
faster than they used to be,” Waltrip said. “All
of our crew chiefs and engineers are working
closely together. We really have a solid infrastructure
right now, led by our director of competition,
Steve Hallam, who has six Formula
One championships to his credit. We know we
are way better off than we have been in the past
two years, and I am so grateful for that.”
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