David Reutimann

Emil David Reutimann (born March 2, 1970) is an American professional stock car racing crew chief and former driver. A native of Zephyrhills, Florida, he has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series. In 2004, he won NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors in the Craftsman Truck Series. He is the son of Buzzie Reutimann.

Reutimann began his racing career in dirt-track modifieds and late models. In 1997, he moved into the NASCAR regional series before moving to the Busch Series in 2002. He moved up to the Sprint Cup Series in 2007, driving for Michael Waltrip Racing. Between the 2007 and 2011 Sprint Cup seasons, Reutimann recorded two wins, 26 top-tens, and four pole positions.

Personal life Reutimann lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, with his wife Lisa and daughter Emilia. They are members of Berea Baptist Church in Mooresville.

While his father was competing on dirt tracks in the Northeast, Reutimann was a summer resident on a farm in the Asbury section of Franklin Township, Warren County, New Jersey.

Before he was a full-time race car driver, Reutimann worked briefly for the United Parcel Service, which in 2008 became his primary sponsor for the rest of that season.

Emilia is current a member of the Equestrian team for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Early career

Reutimann, a third-generation racer, began his racing career in dirt-track modifieds and late models before moving up to the Slim Jim All Pro Series in 1997. He was named Rookie of the Year, finishing in the top-ten eight times and had a fifth-place points finish. The next season, he dropped to seventh in points, but received the Sportsmanship award at season's end. After several years, Reutimann got his first three wins in 2002 and finished second in the overall championship standings.

That same year, Reutimann made his Busch Series debut at Richmond International Raceway. Driving the No. 87 GEICO Chevrolet Monte Carlo for NEMCO Motorsports, Reutimann started thirty-fourth but finished sixteenth. He led twelve laps at his next race at Memphis Motorsports Park, and finished in the top-fifteen in each of his next two races. In 2003, Reutimann won a contest named "Hills Bros. Coffee Break of a Lifetime", a contest where Hills Bros. Coffee selected one driver to receive full sponsorship from them for five Busch Series races, and if that driver were to score three top-tens in those races, they'd receive a chance to start a Cup race. He ran those five races, along with two extra races, for NEMCO Motorsports. He finished fifth at Nashville Speedway USA and The Milwaukee Mile, as well as qualifying Greg Biffle's car on the pole at Memphis. He also attempted the New England 300 and the Brickyard 400 in the Winston Cup Series in the No. 04 for Morgan-McClure Motorsports, but failed to qualify both times.

In 2004, Reutimann signed on with Darrell Waltrip Motorsports to race the NTN Bearings truck in the Craftsman Truck Series. Winning the pole in his second race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Reutimann had four top-fives and finished fourteenth in points, garnering Rookie of the Year honors. Reutimann won his first career race in 2005 at Nashville Superspeedway, and ended the season thirteenth in points. He also made his Cup debut at Lowe's Motor Speedway, driving the No. 00 State Fair Corn Dogs Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Michael Waltrip. He finished 22nd. He went winless in 2006, but had two poles and finished third in the championship standings. He also made fifteen Busch starts and had four top-tens.

Sprint Cup Series

2007

Reutimann moved up to the Nextel Cup Series in 2007 with Michael Waltrip Racing, and was a Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate.

Reutimann edged Kevin Lepage for a transfer spot during the Gatorade Duels into the Daytona 500. However, despite qualifying 14th, he was started from the rear of the field because before the Duels, NASCAR penalized Waltrip's team including Reutimann's for illegal fuel additives in all MWR cars. At the same time the No. 00 car suffered an electrical problem during a wind-down lap. Reutimann ran in the top twenty of the Daytona 500 until he was collected in an accident on lap 173; he eventually finished 40th.

The following race, at Fontana, Reutimann was involved in a vicious crash. With eight laps left in the race, Greg Biffle accidentally tapped his bumper, sending his car head-on into the outside wall. Upon impact, the car exploded in flames and slid backwards. The red flag flew, as Reutimann had instantly fallen unconscious. Paramedics came to the wreck, extinguished the flames, and helped a sore, dazed Reutimann out of his racecar. He was airlifted by a helicopter to a hospital. Reutimann suffered a minor concussion, a cracked rib and a few bruises; despite the injuries he returned to the track the next weekend in Mexico City for the Busch Series. NASCAR said that Reutimann's accident tied with several other wrecks as the hardest crash in NASCAR history. This record stood until Elliott Sadler crashed at Pocono in 2010.

The next few weeks after were not very good for Reutimann and the 00 team, failing to qualify at Las Vegas, Bristol, and Texas. However, in the races he did make, he failed to make the top 30 until the tenth race of the season at Richmond, where he finished 28th. After having engine issues at Darlington and failing to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600 and the spring Dover race, along with a disappointing run at Pocono, Reutimann finished in the top-twenty for the first time in his Cup career at Michigan, finishing fifteenth. Despite this, Reutimann was replaced for the races at Sonoma and Watkins Glen by road course ringer P. J. Jones in an attempt to get the No. 00 to the top 35 positions in owner points.

The rest of the season would end up repeating a cycle of bad finishes below thirtieth followed by a good finish above the top-twenty. After failing to qualify at Bristol, Atlanta, and Phoenix, Reutimann went on to finish the season 39th in points.

Late in the season, he won the 2007 Sam's Town 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park for his first career Busch Series win, and Toyota's second win in Busch Series competition. He finished second overall in the Busch Series' last season before becoming the Nationwide Series.

2008

In 2008, Reutimann ran the first five races of the season in the No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine-sponsored car, before taking over for the retiring Dale Jarrett in the No. 44 UPS-sponsored car and handing the No. 00 car over to rookie Michael McDowell. Starting the season out with an eighteenth place in the Daytona 500, Reutimann started to show improvement over the last season. At Fontana the following week, he finished 23rd before getting 37th at Las Vegas a week later.

In his first two races in the No. 44 car, Reutimann had mechanical issues, having a suspension issue at Martinsville and getting a blown engine the following week at Texas.

Reutimann scored his first career top-ten at Lowe's Motor Speedway during the Coca-Cola 600 with a tenth place finish. He also recorded top-tens at the Auto Club Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, and the Richmond International Raceway. At the Richmond race in September, Reutimann led a race high 104 laps, but fell to ninth place. In the season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Reutimann claimed his first career pole position, becoming the 23rd driver to win poles in all three of NASCAR's top series.

2009 In 2009, Reutimann moved back to the No. 00 car. He competed a limited schedule in the Nationwide Series, splitting time with MWR's No. 99 Toyota Camry and Braun Racing's No. 10 Toyota Camry. During the Daytona 500, Reutimann finished twelfth, which would be a new career high at the race. Two weeks later at Las Vegas, Reutimann would score his first top-five, finishing fifth in the race. At Texas, Reutimann would score his first pole of the season, finishing eleventh in the race. A week later, at Phoenix, Reutimann would score his second top-ten of the season.

On May 24, he qualified well in the Coca-Cola 600 but the race was delayed due to rain. The next day on lap 222 his crew chief Rodney Childers made a call to conserve fuel which put Reutimann in the lead. A few laps later on lap 227, a rain shower soaked the track for the second time of the race, red-flagging it with Reutimann in the lead. Reutimann spent a one-hour wait praying and planning backup plans with boss Michael Waltrip and his pit crew. Despite blue skies being shown nearby the track, officials declared that the rain would last for the remainder of the night and called the race, thus giving Reutimann his first Cup series win in the Coca-Cola 600 and Waltrip giving him a full-time sponsorship until 2011.

With this emotional victory, Reutimann became the twentieth driver to win a race in all three of NASCAR's top series (Cup, Nationwide, and Truck). This race was also the fiftieth Coca-Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway. He also became the first driver in Cup history to win a race without leading a lap under green. In addition, he was the first driver to ever win with the No. 00 in the NASCAR Cup Series This also entered Reutimann automatically into the 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

A week after his victory, Reutimann would win his second pole of the season at Dover, finishing the race in eighteenth on the lead lap. The next week at Pocono, Reutimann would end up finishing third, and would get another top-five at Loudon a couple races after. Reutimann would end up getting five more top-tens at Indianapolis, Michigan, Atlanta, Kansas, and Phoenix. Reutimann would go on to finish the season sixteenth in the point standings, a personal best.

2010

Reutimann returned to the No. 00 car during the 2010 season. He would start the season with a personal best finish in the Daytona 500, finishing fifth. Reutimann won his second career race at the 2010 LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in the No. 00 TUMS MWR Toyota. Reutimann ran in the top-five all night and with under seventy laps remaining, chased down Jeff Gordon and passed him for the lead. He would pull away and lead the rest of the race, holding off a late charge by Carl Edwards.

2011

2011 was a disappointing year for both Reutimann and MWR. Reutimann and the No. 00 team only scored one top-five finish and two top-ten finishes. At Watkins Glen on the final lap, Boris Said accidentally turned David Ragan entering the esses. Ragan came back onto the track and hit Reutimann, hit the ARMCO outside barrier and he rolled over spectacularly after the hard hit. He was mostly unscathed and Ragan dislocated his ankle as a result.

With three weeks remaining in the 2011 season, Reutimann could not come to an agreement with Aaron's for 2012 and thus Michael Waltrip and MWR's staff reluctantly released Reutimann from his team as well as the No. 00 car.

After Christmas 2011, Reutimann signed up to drive for part-time with Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2012 sharing the No. 10 car with rookie Danica Patrick.

2012

On January 3, 2012, Reutimann signed a one-year contract to drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing. As part of an alliance with Stewart–Haas Racing that TBR agreed to on January 31, Reutimann shared the SHR No. 10 entry, which was fielded by TBR, with Danica Patrick. He also drove the No. 92 RBR Enterprises vehicle in the Camping World Truck Series on a limited schedule. As Patrick drove the No. 10 in the 2012 Daytona 500, Reutimann drove the No. 93 Toyota Camry for BK Racing in the event with Todd Anderson serving as crew chief. Reutimann also drove the BK Racing No. 93 at Darlington.

Reutimann caused a controversy at the April Martinsville race when the No. 10 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet stalled on lap 497, drawing a caution. He was accused of intentionally causing the caution after limping around the track for a few laps at speeds well below the rest of the field. The result was a broken timing belt and Reutimann was credited with a 35th place finish. He insists he was just trying to keep the car in the top-35 in owner's points; the team left Martinsville just one point outside a guaranteed start. Reutimann qualified for the next race at Texas and finished 26th, getting the No. 10 back into the top-35. During Coca-Cola 600 qualifying, David did not qualify fast enough in the No. 73 BK Racing entry and missed his first Cup race since 2007.

Reutimann drove the No. 51 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing at the June Pocono race during the one-race suspension of Kurt Busch for actions detrimental to the sport. Baldwin explained his decision as helping another small team (Reutimann was to drive the No. 10 car that weekend). Reutimann finished 21st. Reutimann qualified and raced for a new team Xxxtreme Motorsports at the fall Phoenix race in the No. 44 No Label Watches Ford, finishing fortieth.

2013

On January 18, 2013, BK Racing announced that Reutimann would drive the No. 83 Toyota during the 2013 season, replacing Landon Cassill. Reutimann started the season a high note, finishing sixteenth in the Daytona 500. However the team would struggle through the season, not recording another top-twenty finish. Reutimann finished 33rd in points. Following the season, Reutimann and the team parted ways.

2014 Reutimann began the 2014 season without a ride in any of NASCAR's top three divisions, however in March it was announced that he would drive the Sprint Cup No. 35 Ford for Front Row Motorsports at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, he failed to qualify for the event. Reutimann made the field in three of the six Cup races he attempted. It was the last time he ran a NASCAR-sanctioned race.

Post-NASCAR career After ending his NASCAR career, Reutimann became a dirt track racing driver and chassis builder, founding Beak Built Chassis to develop UMP modified cars. In 2019, he joined Lee Faulk Racing as the crew chief for late model driver Ryan Rackley.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series NASCAR Sprint Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2003 Morgan-McClure Motorsports 04 Pontiac DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX TAL MAR CAL RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHADNQ POC INDDNQ GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL PHO CAR HOM N/A 0 2005 Michael Waltrip Racing 00 Chevy DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT22 MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 70th 97 2007 Michael Waltrip Racing 00 Toyota DAY40 CAL33 LVSDNQ ATL40 BRIDNQ MAR33 TEXDNQ PHO32 TAL32 RCH29 DAR33 CLTDNQ DOVDNQ POC38 MCH15 SON NHA38 DAY26 CHI43 IND38 POC41 GLN MCH23 BRIDNQ CAL32 RCH13 NHA26 DOV18 KAN31 TAL22 CLT29 MAR17 ATLDNQ TEX43 PHODNQ HOM25 39th 1878 2008 DAY18 CAL23 LVS37 ATL20 BRI20 22nd 3397 44 MAR39 TEX41 PHO18 TAL20 RCH22 DAR19 CLT10 DOV27 POC19 MCH35 SON40 NHA19 DAY21 CHI14 IND30 POC30 GLN33 MCH14 BRI25 CAL9 RCH9* NHA15 DOV17 KAN19 TAL37 CLT32 MAR24 ATL28 TEX10 PHO25 HOM20 2009 00 DAY12 CAL14 LVS4 ATL32 BRI12 MAR20 TEX11 PHO8 TAL26 RCH28 DAR29 CLT1 DOV18 POC3 MCH19 SON31 NHA4 DAY36 CHI12 IND8 POC29 GLN25 MCH9 BRI17 ATL4 RCH20 NHA12 DOV21 KAN8 CAL18 CLT15 MAR16 TAL26 TEX16 PHO10 HOM15 16th 4221 2010 DAY5 CAL15 LVS13 ATL40 BRI38 MAR28 PHO20 TEX37 TAL14 RCH15 DAR11 DOV5 CLT5 POC15 MCH18 SON20 NHA15 DAY11 CHI1 IND28 POC17 GLN23 MCH16 BRI2 ATL16 RCH19 NHA7 DOV35 KAN35 CAL10 CLT9 MAR27 TAL4 TEX15 PHO26 HOM38 18th 4024 2011 DAY30 PHO29 LVS13 BRI30 CAL19 MAR15 TEX29 TAL14 RCH31 DAR16 DOV15 CLT9 KAN22 POC13 MCH35 SON24 DAY25 KEN2 NHA19 IND36 POC24 GLN29 MCH18 BRI36 ATL31 RCH26 CHI32 NHA28 DOV13 KAN35 CLT26 TAL13 MAR20 TEX22 PHO7 HOM18 28th 757 2012 BK Racing 93 Toyota DAY26 DAR36 34th 373 Tommy Baldwin Racing 10 Chevy PHO36 LVS31 BRI21 CAL27 MAR35 TEX26 KAN29 RCH33 TAL22 DOV31 KEN23 DAY11 NHA33 IND POC24 GLN MCH21 BRI ATL RCH34 CHI NHA30 DOV TAL37 CLT30 KAN MAR36 TEX HOM34 BK Racing 73 Toyota CLTDNQ Phoenix Racing 51 Chevy POC21 MCH SON Xxxtreme Motorsport 44 Ford PHO40 2013 BK Racing 83 Toyota DAY16 PHO25 LVS34 BRI39 CAL33 MAR38 TEX24 KAN28 RCH22 TAL41 DAR36 CLT21 DOV26 POC32 MCH32 SON26 KEN27 DAY30 NHA28 IND29 POC31 GLN43 MCH37 BRI29 ATL32 RCH32 CHI36 NHA26 DOV28 KAN37 CLT26 TAL40 MAR37 TEX28 PHO39 HOM31 33rd 465 2014 Front Row Motorsports 35 Ford DAY PHO LVS BRIDNQ CAL29 MARDNQ TEX38 DARDNQ RCH29 TAL KAN CLT DOV POC MCH SON KEN DAY NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI ATL RCH CHI NHA DOV KAN CLT TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 51st 37

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 2007 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota 40 40 2008 42 18 2009 28 12 2010 20 5 2011 24 30 2012 BK Racing Toyota 38 26 2013 41 16

Nationwide Series NASCAR Nationwide Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 Pts Ref 2002 NEMCO Motorsports 87 Chevy DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL RCH16 NHA NZH CLT DOV NSH KENQL† MLW DAY CHI GTY PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM12 CAR15 PHO 63rd 399 88 ATLDNQ HOM43 2003 DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX24 TAL MCH6 BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT 50th 805 87 NSH5 CAL11 RCH GTY NZH CLT DOV NSHQL‡ KEN37 MLW5 DAY CHI32 NHA PPR IRP Evans Motorsports 7 Chevy MEMQL± ATL PHO CAR HOM 2004 NEMCO Motorsports 87 Chevy DAY CAR21 LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH25 TAL CAL15 GTY30 RCH NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR IRP MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO DAR HOM 70th 379 2005 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports 98 Chevy DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL NSH BRI TEX PHO TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM26 118th 85 2006 FitzBradshaw Racing 12 Dodge DAY29 CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI TEX 34th 164 Michael Waltrip Racing 66 Dodge NSH34 PHO TAL RCH 99 DAR22 CLT DOV NSH6 KEN8 MLW10 DAY CHI NHA MAR GTY14 IRP36 GLN MCH BRI9 CAL20 RCH39 DOV KAN13 TEX14 PHO HOM12 FitzBradshaw Racing 44 Dodge CLT20 MEM 2007 Michael Waltrip Racing 99 Toyota DAY29 CAL14 MXC12 LVS31 ATL13 BRI33 NSH2 TEX6 PHO12 TAL24 RCH9 DAR24 CLT43 DOV15 NSH9 KEN16 MLW7 NHA8 DAY40 CHI17 GTY3 IRP3 CGV9 GLN25 MCH16 BRI3 CAL15 RCH23 DOV10 KAN17 CLT12 MEM1* TEX18 PHO12 HOM15 2nd 4187 2008 DAY14 CAL4 LVS25 ATL10 BRI3 NSH9 TEX11 PHO9 MXC11 TAL20 RCH18 DAR3 CLT11 DOV4 NSH3 KEN13 MLW5 NHA7 DAY14 CHI5 GTY25 IRP26 CGV18 GLN15 MCH34 BRI8 CAL8 RCH34 DOV16 KAN17 CLT24 MEM2 TEX8 PHO31 HOM13 7th 4388 2009 Braun Racing 10 Toyota DAY12 CAL7 LVS BRI TEX9 NSH PHO TAL29 RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI8 GTY MCH14 PHO18 27th 1807 32 IRP11 IOW GLN BRI11 CGV ATL RCH5 DOV9 KAN CAL HOM6 Michael Waltrip Racing 99 Toyota CLT20 MEM8 TEX 2010 Braun Racing 10 Toyota DAY CAL26 LVS BRI NSH PHO TEX8 TAL RCH DAR DOV CLT NSH KEN ROA NHA DAY CHI4 GTY IRP IOW GLN MCH BRI CGV ATL RCH DOV KAN CAL 52nd 747 Turner Motorsports 11 Toyota CLT12 GTY TEX15 PHO HOM16 2011 Pastrana-Waltrip Racing 99 Toyota DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL TEX9 TAL 109th 01 Rusty Wallace Racing 64 Toyota NSH14 RCH DAR DOV5 IOW CLT CHI MCH18 ROA DAY KEN18 NHA NSH IRP IOW GLN CGV BRI20 ATL RCH CHI DOV KAN CLT TEX PHO HOM 2012 Mike Harmon Racing 74 Chevy DAY PHO LVS BRIDNQ CAL TEX RCH TAL DAR IOW CLT DOV MCH ROA KEN DAY NHA CHI IND IOW GLN CGV BRI ATL RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 144th 01 † - Qualified for Joe Nemechek · ‡ - Qualified for Jeff Fuller. · ± - Qualified for Greg Biffle

Camping World Truck Series NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts Ref 2004 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports 17 Toyota DAY9 ATL3 MAR8 MFD14 CLT36 DOV17 TEX3 MEM17 MLW32 KAN29 KEN9 GTW9 MCH24 IRP17 NSH9 BRI11 RCH30 NHA5 LVS17 CAL6 TEX30 MAR27 PHO21 DAR28 HOM4 14th 2904 2005 DAY12 CAL13 ATL24 MAR23 GTY24 MFD21 CLT17 DOV5 TEX10 MCH8 MLW23 KAN3 KEN3 MEM2 IRP11 NSH1 BRI29 RCH17 NHA33 LVS12 MAR34 ATL33 TEX5 PHO7 HOM36 13th 2979 2006 DAY9 CAL4 ATL5 MAR15 GTY3 CLT6 MFD9 DOV5 TEX4 MCH15 MLW5 KAN10 KEN12 MEM7 IRP34 NSH6 BRI10 NHA12 LVS6 TAL6 MAR18 ATL4 TEX7 PHO8 HOM8 3rd 3530 2008 Germain Racing 9 Toyota DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW NHA13 LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 75th 124 2012 RBR Enterprises 92 Chevy DAYDNQ MAR20 CAR19 KAN CLT18 DOV TEX KEN IOW CHI POC MCH BRI ATL IOW KEN LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 94th 01

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points