In Defense of David Reutimann

 In Defense of David Reutimann

By Brian H Cotnoir

In the early 2000's there was high hopes for driver David Reutimann.  The Florida driver was once touted as the future of Michael Waltrip Racing.   Even Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip signed him to driver for his fledgling Truck Series team.  Reutimann would shock the NASCAR world on more than one occasion pulling off upset wins and contending for Championships in the Lower-Tier Series, and yet he never fully got the respect he deserved.  Between injuries and unfavorable team decisions, Reutimann's once promising career was squandered.

Reutimann's NASCAR career began in 2002, where he ran a handful of races for fellow Florida racer, Joe Nemechek.  Reutimann would make 14 starts for NEMCO Motorsports between 2002-2004 scoring a two Top 5's and three Top 10 finishes.  In 2004, Reutimann would make his Truck Series debut for NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip's team Darrell Waltrip Motorsports.   Reutimann took home Rookie of the Year honors after finishing 14th in the Final Points Standings.   During that season he was involved in a hard vicious crash during the Silverado 350k at Texas Motor Speedway as he was collected by driver Bill Lester and slammed into the solid concrete wall (this was the days before SAFER Barriers were mandatory at all NASCAR tracks).  The next two seasons in the Truck Series, Reutimann would improve his results.  He won his first career Truck Race at the Nashville Superspeedway, and finished 13th in the points.  The following season, despite not winning any races, Reutimann finished 3rd in the Final Points standings, trailing Championship winner Todd Bodine by 136 points and 2nd place Johnny Benson Jr., but only 11 points. 

Reutimann would leave Darrel Waltrip's team to go drive for his younger brother, Michael's, Grand National Series team full-time in 2007.   In his first full-time season Reutimann again one his first race in this series (again in Tennessee), but this time at Memphis.  He finished 2nd in the Final Drivers' Standings, losing by over 600 points to Carl Edwards.  Had NASCAR had drivers declare points in only one of the top 3 series like they do today, Reutimann would have been champion.  During this time he also ran full-time for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Cup Series too.  He was involved in another scary accident at Auto Club Speedway in California where he struggled to exit his car because he was dazed and had the wind knocked out of him from the accident.  In his Rookie Season in the Cup Series Reutimann failed to qualify for seven races and did not compete in either Road Course race that season.  Despite these huge shortcomings, Reutimann still finished two positions ahead of Veteran Teammate Dale Jarrett in the points standings.  Jarrett would retire after the first 5 races of the 2008 season, and Reutimann would be moved to the #44 UPS Toyota.  His former ride in the #00 car would be shared by Michael McDowell and several other drivers.  

In 2009, Reutimann returned to the #00 car at MWR, and he shocked the racing world when he scored his first career Victory at the 2009 Coca Cola 600.  This would also be the first win for Michael Waltrip as a Team Owner.  That year Reutimann finished a career high 16th in the Final Points Standings.  The following season, Reutimann again silenced the doubters when the summer race at Chicagoland Speedway (this time the race ran it's full distance).  Unfortunately, for Reutimann his Cup Series career would begin to dwindle after that season.

In 2011, Reutimann's only highlights were a 2nd place finish at Kentucky, and a massive flip on the last lap at the Watkins Glen Road Course.  Reutimann would be released from MWR at the end of the season.   The following season he'd run part-time for multiple teams, but the majority of the 2012 season he ran for Tommy Baldwin Racing.  His last full-time season was in 2013 for BK Racing.  Since 2014, Reutimann has not raced in any of NASCAR's Top 3 Series.  Today he runs dirt modifieds throughout the Southeast.

I think it's a shame Reutimann's career ended so abruptly, and I think there's multiple factors that came into play: 1.)  He did not sit out any races following both heavy crashes at Texas or Auto Club Speedway  due to injury.  He failed to qualify for some races, but he did intentionally sit out.  Today he would have been forced out his seat for a handful of races, but not until Dale Jr.'s accidents a few years later, NASCAR didn't really have a concussion protocol to speak of during this time.   2.)  A lack of consistency at Michael Waltrip Racing.  Reutimann got Michael Waltrip Racing his first two wins as the Cup Series as an owner, but he did not reap any rewards for his time.   Between the concussions and having to switch teams midway through the season, Reutimann didn't have a chance to find his footing.  The year after Reutimann left MWR, Clint Bowyer won 3 races for the team and finished 2nd in the Points standings.   The third and final reason I feel, while Reutimann's career faltered was when he went to Tommy Baldwin Racing he was just an in place driver.  That season he was just a fill-in driver.  In the days before the Charter System, a driver had to be in the Top 35 in Owners Points in order to be guaranteed a qualifying spot for a race.  Danica Patrick was running 10 races in the Cup Series and to make sure she got a guaranteed spot in the race, someone had to run the #10 car every other week to keep it in points, and that's where Reutimann came in.  He ran the #10 car for Tommy Baldwin Racing for 21 races, and only managed a season high finish of 11th in the July race at Daytona.  Reutimann also ran for the disastrous BK Racing Team and like all drivers who drove for BK Racing (Alex Bowman being the exception) it pretty much signified that his NASCAR career was over.   

I do believe David Reutimann was an underrated driver for the time he ran, and I think had he run a couple more season in the Trucks and the Grand National Series, he probably would have won more races, and probably would have developed more as a driver.  I would not consider Reutimann a bust, but I would put him in the category of unknown potential.