David Reutimann earned the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine another top 10 finish for Michael Waltrip Racing in the Meijer 300, today's Busch Series race at Kentucky Speedway. He crossed the stripe 8th.
The #99 Aaron's Dream Machine ranked 25th in qualifying with Mark Green behind the wheel. Green turned his better of two laps in 30.995 seconds at 174.222 MPH, and was 0.619 seconds behind pole winner Denny Hamlin. Because David Reutimann took the reigns of the Dream Machine for the race, the #99 dropped to the rear of the field at the start of the race. Reutimann is one of many drivers running two NASCAR races this weekend and was the only Craftsman Truck Series driver in the Busch field tonight.
Debris on the backstretch delayed the start of the race by one lap. The race went green two minutes later, at 8:20pm ET. Second place starter Carl Edwards dropped like a rock through the ranks with a possible parts failure, while pole-sitter Denny Hamlin took off to a solid lead and Reutimann bounced up to 37th. Kevin Harvick's #21 spun, and the yellow flag waved.
The first caution came on lap 2 for Harvick's spin, one minute into the race. Carl Edwards went to the garage, and a few drivers went to pit road after cutting through the grass to avoid Harvick.
Racing resumed on lap 8 with Hamlin in the lead. Reutimann was 31st. Morgan Shephard spun immediately, tipped by Mark McFarland.
The second caution came on lap 9. Mike Wallace, who had been penalysed a lap for pulling up to pit, received the free pass. Reutimann was marked in 30th. JJ Yeley pit under the yellow flag, after Stephen Wallace reportedly cut into him.
Hamlin led the lap 12 restart, with Reutimann in 29th. He gained two spots one lap into the run to Joel Kauffman and Justin Diercks. Lap 14 saw him get around Aaron Fike for 26th, and he picked up another spot two laps later. Lap 21 saw Reutimann lose a couple spots, as Kyle Busch and Reed Sorenson closed in on the race leader. Busch took the lead on lap 23. Moments later, Reutimann spun.
Reutimann's spin through the infield drew the third caution on lap 24; Greg Biffle had spun him. Although Reutimann stayed on the lead lap, he dropped to 40th. Some drivers chose to pit, and Sorenson cut too late into his box and turned sideways. Sorenson's confusion came due to a new pit sign.
Busch stayed on the race track and led the lap 28 restart. Reutimann rode 32nd. Passing Jeff Fuller one lap into the run gained him a spot. Another accident drew another yellow flag.
The fourth caution came on lap 30. Leffler spun off Turn 2, and Fuller got into the inside wall along the backstretch while trying to avoid hitting the driver's side of Leffler's #38. NASCAR red flagged the race at 8:56pm while safety workers attended to assisting Fuller.
Racing resumed at 9:10pm on lap 38. Busch led, and Reutimann was 27th. Two laps into the run, he gained a spot to Boris Said, and he gained another a lap later to Jay Sauter. He now rode 25th. Lap 44 saw Reutimann get around Auggie Vidovich for another spot, and two laps later, he passed Johnny Sauter. Sauter got back around him two laps after that, and Vidovich passed him on the next lap. Reutimann was back to 25th.
The yellow flag waved for the fifth time on lap 50 when Leffler hit the wall again. Reutimann had gotten back around Vidovich for 24th before the caution. The leaders pit.
Clint Bowyer, among others, did not pit. He led the lap 54 restart, with Reutimann in 28th. He gained a spot on lap 57. Initially, Vidovich's #4 held up the #99, but Reutimann got around him four laps into the run and popped up to 23rd despite Vidovich getting back around him before the stripe. He was 21st on lap 60, after getting around both Vidovich and Kaufman. At the front of the field, Biffle took the lead.
Reed Sorenson took a hard hit in Turn 3 after cutting a tire, drawing the sixth caution on lap 61. Reutimann was 20th.
Biffle led the lap 69 restart, with Reutimann in 20th. Tim Sauter was the fastest driver on the track, and he passed the #99 one lap into the run. By lap 73, Reutimann had slipped a couple spots, but he was back to 20th the next time around the track. On lap 75, he lost a spot to Michel Jourdain Jr. Tim Sauter passed within the next four laps, dropping the #99 to 22nd; however, Reutimann reclaimed the spot one lap later. One circuit after that, he rounded Jourdain Jr for another spot. He passed Reagan Smith for 19th on lap 83, and he rounded Johnny Sauter three laps after that. Reutimann sat 18th.
The Aaron's Dream Machine rose through the ranks in the following laps. Dropping under Stephen Leicht, Reutimann passed for 17th on lap 94. Two laps later saw him pick up another spot from Ashton Lewis Jr, and one lap after that, he manuevered around Danny O'Quinn for 15th. Reutimann gained 14th from Mike Wallace on lap 99.
Just after the halfway point, Kyle Busch passed for the lead on lap 101. Biffle chose to make a green flag stop after losing the top spot. Reutimann, who had already rose to 12th picked up 9th as others followed Biffle to the pits. The #99 picked up 8th from John Andretti on the track on lap 106.
Amidst green flag stops, the yellow flag waved for the seventh time on lap 118. Burney Lamar had slowed, and Clint Bowyer's #2 turned him. The caution trapped many cars one lap down. Reutimann was one of eleven who was still on the lead lap, and Johnny Sauter became the 12th with the free pass. Lead lap cars pit.
Busch led the lap 113 restart, behind Biffle at the tail end of the lead lap. Reutimann rode 11th. One lap into the run, Biffle lost the lead lap again; however, he regained it moments later. Reutimann made gains on lap 125, picking up two spots from David Gilliland and Stephen Leicht.
The eighth caution came on lap 135 for debris in the groove. Biffle had earned his lap back, and Boris Said received the free pass. Leaders stopped under yellow, and Reutimann gained some spots. Yeley was first off pit road, but ran the stop light at the end of pit road. Yeley said that teammate Hamlin's car blocked the light, and therefore retained his lead.
Racing resumed on lap 139 with Yeley leading following his gas and go, and Reutimann in 4th. The #99 lost a spot one lap into the run, and on lap 141, he lost another to Paul Menard. On lap 146, he got around Busch for position, but he lost it the next time around the track. Lap 148 saw Reutimann losing a spot to Denny Hamlin. He was now 7th. He rode behind Hamlin, Menard, and Busch, who went three-wide many times. When he looked to the outside of the #11, Gilliland gained ground to him. On lap 156, Reutimann fell to 8th when Gilliland passed him and Busch. He passed Busch the next time around the track. Reutimann picked up 6th from Kevin Harvick on lap 159. Busch had made an unscheduled stop, because the driver thought he was losing a tire.
Biffle passed Reutimann on lap 167, putting the #99 in 7th. On lap 181, the #99 re-passed Biffle's #66.
The yellow flag waved for the nineth time on lap 184. Chris Cook's #43 got aeroloose in front of Danny O'Quinn and spun. The caution closed up the over four-second lead that Yeley had over Gilliland. Reutimann was one of the few leaders who chose to pit. Biffle got into him while they were heading to their boxes, and NASCAR penalysed him by sending him to the tail end of the longest line.
The green flag returned on lap 188. Yeley led, and Reutimann rode 6th. On lap 190, Gilliland made the pass for the lead.
The tenth caution came for Vidovich's spin with ten laps to go, breaking the record for yellow flags. Bowyer had earned his lap back, and Reutimann sat 7th.
Gilliland led the lap 195 restart, with Reutimann in 7th. Kevin Harvick passed the #99 one lap into the run. Two laps from the finish, Biffle passed the Aaron's Dream Machine too. Reutimann was 9th. He passed Menard before the stripe, finishing 8th while Gilliland won.
Be sure to watch Mikey tomorrow in the Nextel Cup race! Coverage of the 3M Performance 400 starts tomorrow at 1:00pm ET on FOX.
