Camping World RV Sales 200, Live From Loudon by Kellyanne Lynch
28 June 2008
David Reutimann finished 7th in the Camping World RV Sales 200, this afternoon's Nationwide Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His #99 Aaron's Dream Machine led twenty laps in the middle of the race but lost ground due to damage to the right front of the car from when Greg Biffle got into him. Today marked David's 83rd career Nationwide Series start.
"It was good," David said of his car after the race. "We led a little bit. We just never really made any changes, just a little bit with the track bar and stuff. We took four there toward the end, and a lot of those guys took two, and we were coming back up through there and got together with another car and bent the right front fender in there pretty bad. It's just disappointing. We felt like we had a shot to win."
When asked more about the contact, he added, "Yeah, these things are so sensitive on aero stuff anyway. It doesn't take a whole lot. That's kind of what killed us there at the end. It didn't help us any."
The #99 team performed a radio check at 3:03pm ET.
"Jerry, y'all keeping track of the weather down there?" spotter Shawn Reutimann asked.
"Yes, sir," crew chief Jerry Baxter replied. He said it looked like it would be coming in two hours. "You got me, D?"
"Yeah, I'm just arguing with Collin as to when I'm goin gto run the __?__ blowers," David replied. "You don't want me to run them until lap 200."
"Going with 4950 pit road speed," Jerry replied. "That will leave you about 120."
Cars rolled off pit road at 3:10pm. David would be starting 12th. Pole-sitter Landon Cassell had to drop to the rear with an engine change, giving the top starting spot to Greg Biffle in the #16.
"Pit road speed right there," Shawn noted.
"It looks like 4900. Is that right?" David asked.
They went on to discuss pit road speed.
"All right. Pull your belts tight. 200 laps. Have a good day," Jerry coached his driver before the green flag. "Get as much as you can. We don't know how far the rain's out."
The green flag waved at 3:14. David cleared Kelly Byres' #47 on the backstretch. Meanwhile, Clint Bowyer grabbed the top spot to lead the first lap.
The first caution came on lap 2. Steve Wallace hd spun Brad Coleman's #27 through the grass.
"Where the heck was the 47 going, Spank?" David asked.
"I'm not sure," Shawn replied. "He about wrecked you getting into Turn 1."
David was 11th at the time.
"Probably be about two laps, then we'll be ready to go," Shawn said. "One to go when you get back.
"Next time by.
"All right. Pass right, protect the right. Got the 38 restarting behind you. 32. Sorry."
Clint Bowyer's #2 led the lap 8 restart. David was 11th.
"Clear by one. All clear, all clear," Shawn observed. Denny Hamlin's #32 peaked inside but ducked back in line by the first lap back to green.
Lap 9 saw Kyle Busch take the lead in the #18. David was 10th, having passed Dario Franchitti on the backstretch.
"Go on. Keep on them brakes and them B-blowers," Jerry said.
Brad Keselowski and Hamlin were on his outside; Keselowski's #88 was for the next position. David passed the #88 on the backstretch on lap 12. He was now 9th.
"Clear by three, back to the 32," Shawn noted.
Carl Edwards in the #60 dropped back, giving David 8th on lap 14. Shawn noted that Hamlin was pretty quick and told David to let him go if he got to him. On lap 15, Hamlin passed on the backstretch. David was 9th again.
On lap 17, Shawn warned David about slow cars as David passed them. Bowyer reclaimed the top spot the next time around the track as David was cleared by four car lengths.
"How is it, David?" Jerry asked.
"It ain't bad," the driver reported. "It's coming around."
"Okay. That was your fastest lap. A 40."
Tony Stewart took the lead on lap 21, and David was up to 8th.
"Good job," Shawn praised.
"You run a 38, second fastest car that lap," Jerry commented.
"They're coming back to ya."
David was up to 7th on lap 24, having passed Biffle.
"No pressure," Shawn said. "Clear by eight back to the 31. You're pulling away.
"Clear by five," Shawn added on lap 27. "Plenty of room. Clear by three, back to the 32," he said the next time around the track.
"Hang in there. Keep working him. You'll get him," Shawn encouraged on lap 29, in reference to Jason Keller's #11 in front of the #99.
David passed Keller along the inside at the stripe on lap 30.
"Clear all around. Good job. Clear by one to the 1," Shawn praised.
"You run a 51," Jerry noted. "Fastest car that lap."
At the front of the field, Bowyer got his nose past Stewart at the stripe for the lead. The lapped #52 of Brad Teague took them three-wide.
"You run a 55 again," Jerry said. "You're the best car by a bunch. Keep after it."
"No pressure. All by yourself. Go get him," Shawn encouraged. "No pressure. All by yourself.
"81 slow car on the bottom.
"Inside, still there, still there. Clear.
"Plenty of room. Use all the race track you need."
By lap 38, Bowyer was well ahead of Stewart.
"Clear by ten, back to the 16," Shawn continued. "Outside. Still there. Clear all around."
David passed inside at the stripe for 5th on lap 40. Shawn told David to hit his marks and to go for Ron Hornaday in the #33 now.
"Dave, you're running a 50. The guys in front of you are running a 60, except the 2 car," Jerry informed his driver. "44. Good lap!"
The crew chief noted they were halfway on the fuel run.
"Clear by five. Pulling away," Shawn observed. "No pressure. Pulling away."
"45. Good job, brothah!" Jerry praised.
"No pressure. Clear by ten." Shawn then warned David of lapped cars in front on the straightaway, and he guided the #99 around them.
The second caution was on lap 49 when Bobby Hamilton Jr turned Landon Cassell's #5 into the wall. The #5 caught on fire, and Shawn warned David about the oil.
Cars pit on lap 48, and David was reminded to run 4950 RPM. Jerry called four a four tire stop. The #2 came off pit road first, and David was 5th.
"Okay, these are scuffs, so get them cleaned up for me, brothah," Jerry said.
"It looks like we were a little bit slow on pit road, Collin. What do you think?" David asked.
Jerry said they would find out how fast they were on pit road compared to others. He came back a little later to say NASCAR wouldn't tell them unless they were speeding.
"I was 4950, and those guys were easing away from me a little bit," David complained.
"50 then. Tires look good," Jerry replied. Meanwhile, Jason Leffler's #38 was pushed to the garage.
"One to go when you get back," Shawn said. "Next time by.
"Couple more lapped cars coming." Shawn also noted that Edwards' #60 was restarting behind them.
Racing resumed on lap 53 with Bowyer leading and David in 5th. Busch's #18 took the lead off Turn 4 of the first lap back to green, as David cleared lapped traffic.
David picked up 4th on lap 57 after getting around Kevin Harvick. Bowyer and Stewart were side bys ide in front of him for the second spot.
David took 3rd on lap 58, between Turns 1 and 2.
"Clear by 1," Shawn said. "Go get the 20.
"Clear by one."
"You run a 39. That's the fastest lap," Jerry noted.
"Good corner," Shawn praised on lap 60. "Clear by three."
"27. Good lap!"
"Nice and smooth. You're catching him," Shawn said. "Good corner. Clear by five. Pulling away."
"O9," Jerry continued with lap times. "That's the fastest lap of the race right there, brothah. Keep on it."
"Clear by five.
"Clear by five." He warned David about the lapped #01 of Mike Potter and was guided around it on lap 66.
"That was a 19 right there. Good lap, brothah!" Jerry praised. "30."
"Clear by five. No pressure. Nice and smooth.
"Clear by five. Run your line.
"There you go.
"Clear by five.
"Clear by five. No pressure." Shawn then warned David about a lapped car and guided him around it on lap 73. "Keep digging, brother. You're doing a great job. Hang in there." Shawn encouraged. He continued to lead David around lapped cars.
"Clear by six, back to the 2," Shawn said on lap 77.
David took 2nd in Turn 1 on lap 78.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Shawn exclaimed. "Go get that 18!
"Clear by four. Pulling away."
"You run a 40. He run a 55," Jerry noted.
"No pressure. Driving away."
"30. He run a 35."
Shawn warned David about another lapped car and guided him around it.
"35," said Jerry. "He run a 45. You're getting him, brothah."
"Clear by ten. You're pulling away.
"No pressure. Use all the race track you need. You have two lapped cars between you and Kyle. Clear.
"You want the bottom or top on that 81?" Shawn asked, referring to Randy MacDonald.
"Bottom," David replied.
"Clear by twenty, back to the 20. Go the that 18. You're doing a hell of a job," Shawn praised.
"48. He run a 55. You're doing a good job, brothah," Jerry added.
"Working lap 85," Shawn continued. "Nice and smooth. Use all the track you need. You've got nobody aroud ya."
"39. Leader a 39. Good job!
"35. Leader run a 55."
"Good corner. Good corner. Clear by half a straightaway," Shawn said. "Coming up on a bunch of traffic. Nice and smooth here."
Shawn guided David around a great deal of traffic on lap 89. "Driving away. No pressure. Nice and smooth, bud.
"89's a lapped car. Inside. Still there. Clear."
David was guided around the lapped #28 of Kenny Wallace on lap 93.
"No pressure from behind. Run your line," Shawn said. After David had a hard time getting around Steve Wallace, he added, "All clear. Nice and smooth.
"Got plenty of room. No one around you. Use all the race track you need, bud."
The third caution came on lap 100 for Mike Wallace's #4; it spun behind David.
"Still pretty happy right there, Dave?" Jerry asked.
David said he was a little free on exit, but he told Jerry not to mess with it. Jerry mentioned David needing a fender tug when he pit.
David came out 3rd. After the stop, Jerry said David was on sticker tires. He also noted that Franchitti's #40 had gained ten spots, probably because he went with two tires only.
"There you go," Jerry said. "Keep scuffing them. And you led that lap in the pits, so good job."
"One to go when you get back," Shawn said. He asked David what RPM he drove on pit road.
"5000," David replied.
Kyle Busch led the restart on lap 105 with David running 3rd. The #99 was guided around the #40 on the backstretch for 2nd.
"Clear by four. Go get the 18, buddy," Shawn encouraged. "Clear by five, back to the 2."
"Tenth and a half better than the 18 that lap," Jerry noted.
"Clear by four, back to the 2."
David went for the lead on lap 109. He spent all of lap 110 racing side by side with Stewart before leading lap 111.
"Nice and smooth. Drive away. Clear by one," Shawn said. "Clear by two.
"Clear by four. Nice and smooth. Hit your marks.
"There you go. Good corner."
"09," Jerry read the lap time. "That's the fastest lap again. Good job."
"Clear by four," Shawn continued. "Clear by 2. He's better in 1 and 2, and you're better in 3 and 4.
"Good corner. Clear by 3. Use all the race track you need.
"Clear by two. Run your line. Don't worry about him, brothah.
"Clear by three.
"Half a car length back.
"Clear by half a car length. You're better than him in this corner," Shawn said, referring to Turn 3.
"18's saying way too tight on exit," Jerry informed his driver.
"Clear by one," Shawn continued. "Clear by half a car length. Run your line. You're doing a good job, buddy. Don't worry about him."
'Just way too loose in the centre off 1," David reported on lap 125.
"You still got 75 laps to go, brothah. Be smart," Jerry encouraged.
"Clear by half a car length," Shawn said.
The fourth caution was for debris on lap 128.
"All right, Dave. Are you free in 1 and 2 in the centre?" Jerry asked.
"That's what's keeping me from running away from him," David replied.
Jerry called for a half a turn on the track bar.
Cars pit, and David lost nine spots. On his way off pit road, cars bottled, and Biffle got into him a little.
"Damn, all these guys must have taken fuel only or right sides," Shawn said.
"Yeah, evidentally, they did something different," David replied.
"We've still got 70 laps to go in this thing," Jerry reminded them. "We'll be just fine taking four. We're back on scuffs again, Dave." Jerry reiterated that David would be fine twice and told David to "get a jump on these guys."
"One to go to the line," Shawn said.
Edwards led the lap 132 restart with David in 10th. Stewart took the lead three laps into the run.
"Same speed as the leader, and you're in traffic. Good job. Keep after it," Jerry encouraged.
By lap 136, David was cleared by all the lapped cars. He was 8th.
"Clear by five, back to the 59," Shawn said.
"You run a 35. They're all running 50's in front of you. Leader run a 50," Jerry noted.
"Clear all around. Clear by five, back to the 59."
David got around Biffle for 7th. The #16 got into him again as he passed.
"Clear by two," Shawn said.
"39. Good lap," Jerry added.
"Clear by five. Driving away from the 16."
"29. Keep after it, brotha. He run a 40 in front of you. 45."
Shawn noted that the cars David was approaching had new right side tires only. "Good corner."
"You're gaining a tenth a lap. 56 to go. Keep after it, brothah!"
"No pressure, bud. Hang in there," Shawn encouraged. "Clear by ten, back to the 1."
"All right. That was a 40. Get back after it. Good job."
Clear by ten. No pressure.
"We got a little bit of fender damage," Shawn reported. "I don't know if it's taking away from our lap times."
"Think it is," Jerry replied. "Pretty significant."
Fifty laps remained in the race.
"Clear by five, back to the 1," Shawn noted.
"50," Jerry read off lap times. "55. Got 47 to go, brothah. 47."
"Got plenty of room. Use all the race track you need. Go get 'im," Shawn encouraged.
"40. Whateve ryou did there, just keep after it," Jerry said. "50.
"What's it doing, David? Tight?"
"10-4. Tight," David replied, sounding quite dejected.
"Lapped car. 56 lapped car. Outside. Still there. Still there. Clear."
"Keep after it, bud. You've got the 1 about five car lengths behind you," Jerry said. "Make sure you have that right rear B blower turned off."
"Clear by three, back to the 1."
"55. That was better right there.
"48. Better yet. Keep after it."
"Clear by five," Shawn said.
"47," Jerry continued with lap times. "You've got 46 to go. Keep digging, brothah."
By this point, Stewart was back in the lead.
"49."
"Clear by five."
"48. Good job!"
"Good corner!"
"50."
"A couple lapped cars you're getting ready to catch in the next lap or so," Shawn noted. "Inside. Clear.
"Inside, still there, clear.
"Clear by four."
"Thirty to go, David. Thirty to go," Jerry said.
"Clear by three," Shawn observed. "81 a lapped car.
David was cleared by two car lengths after he got around MacDonald again.
"70."
On lap 173, Mike Bliss' #1 looked like it was itching to pass.
"26 to go. Just keep digging," Jerry encouraged. "Just keep doing what you're doing."
"Clear by one."
"55. That was better."
"Clear by one."
"54. 24 to go. Keep after it, brothah."
"60."
"Clear by three."
"55. Good job. You've got 22 to go.
"59."
"4 car's a lapped car," Shawn noted. "Clear by 1. Inside. Clear."
"Clear by one."
On lap 181, Bliss was looking to pass. David had four lapped cars in front of him.
"17 to go, brothah. 17 to go," Jerry said. "Keep after it."
"Clear by four," said Shawn.
"Running 60."
David bobbled on lap 185 and dropped dramatically. Bliss jumped inside and passed.
"Nice save there a minute ago," Shawn praised.
"Keep doing what you're doing. You gotta stay ahead of that 2," Jerry said. The #2 is in the points chase with David; David is second, and Bowyer is third in the standings. "Good job. 14 to go."
"Clear by two."
David got back around Bliss for 7th.
"Clear by one."
"11 to go. Keep after it, brothah. 11 to go."
"Clear by one."
"Ten to go. Ten. 60."
"Clear by one. I know it's tight, bro. Just hang in there." A moment later, Shawn added, "It's starting to mist pretty heavy. Right there with you."
"Just keep picking away his line. You're doing a good job," Jerry praised.
"Clear by two," Shawn said. He cleared David around Kenny Wallace.
"Seven to go."
"Clear by one.
"Clear by one."
"Got 5 to go. Keep after it, man. Five to go."
"Clear by two."
"Four to go. Four."
"Clear by one."
"Three to go. Keep after it. Three to go."
"Clear by one."
"Two to go, brothah. Two to go."
The #1 peaked inside but dropped back. David was cleared by two car lengths.
The yellow flag waved on the final lap, slowing the field before they reached the checkered flag. Biffle had run into the wall after running into another car first.
"Hold your position. come on around," Shawn said.
Jerry apologised for the call he had made to take four tires rather than two. "Damn it!"
"I don't know how bad the right front's screwed up," David replied, "but Biffle got into the wall and basically stopped, and I got it."
Jerry said he had car owner Michael Waltrip on the pit box, who was saying a call like that could go either way. He noted there was a lot of right front damage.
When the #99 parked on pit road, Mikey jumped off the pit box. He and David and a few members of the #99 crew looked over the damage together.
Be sure to watch Mikey, David, and McDowell in tomorrow's Sprint Cup race! Coverage starts at 12:30pm ET on TNT.