MWR 34th and 35th in Richmond Nationwide race by Kellyanne Lynch
7 September 2008
Contact with the wall early in tonight's Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway relegated David Reutimann to a 34th place finish. His #99 Aaron's Dream Machine was sixteen laps down at the end of the Emerson Radio 250. Teammate Josh Wise in the #00 Napa Toyota was in the garage at the end of the race, having wrecked with Landon Cassell's #5 during the second half. He finished 35th, 48 laps down.
The call to start engines came at 7:08pm ET. The field was set according to points after being delayed by two days due to Hurricane Hannah. David would roll off 6th and Josh 43rd.
Joey Logano led the field to the green flag eight minutes later. David moved up to 5th one lap into the run. He picked up 4th on lap 5.
Clint Bowyer moved into the top spot on lap 10. Four laps later, David picked up 3rd. Josh was 26th by lap 24.
The first caution came on lap 29 for Danny Efland, who spun on his own. DJ Kennington received the free pass back onto the lead lap; he was 35th. This counted as the competition yellow.
Leaders made stops. Edwards picked up the lead, David lost a spot, and Busch slid all the way through his box but still gained spots. Burney Lamar picked up the lead.
Carl Edwards got just two tires and led the restart on lap 38. David was 3rd, and Josh was 19th. Josh lost a spot one lap into the run but picked up two spots during the next circuit.
On lap 41, Bowyer reclaimed the lead. Logano was looking under the #99 for position. David fell to 4th on lap 47, regained it one lap later, and lost the spot again.
The yellow flag waved for the second time on lap 55. Brad Teague had gotten into David Stremme, sending Stremme down the track. Eric McClure received the free pass.
Bowyer led the lap 60 restart with David in 4th and Josh in 16th. Nine laps into the run, the #99 lost a spot to Kevin Harvick. David was now 5th. He fell to 6th on lap 73 when Denny Hamlin passed along the inside. Meanwhile, Josh dropped to 17th.
On lap 87, David lost a spot to Mike Bliss. He was now 7th. Meanwhile, Josh fell to 19th by lap 90. David was reporting that he was having to pedalling it when he got into the corner, because he was so free.
Austin Dillon spun, drawing the third caution on lap 97. This was his Nationwide series debut. Leaders pit under yellow, and David gained a spot on pit road.
Racing resumed on lap 102 with Bowyer leading, David 6th, and Josh 18th. Two laps later, David lost a spot to Scott Wimmer in the #29. He dropped to 8th on lap 105 when Kyle Busch passed.
On lap 108, David hit the wall hard and began sparking heavily. He had gotten loose running high. He drew the fourth caution on lap 108. The #99 went to pit road.
"It's killed in the right front. It's going to take more than a right front tire, I'm afraid," David said over the radio.
Brad Keselowski received the free pass.
David was 34th and off the track when racing resumed on lap 113. Bowyer led, and Josh was 16th. The #99 continued to drop as it sat in the garage. David returned to the race 12 laps down in 36th.
Meanwhile, the commentators talked about how Josh was running 17th. They said he wasn't supposed to be in this race but was able to get in when somebody who was in the top 43 had dropped out. They also mentioned that David had said Josh had a lot of potential, especially if he got in good equipment.
By lap 149, David was up to 35th, although he was now thirteen laps down. He was 15 laps down by lap 157.
Andrew Ranger backed his #22 into the wall, drawing the fifth caution on lap 162. Marcos Ambrose had spun him after Ranger got into him first. Kenny Wallace received the free pass.
Bowyer led the restart with 83 laps to go. David was 15 laps down in 35th while Josh ran 19th. By lap 188, David had lost another lap, and Josh was up to 17th.
The sixth caution was on lap 204. Josh had slid up the wall and hit Landon Cassell into the wall. He got out of his car as it sat on pit road, and a fire in the left front tire started. Cars pit under yellow, and Stremme stayed on track to pick up the lead.
Stremme led the restart with 33 laps to go. Josh was sixteen laps down in the garage in 33rd while David ran seventeen laps down in 35th. On lap 220, David moved past Josh for 34th. Meanwhile, Bowyer had taken the lead.
With 28 laps to go, Carl Edwards moved into the top spot.
The seventh caution was on lap 226. Jason Leffler had tried to go to the inside line, and he cut across Bobby Hamilton Jr's nose.
Edwards led the restart with 21 laps to go. David was 34th, 16 laps down. Josh was 35th, 29 laps down, and in the garage.
Lap 234 saw the eighth caution. Dillon had run into Steve Wallace, spinning out both his #21 and Wallace's #66.
Racing resumed with 14 laps to go. Edwards led, David was 16 laps down in 34th, and Josh was 34 laps down, in the garage in 35th.
The ninth caution was with 11 laps to go for debris. Wallace had ripped off a piece of debris by using Brandon Whitt's nose. He was blackflagged.
With nine laps to go, Edwards led the field to the green flag. David was 34th and sixteen laps down. Josh was in the garage. Edwards went on to win, and David and Josh finished 34th and 35th respectively.
Mikeypower.com will have live practice and qualifying reports from Loudon next weekend. Coverage of the Sprint Cup's Sylvania 300 will air Sunday at 1:00pm ET on ABC. The Nationwide Series is off next weekend but has a race coming up today at 6:30pm on ESPN2.