You’re 41. You’ve got four NASCAR wins. You’ve worked for the same people for the most of the last decade. And now you’re out of a job with just three weeks until the end of the season. What do you do?
This is the question David Reutimann has to to answer right now. What does he do? He’s not young, he doesn’t have money or sponsorship to bring (that we know of) and he’s not miraculously going to be anything more than what he is. What you see is what you get.
Reutimann’s first foray into NASCAR came in 2002 with Joe Nemechek. After sporadic runs through that season and 2003, he was hired by Darrell Waltrip Motorsports. He eventually moved full time to the Cup and Nationwide Series with Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007.
During his time with the Waltrips, Reutimann has four wins, and points finishes of second and third in the Nationwide and Truck Series’. His best Cup season to date came in 2009 when he finished 16th in the points after one win, five top-fives and 1o top-10s.
Only Michael Waltrip has more wins in his equipment than Reutimann – and to date Reutimann can claim all two of the team’s Cup wins.
What’s more, this season he’s only a little worse than teammate Martin Truex Jr. – average of finish of 22.9 compared to 18.4 – and is four spots behind Truex in the points.
Reutimann’s release on Thursday was a stunning turn about. He had been granted a three year contract extension just last year and was a consistent force with the team. To his credit, Reutimann did a lot with sub-par equipment. Apparently it wasn’t good enough though.
The worst part of all of this is that Reutimann faces pretty bleak prospects on the market, especially given the timing. Teams are cutting back, have already filled spots or are only looking at drivers who are bringing something to the table. Like David Ragan, Reutimann will be hard pressed to find anything worth while or competitive, especially at the level he’s at now.
As they say, it’s not show friends, it’s show business. Thank you MWR for making that painfully clear.
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NASCAR issued the inaugural fines of the season on Tuesday – in fact they were the inaugural fines for a newish team too. If you missed the penalty announcement or the act itself, NASCAR found:
The No. 15 truck driven by Michael Waltrip was to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR Officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20B-3.1.2E (rear spoiler did not meet specifications in post-race inspection) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book. As a result, crew chief Doug Howe has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Owner Billy Ballew has been penalized with the loss of 25 championship owner points.
This of course is for the spoiler “issue” the team had toward the end of Waltrip’s emotional Daytona win. After initially saying it looked like a part failure, NASCAR apparently decided something different because they don’t generally issue fines for part failures – and if they do the team generally appeals.
Now in the interest of fairness how do you award a win to a driver or team that is found to have been in violation of the rules at the time of that win?
The NCAA certainly has a take on that. Ask USC. NASCAR though never really has been in the business of taking wins away from drivers who fail post-race inspections. They see it as a matter of a team deciding to push the envelope and a driver not necessarily being involved. Why punish the driver for an action of the team?
The argument though runs into trouble because the driver is ultimately given an unfair advantage over a competitor. In the Michael Waltrip spoiler situation, Elliott Sadler said in the post-race:
“I mean, it definitely helps his truck as far as drag. When he pulled out, he went by me. I was like, ‘Wow, he’s fast.’ I tried to side draft off of him and I couldn’t… It definitely helped him.“
Though he concedes that he thinks Waltrip would have won anyway, who knows? And shouldn’t it say something that NASCAR likely would have black flagged the #15 if this had happened on lap 10 as opposed to the last lap? I’m not really sure how many of you feel about this but I have a lot issues with it.
Lately NASCAR’s been stepping up the point and monetary fines given to teams found to have violated the rulebook. In the last several seasons record fines have been doled out. The thing is, if NASCAR really wants for teams to play by the rules they need to give them incentive to do so. Taking a win or two away from drivers whose teams don’t follow the letter of the law will send that message.
I have a feeling that won’t be happening in the near term though.
The opening weekend of the 2011 NASCAR season is in the books. We saw spectacular finishes, a lot of action, and even some controversy. So from Friday’s wild Truck Series race, all the way through Sunday’s incredible finale, was Daytona what you’d hoped for?
After Thursday’s Duel races, I can’t lie, I was afraid we might be in for a very boring 500. The tandem drafting created a completely new style of superspeedway racing, and there really was no telling what kind of finish we’d see. But if Saturday’s Nationwide Series race was any indication, we were going to be in for a treat on Sunday.
The Truck Series races at superspeedways are always full of drama and action, and the Friday night premiere did not disappoint. We saw our first close finish of the weekend with Michael Waltrip just sneaking by Elliott Sadler for the win, and we also had our first controversy. It was discovered after the race that the spoiler on Waltrip’s truck had laid down, due to a part malfunction. NASCAR is taking the pieces back to the R&D center, and if any penalties are levied, expect them to be announced Tuesday.
Saturday’s NNS race kept the streak of close finishes going, with T0ny Stewart beating Clint Bowyer back to the line by only a few thousandths of a second. And while Cup drivers dominated the show, it’s nice to see that the current top five in NNS points is Landon Cassill, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, Ricky Stenhouse, and Trevor Bayne.
As for the Daytona 500, it was a shame that we had so many wrecked race cars, but the finish was unbelievable. It was fantastic watching the #21, with a retro paint scheme, go to victory lane with young Trevor Bayne at the wheel. The Wood Brothers have so much history in the sport, and it was fun to watch that team celebrate a Daytona 500 win and add another chapter to their story.
Who’s ready for Phoenix?!
Filed under: Elliott Sadler, Michael Waltrip, Daytona Int'l Speedway, SPEED TV, NASCAR
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Do you follow NASCAR on Twitter? I noticed this week, in comparison to other sports sanctioning bodies, NASCAR’s Twitter following is pitiful (TC and I would take in a second though).
Consider this:
So the question with the Twitter accounts becomes, is there a correlation between follower count and the popularity and quality of an account, and if so, why is NASCAR’s account getting beat by even retired drivers of the sport? Is it inadequate, or are NASCAR’s fans just not so engaged with the technology?
I suspect its a mixture of both.
Move to Facebook and NASCAR is still behind. While they do much better, NASCAR with well over 1 million likes, still finds itself behind most of its counterparts.
They don’t have a YouTube account for video content, and short of the blogs and forums on their own website, are not otherwise engaged in social media.
The content on these pages is neither earth shattering nor unengaged. It appears to me they do a better job communicating directly to fans through Twitter than other leagues, but they’re perhaps not getting the full value out of the medium.
I think to some extent they recognize that too. With their announced reorganization of the public relations department, they will be adding a director of social media and presumably a staff member or two to work on them. Social media presents a golden opportunity to address your key public right where they live and build that very important brand affinity – and right now for NASCAR, building and maintaining brand affinity is vital.
So what do you think about NASCAR’s social media efforts? Could they better? Would you to see when doing different things? Do you want them to use it as an aggregator for press releases? Let us know what you think!
Filed under: Michael Waltrip, Talladega Superspeedway, Sprint Cup, Michael Waltrip Racing, FanHouse Exclusive, NASCAR
With the track “Too Tough To Tame” in the rearview, all three NASCAR series head to the “Monster Mile” for another weekend of tough racing. As we wait for Friday to arrive, here’s the 74th edition of ATIW. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Bob:
Wondering what is up with Boris Said? I know they brought David Stremme in because of his experience at certain tracks. Other than the road courses do think he’ll do much racing this year?
I wouldn’t expect to see Boris run any more races for the #26 team, except maybe the road courses. His experience and ability on ovals is pretty limited, and a team that needs to qualify in the shows each week needs a more experienced driver. I think the team realized after the first few races that they needed to run better then they did with Boris. – T.C.
2. From Steve:
How do you feel about the new G/W/C rule ? Personally, I’d like to see them go back to one. With three it just turns into a crashfest,crap shoot. Not to mention trying to figure gas and all the carnage that has to be repaired afterwards. That’s got to be awfully tough on the lower budget teams.
In the beginning I was a critic of the move, and felt exactly the same way you did. In practice though I have to admit I’m being won over by the rule change. I appreciate races that end with a definitive winner and the carnage hasn’t been quite as bad as I expected. It can be a bad thing for lower budget teams, but it’s incentive to not get caught up in wrecks. – Journo
3. From Sue:
Now that the crew chiefs for the 24 and 5 team have been re-signed any educated guesses as to the amount they will make? Do they get the same incentives % such as winning a race or winning a championship that drivers get?
My best guess would be high six figures or very low seven figures. Crew chiefs, just like crew members are certainly eligible for and receive bonuses. If you’re a crew chief for a good team, you can make a very good living. – Journo
4. From Cinde:
Are the pit crew members allowed to have tattoos that are visible while on duty? I have never seen any, but do see alot of crew members that wear the partial sleeve. Where I work, we have to cover them up as well.
There are quite a few crew guys who have tattoos, as do some officials. I’ve never heard of a team requiring guys to cover them. In this picture, you can see a bit of Mike Houston’s ink (Jeff Gordon’s front carrier). Remember too that when you normally see crew members and officials on TV, they are in firesuits, gloves, and helmets. Ink is hard to spot that way. – T.C.
5. From Kyle:
Have you heard anything else on the John Wes Townley situation? Is Zaxbys upset at the situation? There have been some rumors that he no longer wants to drive. Ironically both he and Clint both have driven 5 races in the 21 and John Wes has more points than Clint (484-478 respectively)
It’s funny, John Wes actually has a better average finish in the car, and one less DNF (22.4 to Clint Bowyer’s 22.8 and 1 to Bowyer’s 2). We’ve heard John Wes doesn’t want to do it anymore too (I’m honestly not sure how true that is). We also know Childress is actively seeking drivers to fill the seat in the non-companion events. I can’t imagine the Townleys are thrilled with the way this has gone, but legally they may have no recourse. It’s just all around a bad situation. – Journo
6. From Deb:
Why isn’t michael Waltrip racing today?
Michael is pretty much retired from racing. In the future, you may see him run a few races here and there, but don’t expect any more full seasons. He decided at the end of last season that he was finished, but that he would run a partial schedule in 2010. – T.C.
7. From Neon:
Do either of you have any insight on Ford’s FR9 engine? It was mentioned Sat that AJ’s car was the only FR9 running Darlington. I figured starting w/ Talladega that all Ford’s would be sporting the better cooling FR9 pkg. AJ qualified and ran as strongest Ford till his wreck. Ford teams need to get going!
As I understand it, the FR9 will be fully deployed starting at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona in July. I believe it’s taken Roush Yates and Ford Racing a little longer to get the engine implemented then they’d hoped, but they’ve now had plenty of time to track test and work out any bugs. – T.C.
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
Could Michael Waltrip match the success of Richard Childress?
I know it’s an odd question, but I was thinking about this the other day. At this point both have built teams that are consistently competitive and capable of winning races and on track they both have had very comparable success in their driving careers (though Waltrip’s career has lasted 14+ years longer). With Waltrip stepping into the role of owner, could he join Childress as a mediocre driver who became a great owner?
Richard Childress spent 12 full and part-time seasons competing in what is today the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He began his career in 1969 (at age 23) serving as one of the fill-in drivers at the now infamous Talladega race (it was boycotted by the sport’s top drivers). Through the years, across 285 starts, Childress accumulated zero wins, six top-fives, 76 top-tens, and zero poles. He ended his career with an average finish of 17.6.
Michael Waltrip began his NASCAR career in 1985 at age 22. Through 761 starts over 26 seasons (and counting), he has four wins, 39 top-fives, 128 top-tens, and four poles. Waltrip has an average finish of 21.9.
What blossomed into Richard Childress Racing began with Childress’ first race in 1969. He gave up the drivers seat in 1981 to Dale Earnhardt; Ricky Rudd took over in 1982. Earnhardt returned for the 1983 season and never left. Together Childress and Earnhardt racked up 69 wins and six championships. On top of that, RCR has another 20 Cup wins. They also have 75 wins and six championships in the Nationwide and Truck Series’.
Michael Waltrip Racing began in earnest in 1996, fielding a Nationwide and Truck ride for Waltrip. For the next several seasons Waltrip and a slew of other drivers ran in the Nationwide Series. In that time, Waltrip racked up four wins (David Reutimann has one win in 2007).
In 2007 the team underwent a major expansion and began fielding Waltrip, Dale Jarrett, and David Reutimann in the Cup Series. While the team struggled both on and off the track through their first couple of seasons, they came into their own in 2009. Despite missing the cut for the Chase, Reutimann was consistently competitive and even scored his first Cup Series win. In addition the team fields a car for Marcos Ambrose, who has shown recently that he is capable of running up front. With the addition of Martin Truex Jr. and Pat Tryson this season, and prospects like Trevor Bayne and Ryan Truex, the team has a solid foundation from which to grow.
While the two organizations are at vastly different stages in their life cycles and Michael Waltrip doesn’t have a young Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel, they really share a lot of similarities. Both had humble beginnings (Waltrip ran the team until quite recently from a shop on the property of his Sherrills Ford, N.C. home), some early struggles, and owners with an intense passion for and commitment to NASCAR.
While it’s still young, MWR has quickly made itself a competitor in NASCAR’s top series. Given another 20 years can Waltrip find the success Childress did?
First, before I get into the meat of this post, I want to congratulate Jamie McMurray and his Earnhardt Ganassi crew. Jamie drove his butt off and the team did a heck of a job to bring home the 2010 Daytona 500.
Now, after tonight’s race I got to thinking about what it means for the season to win the Daytona 500. After doing a little research, I’m wondering if winning the 500 might be becoming a bit of a, dare I say, curse?
I went back and looked at the seasons for the previous ten Daytona 500 winners. They winners are, in chronological order: Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Michael Waltrip, Ward Burton, Michael Waltrip, and Dale Jarrett. This list stretches back to the 2000 season.
Over the previous ten seasons, only once has a driver that won the 500 gone on to win that season’s championship (Johnson, ‘06). And since 2000, only four times has a driver that won the 500 gone on to a top ten points finish. Two drivers, Burton and Waltrip, finished outside the top 20 in points.
Winning the 500 hasn’t meant that the particular driver hasn’t had success, as many have gone on to win many more races (see Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson). But it certainly hasn’t boded well for any championship hopes.
If you’ll remember last season, Kenseth jumped out early and won the 500 and again the next weekend at California. His team then began a 34 week slide that would see them miss the Chase and finish 14th in the points.
In 2008, Ryan Newman won the season opener, and then failed to reach victory lane again. He finished 17th in the points that year, and hasn’t won a race since. The ‘08 season would also be the last straw for Newman at long time home Penske Racing, as he moved on to Stewart-Haas for 2009.
Going back to 2007, Kevin Harvick was the Daytona 500 winner, and he too has not won a points paying race since.
Looking over the stats, I’m not sure we can quite call this a curse just yet, but the numbers don’t lie. Daytona 500 winners have not fared well following their big win.
I also think this brings up an interesting question, and it’s one in which I’d like to get some feedback from you on. If you could only pick one, would you rather win the Daytona 500 or a Sprint Cup Championship? Let that roll around, and let me know your thoughts.