April 5, 2009
By Kim Roberson
Kim Roberson
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It is amazing what a difference a year makes.
One year ago, the #00 Aaron's Dream Machine was the talk of Texas after Michael McDowell took one of the scariest rides in recent history.
On lap two of his qualifying run at the Texas Motor Speedway, McDowell lost control of the Toyota Camry and it snapped head on into the outside retaining wall before beginning a series of heart stopping rolls -- that ended with the car shredded and on fire.
I described the crash during qualifying one year ago this way: “When you hear the guys in the booth say things like “Oh no…oh my gosh…..I have never seen anything like that in my life”, “that was an incredibly hard impact”, and “I have never seen one of these COT platforms take a hit like this”, you know you have seen something unusual…and slightly terrifying.
The crowd went suddenly silent as the car, now in what seems like a hundred pieces, smoldered after barrel rolling somewhere between 8 and 12 times. “
Amazingly, McDowell climbed out of the car and walked away, only slightly worse for wear in the adventure.
Fast forward one year; the #00 Aaron's Toyota Camry Dream Machine is the talk of Texas again…however this time it is for all the right reasons.
David Reutimann, aka; “Beak”, “Rooty Tootie Fresh and Fruity”, or, most recently, “The Franchise”, took the #00 around the track in qualifying on Friday, and the end result was the polar opposite of a year ago.
He won the pole for today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
“I guess it kind of puts an exclamation mark on just how things have changed, the #00 car last year just got in a really bad situation and got really torn up…but on the positive side it got Aaron's a lot of exposure, so that was a plus, but in the end this is the kind of exposure you are trying to get for…everyone involved in Michael Waltrip Racing. Again…three years is not that long a time to have a race team, and I don’t think people can really appreciate how hard it is in this business to keep your head above water, and you appreciate times when things are going well, and the people who are around you when things weren’t going so well.”
Two years ago, Reutimann didn’t make the race and then last year, the Dream Machine left the track beaten and battered.
Reutimann recognized that the guys who work on the #00 car have worked hard to make it possible to have this 180-degree turn around from a year ago. “Winning the pole is important not only for track position…but morale for your guys, to show them all the thrashing and all the hoops you make them jump through week in and week out and all the changes they do actually do -- pay off…at the end of the day, it’s for the guys in the shop and the guys on the road that make your life a lot easier. That’s what’s important to me.”
Today, he is leading the pack to the green.
“You work so hard to get your organization to where you don’t have to worry about just making races or get yourself in the top 35 and just going out there and getting poles shows you are doing what you supposed to do," Reutimann continued. "I think about how much things have changed in the short amount of time and I’m grateful for those changes.”
Despite the pole and the team’s newfound success, Reutimann understands what a fickle sport NASCAR is.
“I feel like, don’t enjoy it too much because it can go the other way really quick, so you don’t want to get too comfortable in your situation," Reutimann said. "There is always someone who can come along who can maybe do it better and maybe do it faster and maybe do a better job. That’s kind of what drives me. Never let your guard down. Just keep going as hard as you can all the time. It’s like there is a bulldozer behind you and if you slow down and stop it’s going to run over you. Maybe one day I can do that, but right now, I guess it is kind of my make-up and it is hard to change.”
As for his new nickname…David says it actually started off as a joking comment to Michael Waltrip Racing General Manager Ty Norris…and then took on a life of its own.
“The “Franchise” thing was just something that was supposed to be funny that I said to Ty one day…I heard a player or a coach say this player was “The Franchise” and I thought “Hey, that’s pretty cool..I want to go into the shop and say it to Ty and see what kind of reaction I get,” so I did and Ty just absolutely loved it and laughed like crazy and we all had a big laugh about it, and it’s been an ongoing joke at the shop for a long time, and now it’s kind of leaked out and now I’ve got security guards say “Hey, it’s “The Franchise”!”
"It was just intended to be a joke…and I’m not the face of Michael Waltrip Racing, Michael Waltrip is, and I’m just a guy Michael Waltrip gave an opportunity to and I’m trying to do my best job for him," said Reutimann. "He put a guy in a Cup car that nobody knew anything about, most time couldn’t say my last name correctly and just let me go with it and gave me the freedom to screw up when I did, and I did plenty of that. When I was down, he picked me back up, and he kept me going and he kept giving me opportunities and in the end I work for Michael Waltrip Racing, I drive for Michael Waltrip and he’s the face of our company, and I’m just an employee -- like “Hi my name is David” on the tag deal.”
Well David, I think everyone knows who you are, even without the name tag. And if somehow they don’t know how to pronounce your last name by now, they can always revert to “Beak”, “Rooty”…or even “The Franchise.”
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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