David Reutimann (#17 NTN Bearings Toyota) had a decent season in 2004 but recognizes it could have been much better. Despite capturing 2004 Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors, Reutimann failed to reach other goals, such as a race win and a spot in the top 10 (he finished 14th) in the final points standings. For that reason, any talk of a sophomore jinx is the furthest thing from the 34-year-old competitor’s mind. “I try not to think about that stuff … I feel more confident this year than last year.” Reutimann, who heads to this week’s World Financial Group 200 as the defending Bud Pole winner, went on to finish third in the 2004 race, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ first at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Historically, being rookie of the year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has been anything but a jinx. In 1999, Greg Biffle returned to win a season-record nine times. Brendan Gaughan (#77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Dodge) posted six victories in 2003 and – a year ago – Carl Edwards went to victory lane on three occasions and finished fourth for the championship. “Being rookie of the year always helps,” said Gaughan, who won twice but – like Reutimann – failed to crack the top 10. “It helps confidence; it helps the team. It helps everybody feel better. “To us, we just knew we were better and we went out to prove that we were better.” Reutimann, a Florida native, agrees. There’s too much going on without tossing superstition into the mix “Your standard challenge every week is the level of competition,” Reutimann said. It’s not an easy thing to win a pole or run up front. There are not many challenges to overcome at Atlanta other than what you face every race weekend.” A year ago, Reutimann shared the Atlanta front row with fellow Raybestos Rookie contender Robert Huffman (#12 Toyota Tundra Toyota) – the first time in series history that freshman drivers qualified one-two. Now Huffman is his teammate at Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, a positive move for both drivers, according to Reutimann. Reutimann enters the season’s third race ninth in points; Huffman is 11th. “That’s really beneficial to both of us,” he said of the expansion to a two-truck team. Huffman was third among rookies in 2004 and 23rd overall. Atlanta this week will be dramatically different than a year ago when the race was run in the afternoon with qualifying and happy hour a day earlier. On Friday, time trials take place in early evening following which the field will be impounded for a 9:15 p.m. ET race start. “There are a lot of questions to be answered,” said Reutimann, likely speaking for many in the garage. “You have to figure out whether (the track) is going to tighten up or it it’s going to stay the same. It’s anybody’s guess on what it’s going to do. “We’ve never run there under the lights. It’s going to be a neat deal.”
NEWS & NOTES, PART II
Atlanta master Labonte in the field … No active driver has more NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway than Bobby Labonte (#47 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet), a six-time winner on the 1.54-mile speedway. Labonte’s best NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series finish is third, at Martinsville Speedway in October 2004. Older brother Terry Labonte won at Richmond in 1995. Two brothers never have won in the series. Todd (#66 Fiddle Back Racing Toyota) and Geoffrey Bodine have come closest with a victory and second-place finish, respectively.
Three-time champ Sprague goes for 200 … Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) is set to make his 200th series start this week. He’ll become just the second 200-race starter. Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) hit 200 Feb. 25 at California Speedway. Matt Crafton (#88 Menards Chevrolet) becomes the 17th driver to appear in 100 races when he starts the World Financial Group 200. ETC. … Jimmy Spencer (#2 Team ASE Dodge) goes for the triple this week entering Atlanta’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events. … NASCAR and Atlanta Motor Speedway will host 100 urban youth for the World Financial Group 200 as one component of a community-focused “Welcome to Atlanta NASCAR Weekend” celebration. … Crawford’s truck will carry the logo of the National Kidney Foundation, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first kidney transplant in the United States. The team’s “extra man” in Atlanta will be Lonnie Mixon, a Mobile, Ala. donor whose gift extended the life of a chronic kidney disease sufferer in 2004.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Mile-and-a-half tracks key in title race … This week’s event at Atlanta Motor Speedway marks the first of nine events on seven 1.5-mile tracks – more than a third of the 2005 schedule. Bobby Hamilton (#04 Baileys Dodge) won last year’s championship on the strength of two wins (Atlanta and Kentucky) and five of eight finishes among the top five on 1.5-mile layouts. Next best were Crafton and David Starr (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet) with four top fives; they finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in final points standings. Veterans well-versed in Atlanta competition … Several series “newcomers” – drivers who didn’t compete at Atlanta in 2004 – won’t need much in the way of practice laps to acquaint themselves with the track. Todd Bodine, Ricky Craven (#99 Super Chips Ford) and Spencer each has a top-five finish in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition at the track. Johnny Benson (#23 Toyota Tundra Toyota) won Atlanta’s NASCAR Busch Series race in 1995, his championship season.
Open-wheel grads know Atlanta, too … Raybestos Rookie contender Shige Hattori (#9 AISIN/AISIN AW Toyota) finished ninth and eighth in Atlanta Indy Racing League competition in 2000-01. Jimmy Kite (#06 MRD Chevrolet), a fellow Indianapolis 500 veteran, was ninth in 1999.
10 YEARS TOUGH
Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park is prominent in the development of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The .375-mile oval – with its pit road located off the track behind Turn 2 – hosted a trio of points races, three exhibition events during “Winter Heat” in 1994-95 and a September 1994 demonstration race. Ron Hornaday Jr. (#6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) won twice at TRP in 1995 and the final race on March 1, 1997. Skinner was the track’s 1996 winner. Hornaday, Sprague (seventh) and Crawford (12th) are the only veterans of Tucson’s finale competing this week in Atlanta. Fellow drivers from the 1997 race remain active in other capacities. Rick Carelli is Hornaday’s spotter; Kevin Harvick owns the GM Goodwrench team with his wife DeLana; Doug George is the crew chief for Regan Smith’s #19 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet; Bob Keselowski is crew chief for son Brad Keselowski’s #29 Pork. The Other White Meat Ford; and Bobby Dotter owns Ken Weaver’s #08 1-800-4-A-Phone Chevrolet.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Atlanta Motor Speedway is just the fifth track to host more than one series race in a season. The EasyCare Vehicle Service 200 is set for Oct. 29. Phoenix International Raceway staged a pair of races annually from 1995 through 1998. The series visited Bakersfield, Calif.’s Mesa Marin Raceway two times in 1995. Texas Motor Speedway has been a twice-yearly stop since 1999 with Martinsville Speedway doubling up beginning in 2003.
Fast Facts
What: World Financial Group 200 (Race 3 of 25).
Where: Atlanta Motor Speedway.
When: 9:15 p.m. ET, Friday, March 18.
Track layout: 1.54-mile banked paved.
Race length: 200.2 miles/130 laps.
Posted awards: $495,082.
TV: SPEED Channel, 9 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 winner: Bobby Hamilton.
2004 polesitter: David Reutimann.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday Practice 9:00 a.m. 10:10 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. Qualifying 5:10 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(3-10-2005)
