David Reutimann Gets 2nd NASCAR Win At Chicagoland Speedway On Saturday
July 11, 2010 – By Scott
David Reutimann has had a dark cloud hanging over his head ever since his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race win back in May of 2009. Many of his competitors said they did not feel it should count after he won the rain-shortened race at Charlotte.
Now, Reutimann may have silenced his critics as he won the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday after blowing past Jeff Gordon to get the victory. Luck might have had a factor in his first win, but this one was definitely legit according to Reutimann.
“OK, here you go,” he said. “Just leave me alone. We won the race.”
Carl Edwards, who finished second, had a shot to win the race after his late charge in the closing laps. He cut Reutimann’s lead to less than a second but Edwards could not get by him. Despite finishing second and not winning the race, Edwards was happy to see Reutimann, who races for Michael Waltrip Racing, get his second win.
“We all got to hang out with each other every week, but he’s the guy you’d hang out with if you had an off weekend,” Edwards said. “He’s a good guy.”
Gordon, who finished third, did hold the lead early in the race but Reutimann would soon begin to make his move. He was encouraged by his team to be patient and wait for Gordon to make a mistake. They were right as Gordon began to experience handling problems and Reutimann eventually took the lead on lap 213. The race was Gordon’s 600th career start and joked that his age might be taking a toll on him.
“I do when I get out of that race car and everything aches,” Gordon said. “It didn’t used to be like that.”
The race was a bit tough for some of the NASCAR drivers who are in contention for the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Jimmie Johnson was dominant in the early stages on Saturday but he later spun out and hit the wall and wound up finishing 25th.
Points leader Kevin Harvick was not in top form as he struggled all race. Harvick had to pull into the garage after experiencing engine problems on lap 194. He would eventually return but finished 34th. Despite his poor finish, he still holds a 103-point lead over Gordon in the points standings.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will return to action on July 25 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400.
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- Jimmie Johnson Wins at Las Vegas Speedway
- Rain-Delayed NASCAR Race Restarts At Texas Motor Speedway On Monday At Noon
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