Off The Press

More

 

Search:

Search more PR's by name or teams

 

 

 

P R E S S   R E L E A S E

Note: This press release may have been edited for formatting purposes only

Posted on June 8, 2008 PopUpScript Email   Print

 

TOYOTA NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Race Notes & Quotes Nashville Superspeedway - June 7, 2008

David Reutimann was the top finishing Camry driver at Nashville with his No. 99 Aaron's Dream Machine Camry earning a third-place result. Mike Wallace earned his best finish of the season (sixth) after also earning his best qualifying effort of the season (ninth). Other Camry drivers in the field tonight included Kyle Busch (20th), Jason Leffler (26th) and Joey Logano (31st). Logano earned his first career NNS pole position when he took the top starting spot for today's race. It was also Toyota's seventh pole of the 2008 season. Toyota drivers led 108 of 225 laps in tonight's race - Logano (64 laps), Reutimann (43 laps) and Wallace (one lap). Camry drivers have now led a total of 2,151 laps in NNS competition since the beginning of the 2007 season. Today's event marks the 50th start for the Toyota Camry in NNS competition since entering the series at the beginning of the 2007 season. Reutimann and Leffler have started every Nationwide race the Camry has competed in.

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 99 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Finished: 3rd Can you talk about your last lap and your third-place finish? "It didn't work out. We had a good car, and that last yellow killed us."

What were your emotions as you climbed from your race car? "We didn't win the race. When you have a lead like that, and you end up third, it doesn't -- these races aren't all that easy to win, despite what some people think. And, when you have a chance to win, and you don't, its cause for me to get a little upset."

What happened on that last restart? "The No. 2 got a good start and we got down into (turn) three and he was real close to the back of me and got me loose. He didn't touch me - we were racing. I let him get too close to me and it wiggled us up the race track. Then we got moved up again and just lost positions and had to get back down. Once the 2 got to us, it was game over."

If it would have stayed green, would fuel have been an issue? "We were riding fairly well, so we would have been okay on fuel. We weren't going to have a whole lot left, extra, but we would've been fine."

MIKE WALLACE, No. 7 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Finished: 6th What do you think about getting your best finish of the season? "I'm very, very excited about it. How does it always happen when you get your best finish you're wishing for one more spot? I was trying to get in the top-five of course and a little bragging rights for the team and bonus money for them. All in all, our team is really coming together good. The guys are doing a really good job and everybody on the GEICO Toyota Camry from Germain Racing - things are working and starting to develop. We were working on top-10s and now were getting closer to those top-fives. We said once we got ourselves so we could run in the top-five then we'd be in the position to win and that's what we need to do."

How's your season been so far, are you where you thought you'd be right now? "I think we got off to a little slower start than I was hoping we would. We were running very respectable right now. We're all in a position where we want to win a race and put ourselves in that spot. I talked to our sponsor last week and their very happy with our performance and what we're doing on and off the race track for them and that meant a lot to me. We're not under any pressure to do anything other than what we know how to do ourselves. That's good and the team wants to win. That's why I went to Germain Racing, because they know how to win races. Even though this is kind of a new deal for them, they still know how to do it and I'm really happy with the guys and good pit stops are all coming together. Some of our difficulties at the first of the year and I think we're getting them all ironed out."

TRENT OWENS, Crew Chief, No. 32 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Finished: 20th Can you talk about tonight's race for the No. 32? "It started out good. They qualified fifth with no practice - we had practice but Kyle (Busch) didn't. We had a top-five car all night. We made that first pit stop with small adjustments with the lack of him not practicing the car. We came out of the pits as one of the faster cars on the track and then we got that accident with the No. 20 car when they had their mishap. From there we kind of struggled speed-wise because it messed up the aero-dynamics of the car. We probably could have still finished fourth or fifth. We had that tire go down and from their you get a couple laps down and you can't really race anybody. All in all, I'm proud of the guys on the team - proud of Kyle for coming in and doing such a good job. It's hard to put together a top-five car when you know you're not going to run practice. From that side, I'm proud of the guys for the performance of the car from the start of the race."

What do you think of Kyle's triple duty weekend? "We're second in line, kind of middle of the road. I'm sure tomorrow is going to be his toughest day with the three races and all the traveling. I don't think tonight was too bad on him but definitely tomorrow during the day at Pocono is going to be his toughest challenge. The Nationwide race wasn't really that long of a race and it was at night and that all is a help."

JASON LEFFLER, No. 38 Great Clips Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Finished: 26th

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finished: 31st What happened during the race to bring your car behind pit wall to repair damage? "We had a really good car. Obviously, we put it on the pole and led the first part of the race there. We made our green flag stop and were still in the lead. Then, we came in and took those four tires and it put us back there in the trash. You got lap cars that are way slower than you and they're all sideways. You put stickers on and you're obviously going to be looser. Somewhere within that mess - I'm not sure what happened behind me but I got tagged in the left rear and around I went. I got hit hard enough that I knew I wasn't going to save that thing. It was definitely a bummer. We had a great car - a car that could win the race and couldn't capitalize on it."

Is what happened tonight part of the overall learning process? "Once you go out there and ride around, that's what you're doing, riding around. You get out of everybody's way. You don't want to get in the mess because you have nothing to gain. You don't feel like riding in the back with all the junk. What are you supposed to do? It pretty much was boring from there on out. You got no one to race and you're just making laps."

 

The opinions expressed on this site are not necessarily those of the publisher.  All comments other than website related problems need to be directed to the author.  Copyright 2000-2007 SpeedwayMedia.com.

 

Click here to discuss this at our forum!

 

 

 

   
 

 

 

SM NEWSLETTER

FREE Racing News!

Enter your name and email address below:


 

Home  |  Sprint Cup Series  |  Nationwide Series  |  Truck Series  |  News Feeds  |  Newsletter  |  News Links

Press Releases  |  Advertising  |  Write For Us  |  Link To Us  |  Links  |  Search  |  Help/Contact

 

Copyright © 2000-2008 SpeedwayMedia.com.  All rights reserved.