David Reutimann Foundation Big Winner Of Special Weekend

by Bill Green – FromBehindTheMIC! ( KARNAC Media )

Tampa, FL – David Reutimann’s Annual “David Reutimann Foundation” visit to his home state of  Florida, focuses most of it’s attention on his hometown of Zephyrhills. Each year this local racer, doing very well in NASCAR, gives back to his roots. Through his Bar-B-Que & Auction on Friday night, plus the Saturday morning Charity Golf Tournament, David has raised over eighty-three thousand dollars this week for the many charities benefiting from the David Reutimann Foundation.

Saturday night all the attention turns to East Bay Raceway Park, when David continues his Charity events with the “David Reutimann Foundation 50.” A 50-Lap Open Wheeled Modified Feature event that includes David, his father Buzzie, cousin Greg Reutimann and this year, a Reutimann Racing sponsored rookie Kyle Peterson, from Concord, NC.

Fifteen year old Kyle Peterson is son of  radiator, oil cooler and fuel cell specialist Tim Peterson, who has been with David from his very first NASCAR Craftsman truck race. Kyle was welcomed to the Reutimann Racing stable and East Bay when he promptly went out to help pack the track and stuck his Red double-zero “K” in the turn-4 mud.

Back in the pits, after being helped out of the muck, young Kyle was greeted by a needling David Reutimann. “I’m just saying…. out of 15 cars out there you were the only one that got stuck in the bottom of turn-4!”

Welcome to Reutimann Racing, Kyle.

Twenty-five cars signed in, only 22 took the green and after the first 6-laps, the first caution flew for Aileen Collins spinning in turn-2.  David stumbled into turn-1 on lap-7, allowing young Kyle Bronson to get by, as did Roger Crouse, but David fought back and regained the 3rd spot by the lap-10 caution for Austin Sanders slowing on front stretch. Kyle Peterson would bring out the next yellow during the restart.

David goes back to second on the restart when Bronson jumps the cushion and falls out of top-5. Garret Stewart would make caution number 4 happen when he spun in turn-2 on lap 15. The restart had Peterson spinning again and parking in infield as his night was done, caution #5. Bill Howard took his car to the pits by parking in front of the turn-2 exit gate, for caution #6.

Turn-4 collected Greg Reutimann, Jason Intoppa and John Bradley, stopping action on lap-19, caution #7. Howard returned to the track just in time to cause caution #8 on lap-21. Austin Sanders returned to the track earlier, but caused caution #9 on lap-21. Powers spun in turn-4, collecting Bronson for caution #10, lap-26. Buzzie Reutimann cracked the top-5 before the caution.

Video by Jeff Marler, Zephyrhills Florida. Heat Race #2

At lap-26, one passed halfway, Jeff Mathews was still leading, David Reutimann looking to go two-in-a-row on the annual event was second. Third had Devin Dixon in front of Roger Crouse, fourth and Buzzie fifth. Dixon bested  David for second on lap 27, while Buzzie survived a challenge for the top-5 when caution #11 came out for Larry Mott into the wall in turn-1. The track went to Red for a safety problem, allowing for tear-off replacements for the driver’s safety.

The restart after the Red, looked to be a long green run, but just after David Reutimann got by Devin Dixon for second, Jason Intoppa and Greg Reutimann made contact for a second time, leaving Greg stalled in turn-4, caution #12, lap-39. Dixon was put back front of David as the lap was not completed.

As the last 11-laps went green, Devin Dixon would stay close enough to pass Mathews, and did when he jumped the cushion in turn-2. Dixon would hold on for  and hold on for the win. Mathew saves second, David Reutimann goes third, Roger Crouse fourth and Terry Bronson makes a late race pass on Buzzie Reutimann, to take the final top-5 spot.

“Main thing, is to be there at the end. I went with the soft tire and it worked out,” explained an ecstatic Devin Dixon in Victory Lane. When ask what was next for Dixon, he told this reporter that he’d e at New Smyrna Speedway “World Series of Asphalt” in an asphalt Open Wheel Modified, testing the asphalt waters in 2011.

David Reutimann’s annual event is a special treat for local David Reutimann fans, but seeing the Reutimann family doing what they do best, mixing with the fans, entertaining the crowd and enjoying being at the race track. Congratulations to David and his cousin Shawn, who also his NASCAR spotter, along with many volunteers and Reutimann family members that work hard to make the whole weekend happen every year.

Open Wheel Modified Feature 50 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     2     Devin Dixon
2     33     Jeff Mathews
3     00D     David Reutimann
4     9     Roger Crouse
5     66H     Terry Bronson
6     00     Buzzie Reutimann
7     67     Garret Stewart
8     54     Kevin Bryant
9     22     Dale Kelley
10     18     Jason Intoppa

Open Wheel Modifieds Heat #3  10 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     9     Roger Crouse
2     88     David Pollen
3     00     Buzzie Reutimann
4     54     Kevin Bryant
5     66H     Terry Bronson
6     64     Austin Sanders
7     00K     Kyle Peterson
8     3     Alex Boerner

Open Wheel Modifieds  Heat #2  10 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     00D     David Reutimann
2     22     Dale Kelley
3     1     Bill Howard
4     5     Hayden Campbell
5     205     Bobby Dixon
6     18     Jason Intoppa
7     67     Garret Stewart
8     17C     Aileen Collins

Open Wheel Modifieds  Heat #1  10 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     33     Jeff Mathews
2     40B     Kyle Bronson
3     58     Matthew Fetterhoff
4     2     Devin Dixon
5     44     Tim Powers
6     00G     Greg Reutimann
7     06     Larry Mott
8     25     Michael Cherry
9     27     John Bradley

Limited Late Models  Feature  15 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     27     John Bradley
2     61     Thomas Scott
3     4     Roger Crouse
4     64     John Wilson
5     35     Tim Gay
6     21     Forrest Gough
7     111     Dan Darnell
8     66X     Austin Clark
9     27M     Miles Cox
10     15     Shane Koperda

Outlaw 4’s  Feature 15 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     47     Billy Howard
2     2     Matthew Haynes
3     7JR     Jesse Brown
4     10     Ronnie Bennett
5     17     Michael Gulvin
6     53     Brittany Yates
7     75R     Jason Russell
8     21X     Raymond Folwell
9     29     Chris Zimmerman
10     40     JR Hester

4 Cylinder Bombers  Feature  15 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     15     Raymond Vann
2     8     Johnnie Alexander
3     47M     Roberto Morfin
4     13     Thomas Burnside
5     2M     Chuck Mathias
6     69X     Jim Baker
7     29S     Brad Tindell
8     50     Gary Killeen
9     318     Chris Morris
10     813     Stephen Morris

Dirt Dauber Feature  12 Laps
Finish     Number     Driver
1     71     Janine Dixon
2     98     DB Hogwaller
3     21     Brett Phillips
4     11X     Bill Dixon
5     79     Ryan Walters
6     2     Billy Carlbert
7     12     Stephanie Phillips
8     9     William Bolle
9     14Rent     Kelli Hill
10     20     Catherine Olone