Reutimann on Pole of Autism Speaks 400
May 29, 2009 by Warren Hayashi
Filed under Racing
Confidence is everything in sports, the feeling an athlete gets from success is one of the most important aspects, other than raw talent, for determining whether a racer or any athlete is successful, and on a roll. If this statement is correct? David Reutimann is on one of the best rolls of his NASCAR career because four days after his first victory in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race he took the top spot on the grid for Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway. Only the second pole of the season and the third of his career, Reutimann took the first spot in the Monster Mile by posting his best lap in a time of 22.960 seconds in his No. 00 Toyota.
The 11th racer to run a qualifying lap, Reutimann ran his qualifying lap with an
Autism Speaks 400 on Sunday at 1:30 PM on FOX
average speed of 156.794 mph to just beat the 156.542 mph mark of Kasey Kahne for the pole position. Reutimann surprised the field with this result, especially since he was the 11th racer to try to beat Kahne’s time, and Kahne was using the Dodge R6 powerplant in his car for the first time this season.
Juan Montoya will start third on the grid of the Autism Speaks 400 on Sunday, Montoya qualified with an average speed of 156.020 on a day when his car didn’t seem to be running its best. Kasey Kahne’s teammate at Richard Petty Motorsports Reed Sorenson had a good run, Sorenson qualified fourth on the grid with an average speed of 155.952. The last winner at Dover Greg Biffle had problems in the corners with traction but still managed to finish fifth on the grid with an average speed of 155.932.
Kyle Busch will start sixth, which shouldn’t matter much if he’s up to form, so expect him to be in front after a few laps. A.J. Allmendinger will start seventh, eighth will be filled by Jimmie Johnson, Brian Vickers starts ninth, and the tenth position on the grid is held by Elliot Sadler. This result means that all four RPM racers, Kahne, Sorenson, Allmendinger and Sadler are starting Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400 in one of the top ten starting positions.
You can watch the Autism Speaks 400 on Sunday, May 31 at 1:30 PM on FOX or listen to it on MRN Radio starting at 1:15 PM.
Image: Newscom
