Catchfence

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010) – It is not unusual for tempers to flare at Bristol Motor Speedway. Harsh words, animated gestures, disagreements breaking out in the pit area; it is pretty much the norm at the World’s Fastest Half-Mile.

That is why it comes as no surprise that runner-up David Reutimann took exception to comments made by IRWIN Tools Night Race winner Kyle Busch last Saturday night after the race.

Busch, who became the first driver in NASCAR history to win in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series in the same week, admitted Reutimann was good and also said he was fast. But he took it a step further when he said “I’m not going to say why I beat him because then he’ll fix it, but it has to do with behind the wheel.

“He wasn’t driving the place right, I’m sorry. If he fixes how to drive this place, he’d be right there with me.”

During an interview Tuesday with Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Dave Moody, Reutimann expressed his feelings about Busch’s evaluation of his performance, according to a story written by FOXSports.com’s Lee Spencer.

“If Kyle says it, it’s gospel,” Reutimann said in Spencer’s article. “It’s probably the stupidest comment I’ve ever heard anybody say at any given time because everyone’s cars drive exactly the same. Everyone’s cars are identical. Nobody’s cars drive any different, so the guy who wins does a phenomenal job and the guy who finishes 43^rd is just terrible because every one of the cars are identical. They drive exactly the same.

Asked by Moody whether Busch was doing something different behind the wheel that he wasn’t, Reutimann responded:

“I’m sure in his mind he is, but let’s cut to the chase, he makes a comment like that after the race, he’s not driving my frickin’ racecar and I’m not driving his. Every driver has to do different things inside their car to make it do what it needs to do because technically a lot of times a car’s not perfect, so you have to do things differently. Sometimes your car won’t do what another guy’s will.

“I don’t (know) if it’s the fact that Superman’s cape was flying out the back when I was behind him, and I couldn’t see or what the deal was (as) the reason that I couldn’t pass him. Either way, we ran second. We got beat fair and square, that’s what it came down to. We just got outrun. But again, professor Busch, maybe he can start a driving school at Bristol and the rest of the field, we can join in and go. He can show all of us what we’re doing wrong. I need help.”

The Battle at Bristol, Busch vs. Reutimann, Part 2, premiers in the bullring March 20, 2011. Tickets are available now and may be purchased by calling 423-BRISTOL (274-7865).

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary. The Company also equally-owns Motorsports Authentics, a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.speedwaymotorsports.com

- Bristol Motor Speedway, Press Release