Reutimann Mulling Over Offer From Waltrip
Published: Sep 26, 2007
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Zephyrhills' David Reutimann has been stressing over his future, wondering whether he has done well enough as a rookie in NASCAR's major-league level to earn a shot back next year.
Now that Michael Waltrip Racing has presented him with a contract offer for next year, he's trying to puts himself in the best situation he can for a long-term future in NASCAR.
One of the sticking points in closing the deal, Reutimann said Tuesday, is that MWR wants to develop a young driver in its full-time Busch Series car. Reutimann, who is second in the Busch standings, wants to continue racing full-time in Busch.
"I know they have to plan for the future," Reutimann said. "Michael [Waltrip] is not going to drive forever, and neither is D.J. [Dale Jarrett]. They need to bring somebody into the company they can develop. But at this point, I'm not ready to step out of the Busch car."
Ty Norris, general manager for MWR, did not return phone calls Tuesday.
Reutimann said MWR made him an oral contract offer last week and presented him with a contract on the plane ride from team headquarters in North Carolina to Dover International Speedway.
He said the contract is now in the hands of his attorney and an adviser, Van Colley, who represents Darrell Waltrip and is functioning as a liaison.
It's a multiyear deal "with conditions that hinge on sponsorships and other things like that. It could be a multiyear deal, or it could not, depending on how things fall. It's a different kind of contract than what I've had in the past."
It's unclear whether Reutimann would return with the No. 00 Toyota team, which had one-year sponsorship deals with Domino's Pizza and Burger King, or move to one of the organization's other two other cars, which have sponsorship with UPS and NAPA Auto Parts.
There has been speculation that Jarrett, who turns 51 in November, will retire and move to the TV booth and talk that Michael Waltrip could step back from driving to concentrate on running his company.
Reutimann said he has received no indication either Jarrett or Waltrip will retire or cut back. He said he was told the team will continue to run three cars in Nextel Cup.
"They don't believe it's beneficial to them to go to two teams," he said. "I think the belief is, if you have three teams, you're a whole lot closer to four, which is where you want to get. The more teams you have, the more economical it is to run them."
Reutimann regularly has out-qualified his two teammates, which has allowed him to start more races than either Jarrett or Waltrip. He has managed only two top-15 finishes - a 15th in the first Michigan race and a 13th in the second Richmond race - but Jarrett doesn't even have a top-20 finish, and Waltrip's only notable finishes were a 10th in the first Michigan race and a 15th last week at Dover.
Although he says it "isn't a done deal," Reutimann said he probably sign the new contract with MWR.
"They've made me a good offer, and I appreciate how those guys have really pulled out all the stops to make this deal work," he said. "I feel like it's definitely a workable scenario the way we have things. I think we can get there from here."
Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994 or afabrizio@tampatrib.com.
