CUP: Reutimann a Racing Villain?

Sprint Cup

CUP: Reutimann a Racing Villain?

Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann is 11th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings....

SceneDaily.com | Posted May 02, 2009 Charlotte, NC

David Reutimann has a track record at Richmond, leading 104 laps and finishing ninth last fall. (PHOTO: LAT Photographic)

Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann is 11th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings.

Michael Waltrip Racing's David Reutimann is fairly certain he won’t be threatened by someone wielding a jack handle this weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

He didn’t always have that sense of security at the race track.

Reutimann enters the Richmond weekend ranked 11th in points and has been one of the biggest surprises of the young NASCAR Sprint Cup season. His success at stock-car racing’s highest level is a far cry from his early years in the sport, racing on short tracks in his native Florida. It’s hard to believe, but Reutimann admitted he played the role of villain in those days.

“As far as being the bad guy at a race track, I’ve had people throw beer at me, cuss at me, threaten to wait for me out in the parking lot.” Reutimann said. “I’ve pulled my car on the trailer and sat in it with the window net up, waiting for my crew to get there so people wouldn’t beat on me with a jack handle.

“That’s at a local level. … You showed up at the race track and you were racing for a living and the race paid $500 and you spent $450 on tires, and you knew you had to win or you were going to go in the hole big time. … So I ran over a lot of people.

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