Reutimann wins first Cup race at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — David Reutimann stared at the gray sky and silently prayed for one more heavy rain.

A gamble had put the journeyman driver in position for his first Sprint Cup Series victory, and so long as the clouds lingered over Lowe’s Motor Speedway, it would come in the Coca-Cola 600.

Reutimann didn’t like his chances.

“These things don’t ever go our way,” the 39-year-old thought. “I don’t know why it should now.”

For most of his nondescript career, Reutimann never got the lucky break.

It finally came Monday after 75 races, three rain delays, a moment of silence, a spat with Tony Stewart and a two-hour wait.

NASCAR declared Reutimann the winner when an ominous weather forecast indicated it would be impossible to run the longest race of the season to its conclusion. The drivers had figured that out a day earlier, when the race was postponed and carried over to Memorial Day for the first time in its 50-year history.

“It wasn’t the prettiest win, but somebody has to win,” he said. “When you envision yourself winning your first Sprint Cup race, you envision it different. But it’s so hard to win these deals, we’ll take it any way we can.”

With intermittent showers spraying the track all day Monday, the race was one of strategy, as every driver simply tried to be in front when the event was finally washed out.

Reutimann gave it his best shot when, running 14th, he and crew chief Rodney Childers decided not to join the parade of cars following leader Kyle Busch down pit road during a caution for rain 22 laps past the halfway point.

The race had reached the point where if it was stopped again for rain, it was official, and the Michael Waltrip Racing team prayed the end was soon.

Reutimann claimed the lead, with pole-sitter Ryan Newman and Robby Gordon following him to the front as the rest of the field went to pit road for fuel and fresh tires. He didn’t lead a single lap under green-flag racing, but was out front for five laps under caution before NASCAR called the cars back to pit road for the third rain stoppage.

Most drivers headed to their motorhomes to wait out the rain.

Not Reutimann.

He was joined at his car by his 68-year-old father, Buzzie, a racer with one career NASCAR start who still tears it up in dirt track events at East Bay Raceway near Tampa, Fla. The two didn’t bother with an umbrella as they stood in a steady drizzle for just over two hours.

Newman finished second and Gordon was third. Carl Edwards, who had changed into street clothes by the time the race was called, finished fourth, followed by Brian Vickers and Busch.

Reutimann also received a congratulatory call from Stewart, who argued with him and one of his crew members during the second rain delay. Stewart was upset with how hard Reutimann raced him earlier when Stewart had the faster car, and a longtime Reutimann crew member intervened.

“I think Tony felt like I raced him a little harder than I should have,” he said. “That’s all it was.”

Rain ruined a race for Busch for the second time in three days. He led a race-high 173 laps and was out front when he pitted during the final caution. He wound up sixth.

“Weather, you can’t do anything about it, really,” Busch said.