With the Christmas season fast approaching, anyone looking for some last minute gift ideas for team owner Michael Waltrip might consider a Webster's Dictionary. This might seem like a random, trivial suggestion, but Waltrip could definitely make good use of it because he seems to have forgotten the meaning of a few words.
Loyalty, respect and class are just a few terms that Mr. Waltrip needs to re-learn the definitions of.
With just three races left in the 2011 season, rumors began to swirl today that Michael Waltrip Racing has replaced David Reutimann in the No. 00 team with Mark Martin. It is also anticipated that owner Michael Waltrip will drive Reutimann's old ride in the restrictor plate races next year. Reutimann, who has been with MWR since the teams disastrous first season in 2007 and is at the SEMA show for Toyota this week, was asked if he had any response to these rumors. He had just three words: "Talk to Michael."
This isn't the first time a team hasn't honored the final year of a drivers contract and it for sure won't be the last. But with three races left in the season, to tell one of you're drivers in, what Reutimann called, a "brief conversation", that they will need to look for a new job next year, when most everyone else has firmed up their plans, is a completely classless move on MWR's part.
Sources said that MWR will move any sponsorship not devoted to Martin over to fill out the rest of the races on Clint Bowyer's No. 15 team. They also said that there was a clause in sponsor Aaron's contract with MWR which stipulated Reut must finish in the top 25 in points. Even if there was a clause like that, all drivers have an off-season every now and then. Nothing bad that has happened to Reutimann this year has been his fault. It has either been a part failure or someone else's mistake that have taken him out of the good finishes he deserves. If a team can't give a driver what he needs to win, that is in no way the driver's fault.
Reutimann scored the first victory for MWR in the 2009 Coca-Cola 600, albeit a rain shortened race. He also came within a few races of making the Chase for the Cup. He also outshined and outperformed team owner and then driver of the No. 55 NAPA car, Waltrip, every single week.
Last season, MWR signed Martin Truex, Jr. The team expected this to lift performance and propel them into the Chase. But once again, Truex was mired in mediocrity and Reutimann scored an epic win at Chicagoland Speedway, beating Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards. Reutimann has shown, through good times and bad, he deserves to be a driver in the Sprint Cup Series.
At this point, it remains to be seen if Reutimann will even finish out the season for the team that gave him his break. But if he does, he will show up, do the best he can for his team, give 110% and honor his commitment to MWR, even if they won't return the favor.
This is a classless move on MWR's part. There is no other way to say it. For them to dump the only driver to ever get their team to victory lane, in favor of a 52-year-old who has become known as Nascar's Brett Favre, retiring more times than anyone can count, and the money hungry owner/driver who hasn't decided to hang it up yet either and has won just four races in his 25 year career? It's just a slap in the face to a driver who has poured his heart and soul into this team and showed them nothing but loyalty since the beginning. It is obvious that Michael Waltrip cares more about money than the feelings of his employees.
Waltrip has gone on all season about how grateful he was that Dale Earnhardt gave him a ride in 2001 so he could finally contend for wins. Likewise, Reutimann was grateful that Michael brought him up to Cup so he could compete at Nascar's top level. Had Dale survived his fatal wreck in the Daytona 500 ten years ago, you can bet he would never have treated Michael the way he treated Reutimann.
Not only is Reutimann a great driver, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a nicer one in the garage area. Having met him twice at the track in Dover, Deleware, I can say without question, he is truly one of racing's good guys and he cares about his fans. He took the time to sign for, talk to, take pictures and shake hands with every single one of them in Dover this fall.
Hopefully, Reutimann will land on his feet and get with a team that appreciates his ability as a driver and a fan friendly personality. Richard Petty Motorsports, Penske Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing and Richard Childress Racing are all competitive teams that have room to add another team following this season. But with the current economic climate, sponsorship will be a key issue for the Zephyrhills, Florida native known to family and friends simply as "Beak."
Reutimann has proved with his two wins that good things can happen to great people in this world. Hopefully he lands on his feet and gets a ride that can match his ability as a driver so he can show MWR why they should have honored the final year of his contract.
Good luck Reutimann! Wherever you land, give 'em Hell in 2012!
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