Former Champ Jarrett Qualifies Third, His Best Start Of The Season

HAMPTON, Ga. — When David Reutimann returned to Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday night after winning his first Busch Series race at Memphis, he received an interesting reception from his Michael Waltrip Racing Nextel Cup team. He was greeted at Waltrip’s plane by the head of Aaron’s, which sponsored his winning Busch effort. Then he quickly backed away and Reutimann said he heard what sounded like a “herd of cattle” headed towards him.
“I turned to see my entire Cup team was running at me,” Reutimann said. “They had secured bottles of champagne and they pretty much doused me on the runway out there. It was pretty neat to get off the plane, have such a great day in Memphis, and then have all your Cup guys — with the rough start we had to the weekend — to come out and meet me. They made me a sign, but I’m not going to tell you what it said. It’s something I will always remember. It caught me by complete surprise. So, it was pretty neat.”

• Following Sunday’s race, three teams complained that they found water in the fuel they used at the track.
Teams for Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle and Dave Blaney all reported similar problems they diagnosed as there being water in the fuel.
Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president, confirmed the problems, but said NASCAR investigated and found no water in the gas being dispensed by Sunoco.
“There are a lot of things that could have happened,” he said. “It’s not the first time water has been found in a gas tank. There are all sorts of possibilities.”
n Another sign that NASCAR’s trend is taking a dip was the many empty seats at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday’s race. Despite perfect weather, nearly half the seats were empty at the speedway that claims to have 124,000 seats.
 
• Greg Biffle scored his first pole of the season and the fourth of his career Friday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He put his Ford Fusion on the pole with a fast lap at 192.453 miles per hour.

• A big surprise in time trials was Dale Jarrett qualifying third in a Toyota Camry at 191.655 mph. It was by far Jarrett’s best qualifying effort of the season.
“We just took over the upset of the year from Appalachian State over Michigan,” Jarrett said, referring to this year’s big upset in college football on Labor Day Weekend. “It was just a perfect car.”

• Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark announced Friday that Chevrolet has extended its relationship with the 1.54-mile track for another two years. Chevrolet has been involved with Atlanta Motor Speedway for five years and Clark said there was “never any doubt” that the partnership wouldn’t continue.
“Chevrolet has really gotten involved and they have been a great promotional partner,” Clark said.

• Busch East Series champion and winner of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown Joey Logano will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut May 31 at Dover, just one week after turning 18, it was announced Friday at AMS.
NASCAR requires drivers competing in the series to be at least 18 years old. Also during Friday’s announcement, Motorsports Authentics President and CEO Mark Dyer said the company had created a licensing program for the 17-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver from Middletown, Conn. — a first for a driver not in one of NASCAR’s top-three series apparel line. The new program includes Motorsports Authentics producing a 1:24 scale replica of Logano’s Busch East Series championship car. A 1:24 scale Action Racing Collectibles die-cast replica of Logano’s 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series car will be produced. Through the Chase Authentics apparel line, Motorsports Authentics will produce a series of T-shirts, hats and other apparel as demand dictates between now and Logano’s trek toward Sprint Cup. Logano’s championship die-cast will come with a Sam Bass print and a piece of race-worn tire from his series-clinching car.

• Casey Mears and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. tested Monday at Atlanta Motor Speedway with their 2008 teams, but they will not drive cars with their 2008 numbers. Mears, who will drive the No. 5 Chevrolet next season, ran his customary No. 25 National Guard/GMAC paint scheme during the two-day session.
Earnhardt, who is slated for the No. 88 Chevy next year, drove a No. 5 car in the NASCAR test. To commemorate his first laps with Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt’s car will carry a retro paint scheme — the No. 5 All-Star Racing Chevy — which was the first car fielded by Hendrick Motorsports in 1984. Earnhardt’s Impala SS will feature the red and white paint scheme, identical to the one driven by Geoff Bodine in the first season Rick Hendrick fielded a car in NASCAR’s Cup Series.

• Steve Wallace, David Stremme, Chase Austin and a yet-to-be named road racing veteran will drive for Rusty Wallace Racing next year in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. Team owner Wallace announced Sunday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway that son Steve will pilot the No. 66 car full-time in 2008, while driving duties for the No. 64 car will be shared by Stremme, Austin and a veteran road racer. Stremme will drive the car in 17 races, while the 18-year-old Austin will pilot the car in 15 events.