David Reutimann and the No. 83 Burger King / Dr. Pepper team finished 11th in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The annual exhibition event allows drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to compete for a place in the Sprint All-Star Race, while also gaining valuable track time to prepare for the 54th annual Coca-Cola 600, which will be held on Sunday, May 26.
Reutimann picked up more than a half-second from practice to qualifying to secure the 16th starting position for the Sprint Showdown. Despite being just a little tight from the center to the exit of the corner, Reutimann was able to maintain a competitive pace to pick up positions on the 1.5-mile track. Scored 14th with 20 laps complete, Reutimann slowed with the rest of the field as the yellow flag was displayed for a competition caution. During a mandatory pit stop, the Burger King / Dr. Pepper team serviced their No. 83 Toyota Camry with four fresh tires before sending Reutimann back on the track.
Reutimann got back on the gas as the green flag was displayed for the final 20-lap segment of the race, and quickly raced his No. 83 Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry up to the 11th position. The driver maintained that position to cross the finish line 11th after 40 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“We had a good weekend with our Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota,” commented Reutimann. “We had a limited amount of practice time for the Sprint Showdown, but our BK Racing team worked quickly to adjust our Camry and learn how it reacted to different changes. While we weren’t able to transfer over to the Sprint All-Star race, we did learn a lot to get ready for the Coca-Cola 600 next weekend. We have a couple more practice sessions throughout this week to really prepare for the Coca-Cola 600. By the time the green flag waves, I think the Burger King / Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry will be ready for the race.”
BK Racing PR
