Zephyrhills Driver Tries New Set of Wheels - Reutimann to Race USAC Silver Crown at Disney
15 January 1998
ZEPHYRHILLS, FL - According to David Reutimann, if you are a professional race car driver, you have to be willing to expand your horizons. That is exactly what the Zephyrhills driver plans to do this weekend. As part of a weekend of racing at Walt Disney World Speedway, Reutimann will strap himself into a USAC Silver Crown Sprint Car for the first time. Leaving the confines of his full-bodied Late Model for a more exotic USAC Sprint Car, he hopes the experience and exposure will help his racing career. The USAC Silver Crown event will be a support for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race scheduled at the Walt Disney World track this weekend. The Silver Crown race is Saturday, Jan. 17, with the NASCAR Trucks headlining the show on Sunday. Defending NASACR Winston Cup Champion Jeff Gordon and Kenny Irwin Jr., who was named to drive the Robert Yates Texaco Havoline Ford in the premiere NASCAR series for 1998, both came from the ranks of Sprint Car racing. With the goal of someday driving in the top NASCAR racing division, Reutimann decided to see if this might be the way to get some additional exposure also. While admitting he had no experience in the open-wheel, open-cockpit Silver Crown cars, Reutimann said he thinks he can use some of his experience in other series to adapt. "I have raced the big-block modified before and from what I have been told, these Silver Crown cars handle about the same," he said. "They have a longer wheel-base than the Winged Sprint Cars and the drive train is different also. But, basically, they all have four wheels and a steering wheel." At the current time, it is a one-time deal for Reutimann. After winning the Rookie of the Year title last year in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, he plans to concentrate his efforts in 1998 on the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series. "I've always enjoyed that type of car (Silver Crown) and have watched them race many times," said Reutimann. "The opportunity presented itself and I just had to give it a try." Prior to the first practice session scheduled at the Disney track on Friday, Reutimann has yet to get any track time behind the wheel of the open-wheel, open cockpit race car. He has raced Late Model and Modified cars with a great deal of success, but this is a different ball game for the 27-year old driver. During the 1997 season, Reutimann ran all 20 races of the series. The rookie driver recorded three finishes in the top five and eight top 10 finishes. He finished fifth in the overall point standings and ranked third in total laps completed. Reutimann scored two back-to-back runner-up finishes at Barberville, FL and Louisville, KY. "My main concentration during the coming season is going to be on the All Pro Series. My goal is to move up in the ranks of NASCAR, but right now I think I could use another year in this series. "We are running our own team and are in desperate need of a major sponsor. I am hoping that if we do well in the Silver Crown race at Disney, we might get a little more exposure and maybe some financial help." The USAC Silver Crown drivers will practice Friday, Jan. 16 and qualify in heat races on Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2:30 p.m. The feature race will get the green flag the same day at 4 p.m. Saturday's racing action at Walt Disney World Speedway will be broadcast on ESPN