David Reutimann will be starting the Daytona 500 next week, after signing up with the new team BK Racing that has bought up the assets of Red Bull Racing.
David Reutimann will be competing in next weekend's
Daytona 500 Sprint Cup season opener, after signing up to drive the BK Racing #93 Toyota in the Great American Race.
BK Racing is a new organisation that has been set up after purchasing the assets of the defunct Red Bull Racing team just two weeks ago.
Landon Cassill previously revealed that he had been handed a full-season deal to drive the #83 car for the then-unnamed new outfit.
“It looks like we kind of got our miracle here with what those guys are doing," said Reutimann, who had looked set to miss out on the
Daytona 500 after being ousted by Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of 2011.
As well as the cars and the other equipment, BK Racing also acquired the owner points from RBR which means that both Reutimann and Cassill will definitely make the grid at
Daytona thanks to the points earned in 2011 by Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers.
But with the deal coming together only days before the start of
Daytona Speedweek activities - including qualifying for the
Daytona 500 itself this weekend - Reutimann agreed that the new team had a mountain to climb in the next week.
"They've definitely got a late start,” Reutimann said, bus insisted: "They started out with some pretty good equipment already. I feel like it will be a competitive situation. We'll just have to get down there and see what happens and get all the kinks worked out."
It's not clear whether this is just a one-race deal for Reutimann at BK Racing, which is being financially backed by former TRG Motorsports investors. Reutimann already has a 26-race deal with Tommy Baldwin Racing in the #10 car, alternating with Danica Patrick who will be driving the remaining ten races of the season including the
Daytona 500 itself.
“I'd love to be able to fill in the rest of the schedule of the races that I have open,” Reutimann said. “I'll worry about that later on. I'm just thrilled to have the opportunity I have right now.”
Travis Kvapil is set to take over the #93 car for the March 4 race at Phoenix International Raceway, when Reutimann will definitely be in the TBR #10 car for the first time in 2012.
The team's newly-confirmed name, BK Racing, comes from a likely sponsorship deal for the team with Burger King franchisees.
Daytona seats for Bill Elliott, Michael Waltrip
Bill Elliott will drive the #97 NEMCO Motorsports Toyota at Daytona, team owner Joe Nemechek has confirmed.
