{"id":53,"date":"2018-06-19T09:50:17","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T14:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/?page_id=53"},"modified":"2022-09-22T04:06:34","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T09:06:34","slug":"buzzie-s-bio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/buzzie-s-bio\/","title":{"rendered":"Emil \u201cBuzzie\u201d Reutimann"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]One of the most popular of all the dirt-track Modified stock-car racers, Emil \u201cBuzzie\u201d Reutimann of Zephyrhills, Florida, enjoyed a lengthy career on the Northeast\u2019s short tracks and his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 includes several major victories and track championships. He is also remembered for the \u201cGO FIRST CLASS\u201d motto on all of his \u201cDouble-O\u201d racers and being the last to field a winning 1937 Chevy coupe in dirt-track Modified competition when everyone else in the mid-1970s was turning to Gremlin- and Pinto-bodied race cars. A second-generation racer, the bespectacled Reutimann (May 7, 1941) \u2013 who got his nickname when nurses in the hospital heard the newborn making \u201cbuzzing noises\u201d \u2013 first began racing at age 13 in a black 1939 Ford coupe that he found behind his father\u2019s Chevrolet dealership and updated with a Sears-Roebuck rebuilt engine. After learning his craft, young Reutimann inherited his father\u2019s No. 00 1935 three-window Chevrolet coupe \u2013 in which a full-race Chevy inline-6 truck engine was installed \u2013 and that served him well in Sportsman and Modified races from the late 1950s into the early 1960s. However, when \u201cBuzzie\u201d learned from Tampa resident and fellow EMPA Hall of Fame member Will Cagle of the big purses being offered in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, he brought the first of his signature red, white and blue No. 00 1937 Chevrolet coupes to the Northeast and started a career that made a major impact on dirt-track Modified racing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The \u201cseasonal resident\u201d of Asbury, New Jersey \u2013 who would return to Florida in the winter to race Late Models \u2013 won the 1966 championship at the old half-mile East Windsor (N.J.) Speedway. He won 33 races at the old half-mile Nazareth (Pa.) Raceway and its 1972 & 1973 track titles, and had 33 victories at the 5\/8-mile Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York, to go along with the \u201chard clay\u2019s\u201d 1972 & 1974 championships. Major extra-distance victories include: the 1970 Daniel Boone 200 at the old Reading (Pa.) Fairgrounds: a 150-lapper at the old 1-1\/8-mile Nazareth (Pa.) National Speedway in 1971; the 1972 Eastern States 200 at OCFS; the first two Schaefer 100s (1972 & 1973) at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse \u2013 the event now known as the Super DIRT Week 200; and, the 1975 National Dirt Track Championship 200 at the old Flemington (N.J.) Fair Speedway.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”57″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”27″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]But Reutimann did not limit himself to dirt-track racing as he also ran a No. 00 Chevrolet Camaro in several asphalt events. But his most famous paved-track effort was in 1973 at the old 1\/5-mile Islip Speedway out on Long Island when he defeated many of the best asphalt racers in the All-Star Racing League 100 with his trusty dirt-track Modified 1937 Chevy coupe. Like many of the professional racers of his era, Reutimann built all of his own cars and when Modified chassis changed from reworked mid-1950s Chevrolet frames to production-built 2 x 4 items, he \u201cReutimann-ized\u201d those purpose-built offerings to meet his own specifications. Reutimann is also credited as the first to install a power-steering system in a dirt-track Modified. And when he eventually stopped building Modifieds with classic 1937 Chevy coupes his traditional red, white and blue No. 00 rides used Chevrolet Vega or Gremlin-styled bodies. In 1985, Reutimann suffered serious head and neck injuries in a grinding Turn-4 crash at Syracuse, but he recovered and returned to race 11 more years. However, after 31 years as one of the sport\u2019s top stars, \u201cthe Buzz Bomb\u201d retired from Northeast dirt-track Modified racing after the 1996 season and went back to live full-time in Florida where he continues to race and win in his No. 00 IMCA Modified. And when not doing that, \u201cBuzzie\u201d Reutimann is frequently seen on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit with his driver-son David.<\/p>\n

\u00a0[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”55″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=”284″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInRight”][vc_empty_space][vc_zigzag][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

What you need to know about Buzzie Reutimann<\/h2>\n

By Larry Jewett (March 02, 2010)
\nOriginal Story: www.onedirt.com<\/a><\/p>\n

He stood in Victory Lane at Florida\u2019s East Bay Raceway Park. It was Saturday, October 3, 2009 and he was there because he had driven a hard race in his open wheel Modified. He was there as the winner. He is Emil \u201cBuzzie\u201d Reutimann, a man who has made a name in racing in two regions of the country. If you say his name in Florida, people know it. You can say it in New York and Pennsylvania and get the same response, even though he hasn\u2019t raced there competitively in many years.<\/p>\n

Some in the New York and Pennsylvania region will claim him as their own. In reality, he was born in Florida, where he resides today. It\u2019s like the Alabama Gang \u2013 the Allisons and Red Farmer weren\u2019t born there, but migrated there in search of racing. Such was the case for Buzzie Reutimann.<\/p>\n

Double Nothing.<\/strong><\/em>
\n\u201cI wanted to be a racer,\u201d<\/em> he said about his decision to spend summers of the \u201860s and \u201870s in the Northeast, rather than hang around his Zephyrhills, Florida, home. \u201cI didn\u2019t really enjoy the Chevy business any more. I\u2019d been a service manager and a body shop manager and then in 1959 when GM came out with warranties, you just couldn\u2019t make any money at it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

“That’s the nearest thing to nothing I’ve seen. In fact, It’s double nothing.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Buzzie in 1969<\/strong><\/em>
\nHe left the family business behind, but he was already an established racer when he answered the call of the road. His father, Emil, was a formidable racer in the region in the \u201840s and \u201850s. Buzzie went along and watched his father. Seeing the racing action and living next to the Zephyrhills Auto Company made his desires easy to figure out.<\/p>\n

By the age of 13, Buzzie said, \u201cI can do that.\u201d<\/em> So his father told him to build a race car. He took a \u201939 Ford and went to work. The original engine had to do for now, though there was a store-bought Sears engine in its future.<\/p>\n

The story goes that Buzzie was working on his car and his dad passed by. Watching the progress, his dad reportedly said, \u201cThat\u2019s the nearest to nothing I\u2019ve ever seen. In fact, it\u2019s double nothing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The B00 Car.<\/strong><\/em>
\nAnd that\u2019s where the number \u201c00\u201d came from. It\u2019s a number that Buzzie and son David carry to this day. You\u2019ll sometimes see a letter with it. In the case of Buzzie\u2019s first car, it was B (for Buzzie) 00 and the car was called the \u201cboo\u201d car. It didn\u2019t take long for the booing to echo from the stands as Reutimann got better and better at it.<\/p>\n

The first race for Buzzie came at Silver Dollar Speedway in Lakeland, Florida, where he started seventh and finished fifth. It was quite a workout and, even though he was young, he was winded at the finish of the event. Heavy stock cars of the period weren\u2019t blessed with power steering or any aspects to make the chore easy.<\/p>\n

Realizing Better Success at Racing.<\/strong><\/em>
\nBy now, you\u2019re thinking \u201cBuzzie\u201d came from his ability to buzz around the track and sting the competition. Actually, he was Buzzie at a very young age when nurses at the hospital noticed him making a buzzing sound right after his birth in 1941. He\u2019s been Buzzie ever since.<\/p>\n

Buzzie raced through his teen years and really picked up the pace upon graduation from Zephyrhills High School, where he played a little football, but realized he could have better success at racing.<\/p>\n

Buzzie was a frequent competitor at the North East Tracks.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The idea of success and the amount of racing done in the Northeast proved to be the driving force behind long summer trips from the late \u201860s through the early \u201870s. \u201cWill Cagle told me that there was racing at least three nights a week up there, so I followed him up there. We kept our car in the same shop. We\u2019d race at places like Hightstown, Orange County Fair Speedway, Flemington, Nazareth. I almost went broke a couple of times, but we kept at it. One time, it rained for several weeks on end.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe went to Reading (Pennsylvania) and I got lapped in a 10-lap heat race. I had some learning to do. We\u2019d go to the places that paid tow money, so we\u2019d have at least a little bit. I got to the point where I raced for tenth. They were paying $125 for tenth and if you could do that a few times, you\u2019d make good money. As time went on, I started to race for fifth, which meant better money. By the end of the first year, I came out with enough money for two cars. We had a mud car that we\u2019d run at Reading because you needed the engine set back. The car with the engine set forward would be used at places like Flemington.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Only making one start in NASCAR’s Premiere Series, NASCAR has still played a big role in Buzzie’s life.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Buzzi\u2019s NASCAR Start.<\/strong><\/em>
\nBefore making his trip up north, Buzzie had competed in a NASCAR race. It was held at Florida\u2019s Golden Gate Speedway, one of Buzzie\u2019s regular stops. Richard Petty won it\u2026Buzzie finished in the top 10. When Buzzie was in Florida, he was racing mostly paved tracks. His journeys to the Northeast saw him racing mostly dirt tracks. A racer had to be versatile and he could do it all.<\/p>\n

The call of NASCAR was strong, but too many things went against it. The Golden Gate race was Buzzie\u2019s only NASCAR start. \u201cWe could have run more,\u201d<\/em> he said, \u201cbut we made more money running like we did. We decided to stick with dirt rather than follow NASCAR. They didn\u2019t have that many races and we could run six nights a week sometimes when we would do the All Star League events in the Northeast.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

NASCAR eventually played a critical role in Buzzie\u2019s life, a role that is ongoing today. Buzzie is the father of current NASCAR Sprint Cup competitor David Reutimann. In many ways, the relationship between Buzzie and David was exactly like that of Buzzie and his father.<\/p>\n

Keeping the Power Down.<\/strong><\/em>
\nEmil Sr. didn\u2019t just give his son Buzzie anything he wanted. He intentionally kept the power down on Buzzie\u2019s car, giving the youngster a chance to learn everything before picking up the speed or moving up to the Sportsman class. In the same respect, Buzzie started David\u2019s auto racing with a Pontiac Sunfire, a four-cylinder car that David, along with his friend and current Sprint Cup crew chief Brian Pattie, had to build and maintain. Through this exercise, David learned how to weld for fixing and repairing. \u201cYou didn\u2019t just go to the bank and get money for high dollar parts. You fixed what you could and when you could, you fabricated the rest\u201d<\/em>. The abilities to fabricate and address mechanical issues can go a long way in a racer\u2019s career. The learning didn\u2019t stop in the shop either.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought we had built a better car because the Pontiac had a 2400cc engine and most of the rest of the cars were 2300cc,\u201d<\/em> Buzzie recalled. \u201cWhat we didn\u2019t consider is that the rules said the car had to weigh a pound for each cc, so we were 100 pounds heavier than the other cars. David learned to drive it harder. It was bred into him and even now he will take a car deeper into a corner. He\u2019s telling the crew to fix the car for his driving style and he got that style when he started racing.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Running with the Circuits.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

While David is driving at places like Charlotte, Kansas, Michigan and California, Buzzie recalled the fun he had traveling with DIRT motorsports or the All-Star League while in the Northeast.<\/p>\n

\u201cRunning with the circuits was guaranteed money because the appearance fees would cover the gas money,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cThey would advertise the shows, sometimes 100 lappers, and people would flock to the track. It didn\u2019t matter what night it was. They wanted to see the races. Since they didn\u2019t have racing in the winter, they knew that if they wanted to see racing, this was their chance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The region featured a number of special events, many still running to this day. There were special races at the mile at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, the National 100 and the Eastern States 200 at Middletown, New York\u2019s Orange County Fair Speedway. He\u2019s been in the field and even picked up a few wins along the way. In fact, he had an invitation to compete in the 2009 Eastern States, but turned down the ride simply because he hadn\u2019t driven that type of car in a few years. He was supposed to have made a return to Middletown in July for a reunion event, but that was rained out.<\/p>\n

When you encounter a man who has been racing for 55 years, the tendency is to ask about a rival, a favorite track, a memorable win. Buzzie is smart enough not to single out anyone in this case. His racing these days is on a 3\/8-mile track. He\u2019s raced smaller and he\u2019s raced larger and he doesn\u2019t have a preference. Or maybe he does.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked the bigger tracks,\u201d<\/em> he admitted, quickly adding, \u201cI don\u2019t prefer one over the other though. It\u2019s just that the bigger tracks give you a chance to hunt down the ones who are ahead of you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Good Memories and Bad.<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe Mile at Syracuse provided good memories and bad. Buzzie won a couple of the big special events, but he was also involved in a crash there in 1985 that slowed his racing career. For Buzzie, the good outweighed the bad. \u201cThe thrill of winning stays fresh in your memory,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, though, I think more about the ones I should have won or could have won.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

There are over 1,200 features that he did win. It\u2019s a rough estimate and may even be 1,300 by the time you read this. The October victory at East Bay was his second Modified feature win at the track. The class has been dominated by one driver, who has 9 wins in 13 starts. Buzzie and one other competitor, Shane Burrows, have the other two wins.<\/p>\n

Buzzie getting ready to “put on a show”.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

On the week before his win, Buzzie wasn\u2019t competitive, but Jeff Mathews added his ninth win. It gave Buzzie a chance to reflect on the state of today\u2019s racing, which is much different than the past. \u201cHe won starting on the pole,\u201d<\/em> said Buzzie. \u201cStarting on the pole and winning a race is not fun for me. We need to start the fast guys in the back. If you go to an asphalt race, you\u2019ll see the fast guys up front. Everyone shuffles into a single file line. That\u2019s not putting on a show for the fans. We\u2019re like entertainers. We\u2019re supposed to be putting on a show that the fans enjoy and I don\u2019t think a lot of drivers realize it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they\u2019re on the track, they don\u2019t realize they have an obligation to keep the show entertaining. When all the yellows come out for guys who are stopped on the track, some barely on the track, it just slows everything up.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Attitude of Today\u2019s Racer.<\/strong><\/em>
\nThe attitude of today\u2019s racer in the pits is different. We\u2019ve heard stories of racers playing practical jokes or mind games for competitive advantages (Buzzie once painted his springs a different color every week to make competitors think he was doing something different). Not anymore.<\/p>\n

Racing against today’s racers.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody sort of stays to themselves,\u201d Buzzie pointed out. \u201cThere\u2019s no camaraderie. It\u2019s just not the same and I miss that part of it. Everybody seems to be in their own little world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Part of the blame rests with the demise of racing promotion. More tracks are run by operators, ones who maintain a facility and open the gates, but don\u2019t do anything about beating the drum or entertaining the fans once they are inside the gate. When a race track doesn\u2019t succeed, either a new \u201cpromoter\u201d is found or the place closes. Buzzie has seen his share of race track closures and the effect it can have on the sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI went to a Reading Reunion and realized just how much closing the track meant,\u201d he said. \u201cThere were people who just quit going. They didn\u2019t go to another track. There were some racers who just stopped racing and I\u2019m sure some fans, too. When you close a track, you might end a career.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s seldom a day goes by here that someone doesn\u2019t mention Golden Gate Speedway. They enjoy the memories, but they miss the chance to go there. I think about places like that and Silver Dollar. That\u2019s progress, I guess, but there needs to be so much more done today to entertain the people.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In Victory Lane at East Bay Raceway Park.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Victory Lane.<\/strong><\/em>
\nBuzzie\u2019s October feature win was entertaining. Starting in the sixth position, with point leader Mathews inside that row, the15-car field set out for a 15-lap main. There wasn\u2019t much passing in the first three laps, but it heated up after that. Just before halfway, Buzzie had moved outside to take second. With Mathews inside, the two raced side by side with contact on occasion before Mathews left the track with a tire problem. Buzzie made his pass for the lead, again on the outside, with five laps to go.<\/p>\n

In Victory Lane, an exhausted driver climbed from the Aaron\u2019s 00, and caught his breath before talking to track announcer Scott McAllister. \u201cOur car wasn\u2019t right in the heat race, so we put some tires on it and the track came in to our liking. I didn\u2019t mean to get into the 33 and I know that\u2019s the way it happens sometimes. Now I have to call David and tell him I won. If this old man can do it, he should be able to win the Cup race (David finished eighth the next day). I hope everyone enjoyed it and I hope it\u2019s not as hot up there as it was in this car.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Within minutes, he was on the cell phone, talking to David, who is his car owner. Buzzie\u2019s latest car is a departure from the red, white and blue tradition. This car, sent to David and Brian Pattie after Buzzie wrecked it at Volusia Speedway Park, carries an orange and black body. The colors are there to commemorate Zephyrhills High School, the alma mater of Buzzie, David and Brian.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe next one will be red, white and blue,\u201d<\/em> Buzzie said.<\/p>\n

Buzzie and David at the rain shortened Sprint Cup race that David won in May.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Special Day in May.<\/strong><\/em>
\nBuzzie isn\u2019t chasing points, but he\u2019s chasing enjoyment. Whenever there is an opportunity to watch David in person, Buzzie will be there. Father and son talk twice a day, every day. Sometimes, they talk about a special day in May.<\/p>\n

East Bay was supposed to run Modifieds on May 23. Buzzie was leaning toward competing, but the weather was not in his favor. By late afternoon, he hedged his bet, believing the track would rain out and headed toward Charlotte for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. East Bay did rain out, but so did NASCAR on Sunday. It meant Memorial Day Monday would be race day and Buzzie stayed. It was another good decision.<\/p>\n

Many of you already know the outcome. David won the rain-shortened race, giving him his first Sprint Cup victory and putting a Reutimann in the record books.<\/p>\n

Buzzie has plenty of memories. \u201cSeeing that 00 on top of the pylon was something special,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cI just can\u2019t put it into words even today. I just kept thinking about how long it took, how much effort it took, how deserving he is. It\u2019s just a special feeling.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, there have been those quick to put an asterisk on the win since it was a rain-shortened race (Joey Logano is going through the same thing). A win is a win, but the Reutimanns still feel there\u2019s something to prove. \u201cHe wants to win one with everybody in it and I hope it\u2019s Charlotte,\u201d<\/em> remarked Buzzie. \u201cThat would take the weight off of him. He wants to win again to back it up. It\u2019s good for us. I know I\u2019ve won races like that myself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m one of the lucky ones. My son has made it. I\u2019ve always been blessed that he\u2019s my son.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

The last time David and Buzzie competed was earlier this year at Talladega Short Track and David was the winner. \u201cHe had better tires,\u201d<\/em> said Buzzie.<\/p>\n

Buzzie Reutimann is a man torn between his love of racing and his love of watching David race. Which would he rather do?<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy both immensely,\u201d<\/em> he said, walking the tightrope of a question. \u201cWith my racing, it\u2019s the challenges. By going to watch David, well, there\u2019s no substitute for being there in the garage or on pit road. It\u2019s nerve wracking to watch him run 200 miles per hour. I wouldn\u2019t worry as much if I was doing, but it\u2019s worse when he\u2019s doing it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

And so the question goes unanswered as does the one about when Buzzie will step out of the car for the last time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m 68 now, so I guess I\u2019ll stop when I\u2019m 70.\u201d<\/em> The laugh that followed indicated that we can\u2019t put much stock in that answer.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s in the DIRT motorsports Hall of Fame, inducted into the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall with his good friend Darrell Waltrip (whom he represented at the induction) and has a list of accolades that can fill the Zephyrhills race shop and then some. He\u2019s the man who purchased the first barrel of racing fuel from Sunoco when they got in the business over 30 years ago. He\u2019s still winning and making fans and friends wherever he goes.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s Buzzie Reutimann and that\u2019s all you need to know.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][\/html][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]One of the most popular of all the dirt-track Modified stock-car racers, Emil \u201cBuzzie\u201d Reutimann of Zephyrhills, Florida, enjoyed a lengthy career on the Northeast\u2019s short tracks and his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 includes several major victories and track championships. He is also remembered for the \u201cGO FIRST CLASS\u201d motto on all of his \u201cDouble-O\u201d racers and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":621,"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53\/revisions\/621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buzziereutimann.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}