Despite numerous attempts to dry the surface, track officials lost control as Mother Nature took over. NASCAR officials made the decision to call the race, giving David Reutimann and Michael Waltrip Racing their first Cup Series victory.  Heavy rains were never a huge problem during the final red flag period, however the showers were persistent enough to keep the surface wet.

Using a great call to stay on the track by crew chief Rodney Childers, Reutimann was able to weather the storm from the front of the field and when NASCAR made the decision to end the race. In what was the shortest Coca-Cola 600 in its fifty year history, only 227 of the schedule 400 laps had been completed.

 “It’s just a gamble,” Reutimann said after climbing from the car under the red flag. “That’s part of the reason it’s a gamble because it might work for you or it might not.”

Monday’s win marked Reutimann’s second top-5 finish of the year and third top-10. The driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota scored a fourth-place finish earlier in the year.

“It certainly wasn’t the prettiest win, but somebody’s gotta win these things. Rodney Childers made a great call and told me to stay out,” Reutimann said after they called the race. “When you envision yourself winning your first Sprint Cup race you envision it a little different, but it’s so hard to win one of these deals we’ll take it any way we can get them."

The win marked not only the first Cup Series win for Reutimann and MWR, but also for Childers. Interestingly enough, the No. 00 also scored its first win in Cup Series history. Reutimann also joined an elite group of drivers that scored their first career Cup Series victory in the Coca-Cola 600 – David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Matt Kenseth and Casey Mears.

Ryan Newman also opted to stay on the track when others pitted and was able to score the second-place finish. After starting the day from the pole, Newman was forced to the back of the pack after he drove away before the front tire changer could get all the lug nuts tight. With the runner-up finish, Newman scored his best finish of the 2009 season and fourth-straight top-4 finish.

Making a great call, Robby Gordon also took the chance with staying on the track when the rest of the field pitted. Running mid-pack for most of the day, Gordon was able to pass the field the easiest way possible.

Carl Edwards was the first of the cars that came to pit road in fourth. Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne worked on the handling of the car throughout the day to put themselves in position to take two tires and finish fourth.

Brian Vickers, one of the strongest cars of the day, was able to come home fifth.  

COMPLETE RACE RESULTS

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