David Andrew Stremme (born in South Bend, Indiana on
June 19, 1977) is a NASCAR driver. Stremme was a
contender for the 2006 Rookie of the Year award. He
is signed by Rusty Wallace Racing to drive the #64
Atreus Homes & Communities Chevy in the 2008
Nationwide Series.
A third-generation driver, David is the eldest son
of Lou and Cindy Stremme, both of whom are
multi-time Track Champions at South Bend area
tracks. Stremme began racing at the New Paris (IN)
Speedway just before his 16th birthday and won his
first Track Championship a few years later. He moved
to the NASCAR-sanctioned Kalamazoo (MI) Speedway
where he was noticed and brought to the American
Speed Association (ASA) circuit. Stremme won the
2002 ASA Rookie Of The Year Award.
David Stremme had his first full season in the Cup
Series driving Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 40 Dodge in
2006 after coming off his first full back-to-back
Busch Series campaigns in which he finished 10th and
13th, respectively, in the final point standings.
Stremme made four Cup starts for Ganassi in 2005,
finishing 16th in his debut at Chicago.
It was in the upper Midwest where Stremme's racing
roots first took hold. His great uncle was racing in
the 1950s at South Bend Motor Speedway. Stremme's
father was an independent racer in the Midwest. Even
Stremme's mother was a race-winner.
At age 6, Stremme was winning "Big Wheel" races held
on the same night his parents were racing stock cars
at local tracks.
Taking his father's advice, Stremme took an interest
in working on racecars in his family's garage before
competing in the Street Stocks Division in 1993. His
first victory came at New Paris Speedway, in his
mother's Street Stock car. Once officials found out
he was only 15, he had to quit racing.
Legal again, Stremme posted 24 feature victories and
two rookie of the year titles and two track
championships in four years. In 1998 he competed in
his first full NASCAR Weekly Racing Late Model
Series, finishing seventh in points at Kalamazoo
Speedway, the same track he used to stand in Victory
Lane with his winning father.
In 1999 he recorded one victory, six top-fives and
seven top-10s in nine starts in the Kendall Late
Model Series. He completed 842 of 900 laps that
season, and led all 100 laps in his first Kendall
victory.
Stremme has competed in a wide range of series, from
Open-Wheel Modifieds to the CRA Super Series.
Stremme also raced in various NASCAR series, but it
was the American Speed Association Series which
proved to be the most beneficial.
In 2001 Stremme met ASA crew chief Howard Lettow,
who was a part of Tony Raines' championship in '96.
When veteran racer Scott Hanson couldn't make the
Winchester (Ind.) 400, Lettow recommended Stremme.
Stremme started from the pole and led several laps
before mechanical problems retired the car. But he
was given a full-time ride in 2002. His first
victory came at his "home" track at Salem Speedway,
outracing two-time series champ Gary St. Amant to
the finish line.
Stremme won twice that season and was named the
series' rookie of the year, finishing with 13
top-fives and 15 top-10s in 20 starts. He was fourth
in the final point standings.
In 2003 Stremme became the first Busch Series driver
to take top rookie honors while not competing in a
full season. In 18 starts, he had three top-fives
and seven top-10s. In the next two years, Stremme
compiled 10 top-fives and 24 top-10s.
Trivia: In the NASCAR Preview and Press Guide by UMI
Publications Stremme's name is spelled David
Stremmer under past winners of the Nationwide Series
Rookie of the Year.
