Waltrip Steers the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota to a 17th-Place Finish at Auto Club Speedway

FONTANA, Calif. – After two frustrating weeks of bad luck, Michael Waltrip drove the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota to a 17th-place finish after starting 34th in Sunday’s 250-lap event at Auto Club Speedway. Waltrip battled back from being a lap down twice to persevere to a solid finish.

“The team did a good job on pit road and I’m really proud of them,” said Waltrip. “They used a good strategy and got us a couple laps back. Then at the end of the race, there was a huge crash involving multiple cars and I got through it. We’ve certainly had our share of wrecks this year that were not our fault. I made a good move to get through it.”

Leading the field to the green flag was Denny Hamlin. Waltrip’s team put an entirely new setup under its Toyota earlier in the morning so the two-time Daytona 500 champion used the opening laps to get a feel for the new combination. Unfortunately, it was extremely loose and he had to wait for the team’s first service under green to tighten up the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota. The chance to make adjustments, add fuel and change four tires happened under green-flag conditions on lap 38. The service took only 13 seconds. Waltrip returned to the track in 36th position.

The changes made to the NAPA Toyota helped handling, but it still needed more help through the middle and off the corners. Waltrip maintained his 36th-place position, but went a lap down. NASCAR threw a caution on lap 59 when Jamie McMurray brushed the wall. Instead of pitting, the NAPA team opted for the wave around and returned to the lead lap. The strategy paid off as another caution flag was thrown 20 laps later. This time the NAPA team pitted for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Waltrip restarted 26th as Martin Truex Jr. led the field to green.

The handling on the NAPA Toyota still challenged Waltrip. It was extremely loose and it cost him time on the track and one lap. The team gambled again by staying out when a caution was thrown for debris on lap 184. Like before, NASCAR waved the yellow flag shortly after the restart. Crew chief Gene Nead called his driver to pit road for service that included the addition of spring rubbers along with four tires and fuel. Waltrip left his pit box scored in 25th position and encouraged his team to keep up the good work as a respectable finish was well deserved.

The spring rubber adjustments made the NAPA Toyota come alive as he moved from 25th to 19th in less than 25 laps.

“Our car was good,” added Waltrip. “It bounced around and floated the nose, but other than that, it was still competitive. I could drive it.”

With five laps remaining, a multi-car crash was triggered near the front of the field. The cars of Kasey Kahne, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcos Ambrose, AJ Allmendinger, Reed Sorenson, Brian Vickers, Jeff Burton and Elliott Sadler were involved. Waltrip dodged the bullet and NASCAR threw the red flag as it took nearly 20 minutes to clear the track of debris. When the race was back on, the NAPA team opted to pit for four fresh tires and an air pressure adjustment as Waltrip still needed his car to be tightened up in order to make another run at the front.

When the race went back to green on lap 247, the NAPA Toyota was scored in 18th and Waltrip was able to pick up one more position before the checkered flag waved. Jimmie Johnson took the victory and the lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship points standings.

Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Jeff Gordon, Montoya, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. As for Waltrip’s teammates, David Reutimann finished 18th and Ambrose rebounded from the big crash to collect 23rd place.

Next Saturday, the Chase moves to the site where Michael Waltrip Racing won its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race earlier this season -- Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Broadcast coverage gets underway at 7 p.m. eastern on ABC. It can also be heard on PRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

AMBROSE COLLECTS ANOTHER SOLID TOP-15 FINISH THIS TIME AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (October 5, 2009) – Marcos Ambrose had a strong showing in race number 28 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Kansas Speedway. The Australian driver brought home a 14th-place finish in his No. 47 Little Debbie® Toyota to maintain 17th in the championship standings. Two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart won the 400-mile event, Jeff Gordon finished second, Greg Biffle was third, Juan Pablo Montoya crossed the finish line fourth and Denny Hamilton rounded out the top-five. Mark Martin continues to lead the championship standings by 18 points over Jimmie Johnson.

On Sunday afternoon, Ambrose started 27th as the 43-car field was led to the flag stand by pole-sitter Mark Martin for the start of the 267-lap event.

“The Little Debbie® Toyota was a little loose in the beginning, but it still was really good,” Ambrose said.

On the very first lap, NASCAR threw the caution flag when Joey Logano spun around. Ambrose was scored in 21st place as the field returned to green flag racing at Lap 5. The very next lap the No. 98 entry of Paul Menard lost control and several cars were collected on the backstretch including Michael Waltrip, David Ragan, Max Papis, and Bobby Labonte.

As NASCAR safety workers cleared the track of debris from the melee, crew chief Frank Kerr keyed up the microphone.

“Some of the drivers are saying that grip all the sudden goes away so be careful out there Marcos,” Kerr said.

Martin led the field back to the start-finish line for the restart on Lap 11 while Ambrose was in 18th place. By Lap 15, Ambrose broke into the top 15 while Dale Earnhardt Junior was the new leader. Kerr told Ambrose he was catching the drivers ahead of him and was running lap times as fast as Earnhardt.

Ambrose was hitting his Little Debbie Toyota’s right front on the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval and he was loose off. After running 15th for several laps, he was able to pass Clint Bowyer on Lap 39 for 14th and set his sights on the top 10.

“At that time, the car was so close to being awesome,” Ambrose said.

“He was as fast as Dale,” Kerr said.

On Lap 50, Ambrose drove by Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. for 12th place before he headed to pit road for his green flag pit stop four laps later. Ambrose drove on to pit road while shown in seventh place for four tires and an air pressure adjustment.

As the 32-year-old returned to the track he thought he might have a vibration and he was way too loose.

During the next caution at Lap 69, Ambrose told Kerr that the balance of the Little Debbie® Toyota was hurt and it was jumping loose on him. Kerr communicated to his JTG-Daugherty Racing crew to put the air pressure back to where it was and to change four tires.

“It was jumping loose on me,” Ambrose said. “The car had also been tighter in Turns 3 and 4.”

Ambrose was back to green flag racing on Lap 74 in 15th place, but he reported right away that his Toyota was really free and that it may need a wedge adjustment to tighten it up.

“It was loose in and off,” Ambrose said. “All in all, it was just really free.”

Handling was Ambrose’s nemesis causing him to slip outside the top-15. Around Lap 100, he had fallen to 23rd. Nearly 25 laps later, Brian Vickers spun around bringing out a caution that allowed the pit crew to make an air pressure adjustment, change four tires and go a half of a round up on the track bar. There was also damage sustained to the left rear quarter panel that Kerr called Ambrose back in on the next lap for repair.

“I’m not sure who got into me, but we had some damage to the rear,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose restarted 18th on Lap 130 after the dent was hammered out of the left rear and the rear corner was taped up. Ambrose was glad to see another caution at Lap 147 because he was tight in the center and loose off. The crew opted to put on only right side tires for track position. When the green flag waved at Lap 151, Ambrose was shown in seventh place. Still battling looseness, he slid out of the top 10 at lap 154.

“It was loose off,” Ambrose said.

Ambrose still needed more security and on Lap 238 under caution, Kerr was able to have the team change four tires again and make another track bar adjustment. As the 14 car of Tony Stewart showed the way on Lap 241, Ambrose was 16th. He returned to the top 15 the next lap.

“At that point it really didn’t matter what was going to happen because the changes they made, did make an impact and we were running better,” Ambrose said. “We made some gains.”

The gains were good enough to keep Ambrose in the top 15 and he crossed the finish line 14th.

Next week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series travels west. Live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, October 11th begins at 2:30 p.m. EDT on ABC. Sirius XM Satellite and MRN Radio will also carry flag-to-flag coverage.

Truex and the NAPA AUTO PARTS Team Win the NASCAR Camping World East Series Championship for Michael Waltrip Racing

DOVER, Del. – Ryan Truex became the first NASCAR champion in the short history of Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) when he captured the NASCAR Camping World East Series title on Friday evening at Dover International Speedway. Truex drove his No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota to an eighth-place finish in the Sunoco 150. The top-10 result enabled Truex to win the championship over Eddie MacDonald by a 34-point margin.

"I just have to thank everyone at NAPA and Michael Waltrip Racing,” said Truex. “Everyone on my team is incredible and I especially want to thank Michael Waltrip, Ty Norris and my crew chief Mike Greci for making all of this possible. I can't believe we won this title. We struggled during the first two races of the season so to come back and win the championship is phenomenal."

Truex, the 17-year-old brother of Martin Truex Jr., and development driver for MWR, produced solid results over the course of the 11-race schedule. His first season in NASCAR’s top development series equated to three wins, seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes.

Truex started the Sunoco 150 in sixth position and drove a conservative race. He kept MacDonald in his sights while also working with his team to improve the handling on his No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota.

"We started out tight," elaborated Truex. "The NAPA team made some changes during our pit stop and it helped. From there on out, we just tried to keep the car clean and get to the finish."

The Mayetta, N.J. native was quick to realize the magnitude of what he had accomplished.

"To be the first champion at MWR means the world to me," continued Truex. "I really love racing for these guys. It’s such a great place to work. They consistently give me great cars.

"Hopefully, we'll win a lot more titles together."

Truex and the rest of the NASCAR touring series champions will be honored at the Touring Series Gala in Concord, N.C., on Saturday, Nov. 14.

The NASCAR Camping World Series will be back in action for the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown on Jan. 29 and 30 at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale (Calif.).

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW YEARS HAVE MADE FOR REUTIMANN AND MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING

CORNELIUS, N.C. (September 17, 2009) – It was six years ago when Darrell Waltrip gave a small town dirt-track racer from Zephyrhills, Florida, a chance to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series full-time. For David Reutimann, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Reutimann has gone from carving his name in the dirt to having it chiseled in granite after winning the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 in May. His first NASCAR Sprint Cup win vaulted him deep into contention for the Chase for the Championship all the way through the final regular-season race in Richmond, Va., last weekend. Although Reutimann just missed this year’s playoffs, his inspiring Chase run was a watershed event for maturing Michael Waltrip Racing, an organization in its third season.

“I don’t know if I’ve come very far, but the Michael Waltrip Racing organization definitely has,” Reutimann said. “Obviously, I’m really disappointed for not making The Chase and it’s a little hard to take. With that being said, I’ve been proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish and you easily lose sight of that because you are there in the midst of everything and you are close. When something happens and you don’t get in, all you are is really disappointed. The reality of it is, we did do a good job, but we came up a little short. I’m proud of the Aaron’s team, the organization and really happy with the progress we’ve made in such a short amount of time. I’m happy with that.”

Thanks to great partners like Aaron’s, Reutimann has been impressive recording five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in addition to his first victory at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and pole awards at Texas Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway.

“I definitely think the win was huge for me personally, for Aaron’s, Michael and MWR,” Reutimann said. “It was a really big deal for us. There have been a lot of good moments like being able to win a couple of poles and run well at a lot of tracks. Again though, I think it comes down to winning at Lowe’s. It was a big break for our entire organization. That was the highlight and it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Even though Reutimann is not among the top-12 competing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, he is indeed thankful for the season he has experienced. His goals have not changed and he’s looking to add to his 13 top-15 finishes in the final 10 races with his crew chief Rodney Childers and No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry team.

“My goals are to go out there and run good every week and that hasn’t changed a lot from what we originally set out to do,” Reutimann said. “It's unfortunate that we’re not in The Chase for the Sprint Cup, but that’s not going to change our mindset. Our approach will be the same it has been all year.”

With Reutimann’s success this season, it masks the fact he’s only been working with his crew chief for eight months and his team has not reached its three-year-old birthday.

“You have to remember this is mine and Rodney’s first year working together and we are still learning about one another,” Reutimann said. “He’s learning about what I want in a race car and I’m learning more about his approach and what he does. There is no doubt that we will have an even better program next year.”

What a difference a few years make for Reutimann in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Delving further back into his past, Reutimann has been a part of the Waltrip family since 2004 and won his first Truck Series race, Nationwide race and Cup race with them. He’s experienced the highs and lows from the team’s inception with Toyota and is enjoying the most recent success he is witnessing firsthand.

“We are light years ahead of where we were,” Reutimann said. “Our cars are better for one, we are more organized and more structured. There is a better feel all the way around. We make progress and smart changes. There are so many things that are different from this year to the previous two years. Everybody has a purpose and knows what’s going on. When something’s wrong, they have a direct clear cut direction to make it better.”
Reutimann is by no means a fortune teller, but he knows one thing for certain that next year will be even better for Michael Waltrip Racing.

“We have a great partnership with JTG-Daugherty Racing and Marcos Ambrose has done a solid job and I’m looking forward to working with him and the No. 47 Toyota team again,” Reutimann said. “Also, I know Martin Truex Jr. is going to do great job and so will his crew chief Pat Tryson. Pat’s record speaks for itself - - running well, winning races and repeatedly making The Chase. I feel like they will be a good fit for our program. Michael has done an incredible job helping make MWR stronger every day and putting the right people in the right place. MWR's future is bright.”

“I don’t know what we expect for the Aaron’s Dream Machine team in 2010, but I feel like we should make The Chase,” Reutimann continued. “I feel like we are a good enough team to do that and that’s why it's disappointing we didn’t make it this year. We will keep our approach the same and I expect good things.”

Pat Tryson to Crew Chief the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry in 2010

Cornelius, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced today that veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will lead Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry beginning in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.Tryson successfully earned his fifth Chase berth as crew chief on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway and will join MWR upon the conclusion of the season.

“Pat is a passionate competitor, a winner and a championship contender,” said Waltrip. “Those were the traits we were looking for in a crew chief that would help Martin deliver on the track for NAPA for years to come. We couldn’t be more proud to add a person of Pat’s caliber to our organization.”

“Michael Waltrip Racing has really come onto the scene this year and the progress they have made over a very short time is impressive,” Tryson said. “I believe that I can contribute. MWR is doing everything they can to get the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota back into victory lane and that’s what my focus will be. Martin is a talented driver and we’ll be doing everything we can to make that happen.”

Tryson joins MWR after a successful run with Kurt Busch, where Tryson guided the former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion to two Chase appearances, four victories and 35 top-10 finishes since 2007 with Penske Racing.

A native of Malvern, Pa., Tryson got his start in NASCAR working for Kenny Bernstein’s NASCAR Cup operation.

In 1997, he launched his crew chief career by calling the shots for driver Geoff Bodine. Two seasons later, he joined Roush Racing and worked with drivers Kevin Lepage and Johnny Benson. With Kevin Lepage at the wheel, Tryson helped steer him to one pole, two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

In 2000, Wood Brothers Racing hired Tryson and for nearly three seasons, he worked with drivers Elliott Sadler and Ricky Rudd. The crew chief guided Sadler to his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2001.

Roush Racing came calling midway through the 2003 season. This time, Tryson teamed up with driver Mark Martin to help the veteran make NASCAR’s new playoff system -- The Chase. They repeated with berths in 2005 and 2006. Tryson is only one of three crew chiefs (Robbie Reiser and Chad Knaus) who qualified for The Chase during its first three years.

Waltrip Disappointed After a Tough Night in Atlanta

HAMPTON, GA. – It was another mixed bag of results for Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) during Sunday night’s running of the Atlanta 500 at one of Waltrip’s favorite places and home track for sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS -- the Atlanta Motor Speedway. MWR’s top finisher was Chase contender David Reutimann. He earned his eighth top-10 finish of the season with a fourth-place result and moved up one position in the points to 15th. As for Waltrip and his new crew chief Gene Nead, they had a good start to the weekend but had a tough race and finished 32nd. As for JTG-Daugherty Racing’s Marcos Ambrose, he crossed the finish line in 23rd place.

“I hate that we had a tough night,” said Waltrip after the race as his team remains 32nd in the NASCAR owner points standings. “We had a good Friday and a bad day today. I appreciate how Gene jumped right in and meshed with the guys immediately. They worked hard, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done. We made changes to the car throughout the race, but it didn’t work out. Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks and I know how to run well. We just didn’t find the right combination for my NAPA Toyota. It was so hard to drive. Right now, it’s all about getting as many points as we can to put the 55 car in a good position for Martin (Truex) next season.”

On the pole for the Atlanta 500 was the man who will be behind the wheel of the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota next season for MWR, Martin Truex Jr. It was his second pole of the season and third of his career. He went on to lead the most laps of the race – 68. As for his future car owner, Waltrip had a good qualifying effort. He lined up 19th for the event.

During the opening laps of the 325-lap event, Waltrip’s NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota was competitive especially on the longer race runs. But over the course of the race, the handling went drastically away. The NAPA team and their new leader rallied behind their driver to try and improve the car as it was inconsistent going from extremely loose to tight. Stops for changes were completed on laps 38, 61, 83,107, 132, 182, 203, 248 and 271. Spring rubber, track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments were all in the mix to fix the No. 55 Toyota. Despite their hard work and determination, it produced a 32nd-place result.

Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne took advantage of the final restart of the night to overtake Kevin Harvick to score his second win of the season. Finishing behind Kahne to round out the top-10 finishers were Harvick, Juan Pablo Montoya, Reutimann, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle.


Next Saturday night the NAPA Racing team competes in the Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It’s the final race in the Chase before the field of 12 is set for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup playoff. Broadcast coverage of the race gets underway on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ABC. It can also be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and MRN.

Atlanta 500 Unofficial Results:
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/25/data/results_unofficial.html

Atlanta 500 Lap By Lap:
http://www.nascar.com/2009/races/lapbylap/09/06/lap.by.lap.atlanta2/index.html

WALTRIP’S TOP-15 RUN ENDS WHEN TIRE IS CUT DOWN DURING CLOSING LAPS OF SHARPIE 500 AT BRISTOL

BRISTOL, TENN. – Michael Waltrip and the NAPA Racing team had a good run taken away on Saturday night when a tire was cut down with less than 10 laps to go in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The problem resulted in a crash and a 31st-place finish.

“I am just so disappointed with what happened,” said Waltrip who started the Sharpie 500 in 36th position. “I saw smoke and told the guys about it. Pitting again under that caution to make sure everything was OK was an option, but we stayed out. It cost us a good finish.”

Mark Martin led the field to the green flag and it was not long until Waltrip was moving his way up through the field. By lap 60, he was already in the top 25. Meanwhile, the second caution of the race was thrown when Denny Hamlin had a tire issue. Crew chief Bootie Barker came over the radio to see what Waltrip needed. His answer was pretty simple – nothing. So on lap 66, the pit crew changed four tires and added fuel.

The race went back to green on lap 69 with Greg Biffle as the new leader and Waltrip was in 25th. The NAPA Toyota remained one of the fastest cars on the track as he broke into the top 20 by lap 132. Then three laps later, the caution was back out for debris. Waltrip told the team that he didn’t need any adjustments so the pit crew busted off a 14-second stop for four fresh tires and fuel. Waltrip picked up three positions on the track due to the fast stop. On the restart, he was scored in 15th and Mark Martin was back in the top spot.

The next green-flag run saw Waltrip compete in the top 20 despite the fact that the driver felt the set of tires he had on were not as good as the first two sets. Barker also told his driver that his teammate, Marcos Ambrose, was reporting the same issue. More than likely, the track was changing and the Michael Waltrip Racing cars were running on the tight side.

Another caution was thrown on lap 163. The NAPA team opted to stay out while most of the cars on the lead lap pitted. Waltrip restarted in 13th position and he held his own as his lap times were as fast as the leader.

Then at the halfway mark, Waltrip was on the verge of breaking into the top 10. On lap 357, the pit crew serviced the NAPA Toyota in 13 seconds. Waltrip returned to the track in 12th position and radar showed rain closing in on Thunder Valley. It made its appearance on lap 420 and NASCAR put out the caution flag. Barker kept Waltrip out while the leaders pitted. The NAPA Toyota was posted in the top spot on lap 425 and remained there for eight laps.
Lap 440 saw a multi-car crash take place right behind the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota. Sam Hornish made contact with Casey Mears. The cars of Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, and Brian Vickers were also involved. The yellow allowed the NAPA crew to make another air pressure change, bolt on four fresh tires and add fuel. Waltrip returned to the track in 18th and Kyle Busch was the new leader.

The air pressure adjustments made during the last pit stop made Waltrip’s Toyota tighter. So on lap 459, the NAPA crew went back to work to lower the air pressure to free up the car. The stop took just 12.70 seconds. Busch remained the leader and Waltrip was in 17th position. The race resumed and the double-file restart saw close door-to-door racing. Contact was made between several cars including Martin Truex Jr. and Waltrip. Truex Jr. ended up on the short end of the stick to bring out the caution on 478. Waltrip’s left front was smoking so the team pitted on lap 481 to bolt on four fresh tires and pull out the sheet metal. Unfortunately, when the race restarted on lap 486, Waltrip still had a problem on the left side of the car. The left rear tire was rubbing the sheet metal. He held on as long as he could until the tire was finally cut down sending him hard into the turn three wall on lap 491 to end a solid run.

The final five laps of the Sharpie 500 saw Kyle Busch and Mark Martin go head-to-head but it was Busch who had the advantage. He went on to win his fourth race of the season. The victory helped him close in on a Chase birth as he is now just 34 points out of the coveted 12-place position to make a run at the Sprint Cup title.

Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Martin, Marcos Ambrose, Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Matt Kenseth.

As for Waltrip’s teammates, David Reutimann finished 17th. Ambrose’s third place showing equates to his fourth top-five and eighth top-10 finish of the season.

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup teams have their final weekend off. Waltrip is busy doing television. This Week in NASCAR will air tonight at 8 p.m. on SPEED. Then on Friday, he joins Phil Parsons and Rick Allen in the broadcast booth for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at the Chicagoland Speedway. Broadcast coverage of the race begins at 8:30 p.m. on SPEED.