CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing announced today a multi-year contract extension with TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) to keep the organization in the Toyota camp for years to come.
MWR and Toyota entered Sprint Cup Racing – NASCAR’s premier division – together in 2007. MWR currently fields three NASCAR Sprint Cup teams and is enjoying its best season with Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer in the top 10 in NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points and all three of its cars in the top 12 in owner points. MWR Toyotas have earned three poles and seven top-fives in the first 11 races in 2012.
Clint Bowyer has several reasons to be excited about racing at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. Bowyer finished second in last year’s Aaron’s 499 and won the track’s fall race in 2011. He’s also fighting to a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ having just missed qualifying for NASCAR’s post season a year ago. Bowyer, 12th in the standings but just 14 points out of 10th-place, left Richard Childress Racing at season’s end and bids to carry his Talladega success to Michael Waltrip Racing. Teammates Martin Truex Jr. and Michael Waltrip logged top-10 finishes in last year’s fall race. MWR has a single top-five finish at Talladega: David Reutimann’s fourth in the fall of 2010.
1 55 Mark Martin Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 21.040 128.327
2 99 Carl Edwards Ford Eco-Boost Ford 21.046 128.290
3 29 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Chevrolet 21.087 128.041
4 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge 21.100 127.962
5 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Brown Toyota 21.101 127.956
6 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet 21.135 127.750
7 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 21.138 127.732
8 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Brakes Toyota 21.147 127.678
9 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 21.161 127.593
10 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet 21.169 127.545
11 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Helping Hungry Homes Ford 21.184 127.455
12 39 Ryan Newman Army Reserve Chevrolet 21.194 127.395
13 51 Kurt Busch Phoenix Construction Services Chevrolet 21.205 127.328
14 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford 21.213 127.280
15 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Racing / Farm American 21.225 127.208
16 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge 21.261 126.993
17 36 Dave Blaney SealWrap.com Chevrolet 21.266 126.963
18 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota 21.274 126.915
THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY #199 – RICHMOND PREVIEW
19 47 Bobby Labonte Bush’s Beans Toyota 21.278 126.892
20 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 21.290 126.820
CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing and RAB Racing announced today they have formed an alliance to field entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012.
As part of the agreement, RAB Racing will acquire additional cars and receive technical and marketing support from MWR. Also, RAB Racing will change its current No. 09 number to the No. 99 starting at Richmond on April 27.
RAB Racing will field the No. 99 Boost Mobile/KMC Wheels Toyota Camry for 11-time, X-Games gold medalist and action sports star Travis Pastrana in seven 2012 NASCAR Nationwide races. RAB Racing will also field Nationwide Series entries for MWR in additional races.
“We love the Nationwide Series because it is what started Michael Waltrip Racing behind my house years ago,” said MWR co-owner Michael Waltrip. “As our organization has grown into three full time Sprint Cup teams, it has taken a lot of our focus and resources. We have been so impressed with what the Bentons and Brack Maggard have been able to do with RAB Racing that we believe this is the perfect relationship for both organizations. We can help RAB Racing in certain areas and they can continue to elevate themselves into one of the top Nationwide Series teams.”
1 56 Martin Truex, Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 28.366 190.369
2 17 Matt Kenseth Best Buy Ford 28.399 190.148
3 16 Greg Biffle Filtrete Ford 28.403 190.121
4 55 Mark Martin Aaron’s Best of the Best Toyota 28.418 190.020
5 5 Kasey Kahne Farmers Insurance Chevrolet 28.476 189.633
6 39 Ryan Newman US ARMY Chevrolet 28.497 189.494
7 9 Marcos Ambrose Stanley Ford 28.501 189.467
8 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge 28.514 189.381
9 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet 28.527 189.294
10 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet 28.529 189.281
11 27 Paul Menard Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet 28.559 189.082
12 22 AJ Allmendinger Shell Pennzoil Dodge 28.568 189.023
13 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office/March of Dimes Toyota 28.589 188.884
14 20 Joey Logano Dollar General Toyota 28.601 188.805
15 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet 28.624 188.653
16 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet 28.656 188.442
17 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 28.678 188.298
18 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Toyota 28.679 188.291
Martin Truex Jr. has absolutely been on fire so far in 2012, as has been the case with the whole Michael Waltrip Racing team. Those trends continued Friday during Coors Light Pole qualifying for Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Truex posted a lap of 190.369 mph, which was just enough to edge out Roush-Fenway teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle for the pole. This marks the seventh pole of Truex’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, and it’s his second pole at Texas Motor Speedway.
Matt Kenseth was just saddened by being so close to the pole.
“That was good. I just would feel better if I got beat by more I guess. I felt like I got it all out of there and we just missed it a little bit. Our car has a lot of speed we just don’t have it driving exactly right yet. I had a couple different issues. A little bit of everything. It was a little too loose, but I had some other problems too.”
Mikey Likes It
Michael Waltrip Racing still has three drivers in the top 10 in owner points and two in the top nine in the driver standings. Martin Truex Jr. is one of four drivers with four top-10 finishes, along with Biffle, Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson.
Truex’s surge shouldn’t surprise many. The New Jersey native finished the 2011 season with five top 10s in the last six races.
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CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip Racing announced today a multi-year contract extension with TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) to keep the organization in the Toyota camp for years to come.
