Waltrip Racing Stater Bros. 300 Qualifying Report from Auto Club Speedway

NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying for the Stater Bros. 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. is now complete.

Diamond-Waltrip Racing’s Trevor Bayne and the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry qualified 10th with a time of 40.568 seconds. Joey Logano won the pole position with a time of 39.717 seconds.

Saturday Recap
- Trevor Bayne will line up 10th on the outside of Row 5 for today’s event.
- This is Bayne’s first top-10 qualifying effort of 2010 and the 10th out of 17 career starts.
- MWR’s David Reutimann is entered in the No. 10 Beringer Toyota Camry for Braun Racing. Reutimann will start 11th on the inside of Row 6.
- Joey Logano won the Coors Light Pole Award for the Stater Bros. 300 with a lap of 39.717, 181.283 mph.
- This is Logano’s eighth pole in 43 NNS races.
- Kyle Busch, Brian Scott, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle round out the top-five.
- ESPN2, MRN and SiriusXM 128 will broadcast Saturday’s races beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern time.

TREVOR BAYNE, No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry: “The Aaron’s Dream Machine was pretty good during qualifying. The sun came out when we got ready to hit the track so the track lost some grip. The car got a little tight coming off turn 4, but I think a top 10 starting spot will keep us from getting into trouble.”

Michael Waltrip Racing - Auto Club 500 presented by NAPA - Post Qualifying Report

David Reutimann posted the fastest lap of the two Michael Waltrip Racing Toyotas during today’s Coors Light qualifying at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. He’ll line up 11th. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. struggled during his attempt despite picking up from practice. He’ll start 34th. Sunday’s running of the California Auto Club 500 presented by NAPA gets underway on FOX, MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio 128 starting at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

Friday Recap
• David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry - Qualified 11th
• Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry - Qualified 34th
• Michael Waltrip Racing’s technical alliance with JTG Daugherty Racing saw Marcos Ambrose record the 26th-fastest lap.
• Earnhardt Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing swept the front row. Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray turned in the fastest time of 39.18 seconds while Juan Pablo Montoya ran a 39.29.
• This marks the first time that Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has claimed both front row starting positions.

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Qualified: 11th
How was your qualifying lap? “I'm pretty happy with how we qualified. We still have some work to do between now and Sunday on our race setup, but I'm happy with how the Aaron's Dream Machine qualified. Our Toyota wasn't han¬dling the way we wanted to in practice. We haven't quite figured out some things in the front end, so we have to do some work on that, but I'm sure we'll get it right by Sunday and be ready to go."

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Qualified: 34th
How was your qualifying lap? “We weren’t very good. It was too tight everywhere so in a way, that’s a good thing. We can fix it. We were tightest off of Turn 2 and in practice, I was spinning out. It’s been a struggle all day so we still have a lot of work to do. Hopefully, we’ll get practice in tomorrow so we can keep working on it.”

David Reutimann California Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — David Reutimann is off to the best start of his Sprint Cup Series career. Reutimann made a late race charge from 12th to fifth over the final two laps to secure his best-career finish in the Daytona 500. The fifth-place result is a career-best restrictor plate finish and sixth career top-five. This weekend Reutimann is racing in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

QUOTES

ON BEING THE FIRST DRIVER TO 100 CUP SERIES STARTS IN A TOYOTA CAMRY: “Wow, I’ve never really thought about it, but that’s really something to be proud of. All but one of my starts in the Cup Series has come in a Camry. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs since the beginning, but Toyota has always been a great partner for Michael Waltrip Racing and without them I don’t know if we’d be where we are today. We’re just getting started on our fourth-full season on the racetrack and we’ve all got a little better each year. I’m really hoping that this year is going to be my best year yet, because I know of at least one more thing that I’d like to be the first Toyota driver to do in the Sprint Cup Series - win a championship.”

ON CHARGING FROM 12TH TO FIFTH AT THE END OF THE DAYTONA 500: “I thought that was pretty great. To be honest it was all kind of a blur there at the end, but it was a pretty good run through the pack. We struggled a little on the last couple restarts and it seemed that I just couldn’t get in the right line at the right time and I was starting to get frustrated. Then right before the final restart Rodney (Childers) came over the radio and told me that Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. was either going to win the race or wreck the field trying, so stay on his bumper and let’s see what happens. That’s just what I did. I stayed on his bumper and pushed as hard as I could. Maybe if I’d pushed just a little harder Dale Jr. would be wearing a brand new Aaron’s hat this weekend as my new biggest fan.”

ON RACING IN CALIFORNIA: “Don’t get me wrong, I love Daytona and Speedweeks and everything that goes with that race, but it’s hard to tell who’s going to be fast once we take the restrictor plates off. The race in California is that first real test. When we show up at California on a two-mile racetrack to race and practice it’s when you start to see who put on their big boy pants and came ready to race. This race is also a big race for Michael Waltrip Racing, since Toyota Racing Development is based in Torrence, Calif. We want to show everyone that our Toyota Camry’s are going to be some of the best cars on the racetrack every single week.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

· Reutimann is making his 100th Sprint Cup start in a Toyota Camry this weekend at Auto Club Speedway - the most of any driver. Dave Blaney is second (98) and Brian Vickers is third (96).

· Reutimann has the most starts (259) in a Toyota (Camry and Tundra) since Toyota entered NASCAR competition in 2004. Reutimann has 99 Cup Series, 84 Nationwide and 76 Truck Series starts - and will add two more this weekend as he races double-duty in the Cup and Nationwide races at Auto Club Speedway.

· Reutimann’s fifth-place result last week is his career best in the Daytona 500 and restrictor plate finish. He was the highest finishing Toyota driver placing just ahead of MWR teammate Martin Truex Jr. who finished sixth.

· Aaron’s, proud sponsor of the No. 00, will give away an autographed hat to a lucky race fan through Facebook and Twitter following any top-10 finish. Follow Aarons on Twitter (@AaronsSports) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/AaronsSports)

· In 2009, Reutimann recorded his first NSCS win (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and established career-bests in pole positions (two, Texas-1 and Dover-1) top-five (five) and top-10 (10) finishes and final championship driver point standings (16th).
· Last season, Reutimann ranked third in the NSCS in laps completed (10,408/10,492, 99.2%). Only Ryan Newman and Tony Steward (tied for the most at 10,468 laps) completed more laps. The No. 00 finished on the lead lap in 28 of the 36 NSCS point races and finished four races just one lap down in 2009.

Michael Waltrip Racing's Reutimann and Truex Jr. Finish 5th and 6th in Daytona 500

Michael Waltrip Racing drivers finished the 52nd annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway as follows:

MWR Race Results
- David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota - Finished fifth.
- Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota - Finished and sixth.
- Michael Waltrip, No. 51 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota - Finished 18th.

NSCS RACE NOTES:
- Jamie McMurray won the 52nd annual Daytona 500 over Dale Earnhardt Jr. who drove from 10th to second in the final two laps.
- Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Reutimann rounded out the top five.
- Race ended after two attempted green-white-checkered finishes and ended on lap 207.
- NASCAR red flagged the race for and parked the cars on pit lane around the lap 123-mark for an hour and 46 minutes to repair about an 18-inch hole between turns one and two.
- A second red flag with about 40 laps remaining to repair the hole lasted 46 minutes.
- The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now travels to Fontana Speedway for Sunday’s 500-mile race.

MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING NSCS DRIVER NOTES AND QUOTES:

Michael Waltrip, No. 51 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota
- Started 43rd and finished 18th.
- Waltrip dodged many accidents throughout the day suffering minor cosmetic damage on the front valence.
- The team worked on handling throughout the race.
- Waltrip reported his Toyota was tight and bouncing in the corners.
- Sunday marked two-time Daytona 500 winner’s 24th and possibly final Daytona 500.
- Waltrip hosted a pre-race hospitality event Sunday for 300 of the 500 Michael Waltrip Celebration ticket holders.

WALTRIP QUOTE: “I was just so proud of my race team today. There at the end I have to admit it was hard to pay attention to what I was doing when Martin and David were up there battling for the victory. I couldn’t be more proud. As good as they were today I think California will be even better. We kind of struggled today. The car was tight and it bounced the front end. But Bobby Kennedy and those guys just kept working and working and we were our best at the end of the race when it really counted. I enjoy driving the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota today and thank everyone involved with our team.”

David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
- Started 20th and finished fifth.
- Best career Daytona 500 finish as well as first top-10 on the restrictor plate track.
- Restarted in the top-10 on the final restart and worked his way to fifth in a frantic final two laps.
- Aaron’s team came very close to running out of fuel but Reutimann conserved just enough to finish.
- Raced in 20th at halfway mark.
- Capt. Johnathan Hillstrand of the Alaskan fishing boat Time Bandit from the Discovery Channel’s reality television show “Deadliest Catch” attended Sunday’s race and told Reutimann that Phil Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie, predicted Reutimann would win the Daytona 500 shortly before Harris died on Feb. 9. Reutimann’s Toyota carried C-post decal Sunday in honor of Harris.
- Sunday marked Reutimann’s 100th career start.

REUTIMANN QUOTE: “It was an up and down day. We weren’t the best we didn’t feel like at various times, but all in all the car drove good and the guys made good pit stops. We just kind of got up there when it counted. Our car liked the outside so we just kept pounding away on it. Low and behold in the end the bottom seemed to be better for us in that last little bit. It ended up working out. The guys did a good job with good pit stops and it’s a good way to start the season. Those restarts were just killing us toward the end and we couldn’t do anything right and I couldn’t get in the right line and things kept getting messed up. Thankfully we got the Aaron’s Dream Machine where it needed to be when it counted and it ended up working out pretty well and I had a good run coming to the start-finish. I’m real proud of my guys. I have to thank Aaron’s, Tums and Best Western, Toyota and Toyota Racing Development because we had some good horsepower today. Top-five is a good way to start the season out.”

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota
- Started 14th and finished sixth.
- Ran in the top 10 throughout the race and posted best career Daytona 500 finish.
- Led with laps 148, 149 and lap 150 to collect five bonus points.
- Restarted second on the first green-white-checkered finish and briefly held the lead before Kevin Harvick nudged him high on the track dropping him a few spots.
- Told team the pit crew’s multiple 12-second stops are “what dreams are made of.”
- Sunday marked Truex’s and Crew Chief Pat Tryson’s first points race with Michael Waltrip Racing.

TRUEX JR. QUOTE: “It was wild, wild, wild. I had a lot of fun today with the NAPA Toyota. I’m proud of the team. The pit stops were amazing for our first race together. If I had to rate it, I would say it was an A++. I had a lot of fun. As for the multiple green-white-checkered finishes, it was what I expected. There were a bunch of tore up cars, but I am sure the fans got their money’s worth. There at the end there was a storm brewing all day and it seemed like every time we took a break our car got even better. It was a lot of fun and a really good race. I thought everyone did an excellent job. We raced super hard up front. The guys used their heads, but never crossed the line. That’s the most fun I have ever had in Daytona.”

MWR Gatorade Duels Race Report

First Race:
Michael Waltrip finished 25th after an accident in the first of two Gatorade Duels at Daytona. He will start Sunday’s Daytona 500 in 43rd.

Second Race:
Martin Truex Jr. finished sixth and will start the Daytona 500 in 14th.
David Reutimann finished ninth and will start the Daytona 500 in 26th.

FIRST RACE NOTES:
Jimmie Johnson grabbed his first career Gatorade duel win by beating Kevin Harvick by .005 of a second.
Michael McDowell and Max Papis raced their way into the Daytona 500 by finishing 14th and 15th respectively.
Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer and Regan Smith rounded out the top five.

Michael Waltrip, No. 51 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota
Started 10th and finished 25th
Waltrip has two scary moments early while racing the middle line in the draft and worked his way to seventh by lap 4
Reported over the radio that the car was really pushy followed by real loose on lap 13. Raced in the top transfer spot by lap 17.
Came to pit road in 14th while under caution on lap 27 for major handling adjustments. Restarted 16th on lap 29.
No. 51 narrowly avoided the No. 46 car as it spun in front of him on lap 34 to bring out a second caution.
Stayed out during second caution and restarted 13, remains in top transfer spot with 25 laps to go.
Gets hung out of the draft on lap 37 to fall from 11th to 17th
Raced in 15th position with 10 laps to go, but followed closely by Reed Sorenson and Todd Bodine.
Spun and hit from behind by the No. 78 with seven laps to go causing damage to the front of the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota when he hit the inside wall.
Scott Speed raced his way into the transfer position on the final lap of the second race. Speed’s performance enabled Waltrip to grab the final starting spot in the Daytona 500.

WALTRIP QUOTES

ON SCOTT SPEED RACING INTO THE DAYTONA 500:
“Scott, we're racecar drivers, and he did his job. I'm so grateful and thankful that it worked out. You know, obviously the teams that won the race were locked in, too. You know, people show up to race. Just because you're locked in doesn't mean you roll over or there wouldn't be a race. So I knew Scott would race. I knew he wasn't gonna think about quitting or give up. I'm just thankful that he had a car there at the end he could do the job with.”

ON SIX CARS BUILT AT MWR MAKING THE DAYTONA 500:
“Well, you know, six cars that we built in Cornelius at MWR that are in the 500. Prism racing with Phil Parsons, they're a customer of ours, as is Germain. Then our four cars there with Brad and Tad. You know, our customers that buy parts and pieces and cars for us made the race. So we got happy customers, and that's good for any business. You know, it's real important to be able to diversify and figure out how to bring money into the company in order to help pay the bills. We have great partnerships with the Germains, Max in the Geico car, and Phil and Randy Humphrey with Prism buy stuff from us, as well. I'm mostly proud of all that because there's a bunch of men and women, fabricators, engineers, that figured out how to make cars competitive for this place. So when those guys send us a check for the cars they bought, you know, it's gonna feel pretty good to them to know that we were able to provide them with stuff to have the success they did down here.”

ON THE EMOTIONS OF MAKING DAYTONA:
Well, I guess I've come to expect it a little bit. I know for some reason, for me, this place, it defines my career. It certainly is my first memories of NASCAR racing, was coming here as a kid. I figured when I woke up this morning I'd be crying before the day was over. I just didn't know if it would be because I was happy or because I was sad. And then I damn sure didn't know it would be both within an hour of each other. To be able to smile now, you know, it really feels rewarding because, you know, we took a part-time car, Bobby Kennedy, my buddy, who has helped me out so, so long, put a crew together and gave me a car on Saturday that we qualified fast enough to make the 500 with.”

ON SUNDAY:
“I was real disappointed today because my car didn't handle right. It didn't handle like it did yesterday. You have a pretty good gauge on if your car's like it was or not. That's the splitter. Yesterday, I was just scrubbing the splitter in a perfect way. Today it felt like it was a foot off the ground, and we didn't change anything. For some reason, the car just didn't go back to the ground like it was supposed to, and it wouldn't drive right. I think it eventually messed up my tires.

“So we'll regroup and figure out what David had, what Marcos had, what Martin had, put that setup into our cars. All three of those cars were really competitive. We seemed to be a notch off. We can't do what Penske or Hendrick cars or even Kasey's car did. So that's a little bit concerning. I know we've got a lot of smart people that will work on that and try to figure out how to get us some speed before Sunday.”

SECOND RACE NOTES:
Kasey Kahne won his first career Gatorade duel win by defeating Tony Stewart
Mike Bliss and Scott Speed raced their way into the 52nd Daytona 500 by finishing 13th and 14th respectively
Speed, racing his way in, opened the door for the fourth-fastest qualifier on time — Michael Waltrip
Michael Waltrip makes the Daytona 500 for the third time since 2007 without a guaranteed starting spot.
The No. 51 is also the seventh MWR car since 2007 to make the field without a guaranteed starting spot.
Six Toyota Camry’s associated with Michael Waltrip Racing will now race in the Daytona 500.

Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota
Truex started 17th and climbed to 9th in the first ten laps.
Truex reported his car was very loose over the bumps and the entry was ‘wild’ up top midway through the race.
The first caution of the race on lap 27 Truex raced in 13th - the crew made air pressure adjustments during stop.
The No. 56 restarted 8th on lap 30.
Truex came close to getting to the front three times but was shuffled back.
The No. 56 battled in the top-10 with 10 laps to go and finished sixth.

TRUEX QUOTE: ““It was a lot of fun. The NAPA Toyota was really good. It was much better than it was in practice. We got to the front a few times – got shuffled back. Would get to the front again and get shuffled back. I was about three or four inches a few times from getting that hole that I needed to get to the front and stay there. It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. The pit crew was phenomenal. Our pit stop was smoking fast so I was excited about that. We’ve got something to work with for Sunday now.”

WERE YOU ABLE TO GAIN SOME DRAFTING PARTNERS FOR SUNDAY’S RACE?
“A few, but at the end everybody just does what’s best for them. Tried to work with Marcos (Ambrose) and David (Reutimann) a little bit. It seemed like every time we would get near each other, we were in bad positions to help each other. Either they had a run coming and I couldn’t get with them or I had a run coming and I couldn’t push them. I had to go by them because I was coming so fast. It was good, the car was good. Made a lot of changes last night that made it a whole bunch better than it was yesterday – that’s encouraging. I think we’ll be even better for Sunday.”

David Reutimann, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota
Reutimann, in a backup car, started at the rear of the field and quickly worked his way to 12th in the first 10 laps.
Reutimann climbed to 10th by the lap 28 caution.
Reutimann reported that the car started slow, but was fast on the bottom later in the run.
The Aaron’s Dream Machine pitted for four tires, fuel and returned to the track in 12th.
The No. 00 Toyota needs work on sucking up in the draft.
Reutimann, Truex and Marcos Ambrose drafted together several times during the race.

REUTIMANN QUOTE: “That was a big race for Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing. Congrats to Michael and the No. 51 NAPA guys! I know it means a lot to Michael and to NAPA for the No. 51 to get into the show. Daytona has played such a big part in his career and I know that he didn’t want to go out like that, so I know there is a big sense of relief on their part.

The Aaron’s team also did a great job. Our car wasn’t as good as we’d have liked starting out, but it kept getting better during the longer runs. We need to work on our Camry a little to make sure that we can get it to suck up in the draft to the car in front of it, but I’m sure we’ll get that fixed up and be ready to race on Sunday.”

DAYTONA 500 Starting Lineup (UNOFFICIAL)
1 Mark Martin
2 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3 Jimmie Johnson
4 Kasey Kahne
5 Kevin Harvick
6 Tony Stewart
7 Kyle Busch
8 Juan Pablo Montoya
9 Clint Bowyer
10 Kurt Busch
11 Regan Smith
12 Elliott Sadler
13 Jamie McMurray
14 Martin Truex Jr.
15 A J Allmendinger
16 Marcos Ambrose
17 Ryan Newman
18 Matt Kenseth
19 David Ragan
20 Joey Logano
21 Jeff Gordon
22 Brian Vickers
23 Greg Biffle
24 Brad Keselowski
25 Denny Hamlin
26 David Reutimann
27 Carl Edwards
28 Mike Bliss
29 Michael McDowell
30 Scott Speed
31 Max Papis
32 Paul Menard
33 John Andretti
34 Robby Gordon
35 Travis Kvapil
36 Sam Hornish Jr.
37 Robert Richardson
38 Boris Said
39 Jeff Burton
40 Bill Elliott [PC2]
41 Joe Nemechek
42 Bobby Labonte [PC1]
43 Michael Waltrip

Results Race One
FIN DRIVER
1 Jimmie Johnson
2 Kevin Harvick
3 Kyle Busch
4 Clint Bowyer
5 Regan Smith
6 Jamie McMurray
7 A.J. Allmendinger
8 Ryan Newman
9 David Ragan
10 Jeff Gordon
11 Greg Biffle
12 Denny Hamlin
13 Carl Edwards
14 Michael McDowell
15 Max Papis
16 John Andretti
17 Todd Bodine
18 Joe Nemechek
19 Travis Kvapil
20 Terry Cook*
21 Mark Martin
22 Bill Elliott
23 Robert Richardson Jr.
24 Reed Sorenson
25 Michael Waltrip
26 Jeff Burton
27 Jeff Fuller

Results Race Two
FIN DRIVER
1 Kasey Kahne
2 Tony Stewart
3 Juan Montoya
4 Kurt Busch
5 Elliott Sadler
6 Martin Truex Jr.
7 Joey Logano
8 Marcos Ambrose
9 David Reutimann
10 Brian Vickers
11 Matt Kenseth
12 Brad Keselowski
13 Mike Bliss
14 Scott Speed
15 Paul Menard
16 Casey Mears
17 Bobby Labonte
18 David Gilliland
19 Robby Gordon
20 Derrike Cope
21 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
22 Aric Almirola
23 Dave Blaney
24 Mike Wallace
25 Norm Benning
26 Sam Hornish Jr.
27 Boris Said

Michael Waltrip - No. 51 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota - Daytona 500 Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Michael Waltrip hopes to finish like he started with longtime sponsor NAPA AUTO PARTS at Daytona International Speedway by winning his third Harley J. Earl Daytona 500 trophy. Entering his 25th year as a driver, Waltrip is scaling back his schedule but figures they’ll be more trips to victory lane as he is one of the youngest multi-team owners in NASCAR.

QUOTES

WALTRIP ON RUNNING BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT: “We have had a lot of success at Daytona and for this year’s Shootout; I am going to get to work with our new crew chief of the NAPA Racing team Pat Tryson. Rodney Childers will also be on the pit box making it a collaboration since David (Reutimann) did not qualify for the event.

“It means the world to me to have all the support and effort of everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing to give me a Toyota that I can win with. The Budweiser Shootout is a great opportunity to put NAPA in victory lane. It is also an opportunity to learn and be in better shape so that one of our Toyotas has a shot at going to victory lane for the Daytona 500.”

WALTRIP ON DAYTONA: “When I was a kid growing up, Daytona was the only track I really knew. It was the most important track. To me, it defines NASCAR and driver careers. If you can go down there and win. There is no other race more prestigious to win than the Daytona 500. Fortunately for me, I have been able to do it and do it more than once.”

WALTRIP ON EXPECTATIONS FOR MARTIN TRUEX JR.: “I expect him to win races and contend for a spot in the Chase. I think we have put together a very exciting line up for the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS team. Martin knows how to win and is a two-time Nationwide Series champion. He’s been in the Chase. He’s always been fast. I remember the first day he showed up at Rockingham. Dale Jr. told me that Martin was his guy. I had never heard of or seen him before. He got in the Nationwide Series car and was running as fast as anyone out there. That’s the way his whole career has been. He was fast from the beginning and I expect he’ll do the same in the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota.”

WALTRIP ON NOT RUNNING A FULL SEASON IN THE SPRINT CUP SERIES: “I’m going to run Daytona -- the Shootout and the 500 -- and that’s the only Cup races I have planned for 2010. I’m comfortable with that. When I think about going to Daytona, I get excited because I know that I know how to win that race. I finished seventh at Talladega this past October and seventh in the Daytona 500 last year. I know I can go win that race and that makes me smile. When I think about California and Vegas, I just haven’t performed at the level that makes me say, ‘I’m going to go out there and do the same thing.’ I don’t miss that, I’m okay with that.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

· The NAPA AUTO PARTS driver will be competing in his 760th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the season opener of the 2010 Sprint Cup season, the Daytona 500, gets underway at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in Daytona Beach, Fla.

· He will be starting in his 47th race at Daytona International Speedway. His best start is second (Feb. 17, 2008, July 3, 2004) and best finish is first (Feb. 18, 2001, July 6, 2002, Feb. 16, 2003). During his career, Waltrip has earned three wins, six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at DIS. His average start at is 17th and his average finish is 21st.

· Waltrip is one of only eight drivers to win more than two Daytona 500 titles.

David Reutimann - No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota - Daytona 500 Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — David Reutimann and the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota are heading to the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway for the 52nd running of ‘The Great American Race’ the Daytona 500. Reutimann and team know a Daytona 500 win would help make the statement that Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) is a force to be reckoned with in 2010.

QUOTES

REUTIMANN ON 2010 EXPECTIONS: “I think it’s a blessing and a curse. Early on, it was like ‘Wow, the 00 car finished in the top-10.’ That was a big deal. I noticed toward the end of 2009 if we were running in the top-10, it was like ‘Good job.’ They expected that. That’s how it should be, they should expect that. A bad race for you needs to be a 12th-place finish, that needs to be a bad day and anything else than that needs to be a miserable day. That’s how you have to do it, because that’s how the guys in the Chase are doing.”

REUTIMANN ON SELF-POLICING DRIVERS: “As a rule, you try to take pretty good care of drivers

around you. You try to take care of one another. Sometimes, you mess up and you don’t take very good care of them. The main deal, -- what you have to do is put some of the responsibility back in the driver’s hands and try to look out for one another a little bit. NASCAR was in a no-win situation with those rules anyway -- they couldn’t win. At the end of the day, if one driver runs over another one, then that guy is mad at the other guy, but at least they’re not mad at NASCAR. The fans are asking for this, they’re asking for less policing of the racing and I think NASCAR is listening. I don’t think any other sport can say they’re doing this. There is no other major league sport that listens to the fans the way NASCAR does and makes changes. They asked for double-file restarts -- they got it. There’s a lot of things they’ve asked for and I think NASCAR is trying to accommodate them.”

TEAM OWNER MICHAEL WALTRIP ON REUTIMANN’S 2010 OUTLOOK: “I believe that David

(Reutimann) will win races and contend for the Chase. That’s really all you can ask for. It’s really hard to predict that Kyle Busch or Mark Martin could do any better than that. To win a couple races and be a contender for the Chase, unless you’re the Hendrick dynasty, is a bold statement. And I’m comfortable making a bold statement.

“I remember in the closing laps at Texas (Motor Speedway) just a couple months ago when David was racing for the win late in the going. That showed the progress the Aaron’s team made throughout the 2009 season. The progress that David has made the last couple years is amazing. He knows his Aaron’s Dream Machine. He understands his car. He’s a great race car driver and now we’re continuing to provide them with better Toyotas and pieces and parts to race with, so I expect a lot out of him.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

Reutimann is making his 100th start in a NSCS points race in the 2010 Daytona 500.

In 2009, Reutimann recorded his first NSCS win (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and established career-bests in pole positions (two, Texas-1 and Dover-1) top-five (five) and top-10 (10) finishes and final championship driver point standings (16th).

Last season, Reutimann ranked third in the NSCS in laps completed (10,408/10,492, 99.2%). Only Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart (tied for the most at 10,468 laps) completed more laps.

The No. 00 finished on the lead lap in 28 of the 36 NSCS point races and finished four races just one lap down in 2009 .

Reutimann currently has the longest streak of consecutive races finished without a Did Not Finish (DNF) at 41 races of drivers to start every race during that period. He is also one of only three drivers to finish every point race in 2009 - Juan Pablo Montoya and Casey Mears are the other two. Reutimann’s last DNF was Oct. 5, 2008 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Crew chief Rodney Childers will team with Reutimann in 2010. Childers also served as crew chief of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota for the entire 2009 season.

Sirius XM listeners can tune into channel 128 every Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. to hear Reutimann’s weekly visit on Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody throughout the 2010 season.