Ryan Truex, No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota, K&N Pro Series South Boston Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — After leading 127 laps and dominating most of the race, Ryan Truex didn’t like his 15th-place finish in Saturday night’s K&N Pro Series East race at Greenville Pickens Speedway. But history shows a slow start is only a minor detour in his bid to repeat as series champion.

Last season, Truex began his rookie campaign with a 14th-place finish at the South Carolina track then went on to capture three victories and Michael Waltrip Racing’s first championship. The 18-year-old plans to begin his 2010 comeback Saturday afternoon at the fourth-tenths mile South Boston Speedway in Virginia where the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. is the defending polesitter.

QUOTES

ON GETTING HIS SEASON BACK ON TRACK: “It’s too early to panic but the season is only 10 races long, so you definitely don’t want to have two bad races in a row. We had a really strong car last week. If my guys can give me another strong Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota for Saturday, we should be fine.”

ON SOUTH BOSTON SPEEDWAY: “South Boston is really the place we turned our season around last year. We struggled at the beginning of the season. Then we came to South Boston and won the pole and finished third. It was a great weekend for us and we built on that momentum.”

ON DEFENDING HIS K&N SERIES TITLE: “It’s definitely different this year. Last year, no one knew who I was. Now that I’m the champion, everyone’s gunning for us. You really have to be on your game each weekend. There are a bunch of rookies in the series this year and they all want to prove that they can race with you. ”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

• Last weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway Truex started the race second and grabbed the lead on lap three. He led a race-high 127 laps before being involved in an incident on the final restart to cross the finish line 15th.

• Truex won three races and the series championship in 2009, but did not lead the most laps in any race. His first career Wix Lap Leader Award came last weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway.

• South Boston Speedway was the site of the Mayetta, N.J., natives first career K&N Pro Series East pole. His success at South Boston last year started a string of seven-straight top-three finishes.

• Truex is the third member of his family to compete in the K&N Pro Series East. His father, Martin Truex Sr., and his brother Martin Truex Jr. also competed in the series.

• Saturday’s event marks the fourth consecutive year that South Boston Speedway has hosted a K&N Pro Series East event. The track opened in 1953.

• Truex is expected to compete in five Nationwide Series races in 2010.

East Champ Truex Commits To NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown

Three-Time 2009 Winner To Make Irwindale Debut

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 24, 2009) – NASCAR Camping World Series East Champion Ryan Truex is the first driver to confirm his intention to compete in the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown on Jan. 29-30 in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).

“I'm really excited about the Showdown,” Truex said. “You're racing against some of the best drivers in the country. All of those guys can drive and they have the records to prove it. If you win the Showdown, you can say you've beaten the best of the best.”

The seventh running of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, which brings together the top racers from across North America for the ”Daytona 500 of short-track racing,” will be highlighted by the 225-lap Camping World Series all-star race. Each race winner during the 2009 Camping World Series season is eligible for a protected starting spot, as are the 2009 champions from each of NASCAR’s six regional touring series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion.

Truex, a development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, registered three wins and eight top 10s during the 2009 Camping World Series East season. He became just the second driver in series history, along with Joey Logano, to win the title and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.

Logano followed up his 2007 championship season by winning the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, something Truex hopes to replicate.

“I've never raced at Irwindale before, so that adds another level of excitement for me,” Truex said. “Everyone talks about how great the track is, so I can't wait to get the NAPA Auto Parts Camry out there and see what we can do.”

The No. 00 Toyota will have a new look for the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown as team owner Michael Waltrip wanted to do something special for the event. The all-white car Truex ran during the 2009 season will be transformed to blue for Irwindale, with a paint scheme that NAPA and MWR are currently designing.

Truex, from Mayetta, N.J., plans to return to the Camping World Series East in 2010 to defend his title. MWR also intends to enter him in select NASCAR Nationwide Series races during the second half of the 2010 season. Truex does not turn 18 until next March.

In addition to eligible 2009 race winners and series champions, the starting lineup for the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will be determined through time trials, limited provisionals for Camping World Series regulars, and the last-chance "Open" race that provides drivers one final chance to make the grid.

The 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown schedule also includes 100-lap Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model and 75-lap Late Model races. Both nights of racing will air on SPEED.

For more information, contact:

Jason Cunningham, NASCAR Public Relations

Michael Waltrip to hold Fan Appreciation Day

CORNELIUS, N.C. (October 5, 2009) – Michael Waltrip announced today that he will hold his third Fan Appreciation Day at Michael Waltrip Racing (20310 Chartwell Center Drive, Cornelius, N.C.) on Wednesday, October 14th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern.

From October 5th to October 11th fans can visit www.michaelwaltrip.com to register for the opportunity to become one of 200 randomly-selected individuals to receive autographs from the following NASCAR competitors:

Michael Waltrip - - two-time Daytona 500 champion, driver of the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

David Reutimann - - Coca-Cola 600 champion, driver of the No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry

Marcos Ambrose - - Two-time V8 Supercar champion and driver of the No. 47 Little Debbie®/Kingsford/Clorox Toyota (JTG-Daugherty Racing)

Trevor Bayne - - NASCAR Camping World East Series winner and two-time USAR Hooters Pro Cup winner and driver of the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota

Ryan Truex - - NASCAR Camping World East Series champion and three-time winner, driver of the No. 00 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota

The event kicks off at 11 a.m. The driver autograph session takes place from 11am to 1 p.m. for fans that were randomly-selected online at www.michaelwaltrip.com. For any fan attending, there will be live music/entertainment, free food and prizes. Please join us as MWR celebrates you, our fan.

Contact: Jennifer Chapple Michael

Waltrip Racing 20310 Chartwell Center Drive Cornelius, NC 28031

Phone: 704-655-9550 Cell: 704-507-8809 Fax: 704-655-9979

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.).

Congrats to Ryan Truex and the entire MWR Camping World East Series Team. 2009 East Series Champions!

Claims Camping World East crown at Dover as fellow rookie Moffitt wins season finale

Official Release:NASCARmedia.com
September 25, 2009 - 4:33pm

DOVER, Del. -- A pair of rookies took center stage Friday at Dover International Speedway: Brett Moffitt came away with the Sunoco 150 checkered flag and Ryan Truex earned the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East championship.

Truex, a 17-year-old development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, finished eighth on Friday but it was the performance throughout the 11-race season that put him in the championship Winner’s Circle following the Sunoco 150. Truex finished his first season in NASCAR’s top development series with three wins and eight top 10s.

The main championship contender for Truex – Eddie MacDonald – finished one position behind Truex in the race and wound up 34 points out of the championship (1,719 – 1,685).

Jody Lavender was the third driver to enter the day with a mathematical chance at the championship, 102 points back of Truex. His race ended with a 17th-place finish, seven laps down.

Friday’s season finale was dominated on the track by Moffitt, also 17. The Grimes, Iowa, native led four different times for 85 laps and crossed the line two and a half seconds ahead of Ryan Gifford for the Sunoco 150 victory. The second win of the year placed him third in the season standings.

Following Richard Childress Racing development driver Gifford across the line at Dover was Corey LaJoie, David Mayhew, and Alan Tardiff. Steve Park, Ryan Duff, Truex, MacDonald and Jarit Johnson rounded out the top 10.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Matt DiBenedetto set the track qualifying record earlier in the day and led three different times for 31 laps, but a mid-race accident left him two laps down in 11th.

With the 2009 season complete, the next racing event on the schedule for NASCAR Camping World Series teams will be the 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown on Jan. 29-30 in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).

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

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

Truex Wins at Lime Rock Park, Extends Points Lead

Official Release (courtesy of nascarmedia.com)

LAKEVILLE, Conn. – NASCAR Camping World Series East rookie Ryan Truex completed the road-course sweep in the Mohegan Sun 200 Saturday at Lime Rock Park to move into the driver’s seat for the series title.

Matt DiBenedetto, who sat on the pole and led a race-high 56 laps, was caught up in an accident on Lap 70 and Truex – second place at the time – assumed the lead for the second time in the race. The 17-year-old from Mayetta, N.J., then held off series veteran Eddie MacDonald on the final two restarts to earn his third victory of the season.

Truex, a Michael Waltrip Racing development driver, earned his first career victory on a road course at Watkins (N.Y.) Glen International in June and took the points lead for the first time after his first oval track win at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway in July. On Saturday at Lime Rock, his win extended his lead in the championship standings to a season-high 50 points over MacDonald.

While MacDonald record his best career effort at the 1.53-mile road course, several other contenders struggled.

Defending race and series champion Matt Kobyluck, who entered the day 60 points behind Truex, had engine trouble from the start. The team worked to get his car back out onto the track and he was able to turn in 38 laps before being involved in the Lap 70 accident that eventually caught up race leader DiBenedetto. Kobyluck had to settle for a 17th place finish and is 133 points behind Truex with just two races remaining in his bid to repeat as NASCAR Camping World Series East champion.

Brett Moffitt (ninth), Steve Park (11th) and Jody Lavender (13th) all entered the event within 100 points of Truex but lost considerable ground.

Jason Holehouse earned his best career NASCAR Camping World Series East finish with a third-place effort on Saturday. He was followed in the top five by Alex Kennedy, with a new career-best finish as well, and Mike Olsen.

Jesus Hernandez, Ryan Duff, Dustin Delaney, Brett Moffitt and Jeff Anton rounded out the top 10.

The next-to-last race of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series season will take place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Heluva Good! Fall 125 is slated for Friday, Sept. 18.