CORNELIUS, N.C. — Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip makes his first NASCAR Nationwide Series appearance since 2009 on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway driving the No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota.
The race marks the first Nationwide Series appearance for the newly formed Pastrana-Waltrip Racing team owned by Gary and Blake Bechtel along with Michael Waltrip Racing and action sports star Travis Pastrana. The team will field Toyotas for Pastrana’s seven Nationwide races in 2011 plus races featuring drivers Ryan Truex, Martin Truex Jr. and Waltrip. Saturday’s race marks Waltrip’s 25th career Nationwide race at The World Center of Racing. The 47-year-old Waltrip owns three poles and four second-place finishes at Daytona.
QUOTES
MICHAEL WALTRIP ON RACING THE NATIONWIDE CAR AT DAYTONA: “Having not run the No. 99 in a couple of years I watched it do some cool things on the track. Trevor Bayne sitting on three straight poles last year, Martin Truex Jr., almost winning at Charlotte last fall all those things made me want to be back in it. It made me want to drive it again. So getting to drive at Daytona, a track that I have had a lot of success at, makes it really special. Getting back in the car is going to be cool but since it’s Daytona makes it even more special.”
ON THE NEW NATIONWIDE CAR: “I watched the race in July, and the cars looked amazing. They looked fast and drafting was intense. So I don’t know 100 percent what to expect but I know I liked what I saw. Jerry Baxter (crew chief) had a super fast car in July and that makes me excited. I know that we are going to put a good show on for the fans.”
ON TRAVIS PASTRANA: “Travis Pastrana is a huge star, and people adore him. To have him believe in Michael Waltrip Racing, Gary and Blake Bechtel and have him want to partner with us is awesome. The association between MWR and Travis Pastrana is very positive for our organization. The cool thing is when you meet him you just want to hug him. You want to say, ‘yeah man you’re my partner and I couldn’t be more proud.’ He is just so kind and respectful to his fans. He is the exact model of what I would hope that someone with his following would be. So it’s a privilege to be associated with him.”
NOTES OF INTEREST
- Michael Waltrip Racing, Gary and Blake Bechtel and Pastrana own Pastrana-Waltrip Racing that fields Toyota Camrys out of the MWR shop in Cornelius, N.C. The Bechtels have owned cars in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series since 1990. The Morgan Hill, Calif. residents’ teams have visited victory lane 10 times in the Nationwide Series.
- Boost Mobile will sponsor each of Pastrana’s races in 2011.
- Waltrip, Richard Petty and Mark Martin are the only drivers to start more than 1,000 races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series.
- Waltrip will appear on SPEED-TV’s live edition of Trackside airing Friday at 6 p.m.
- Waltrip’s book “In the Blink of an Eye” is No. 11 on the New York Times best-seller list.
- In 2010 the No. 99 team finished 10th in the NASCAR owners points standings. The team tallied six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes with drivers Bayne, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Truex. They also captured three consecutive pole awards with driver Trevor Bayne, tying the record set by Sam Ard, Mark Martin, Waltrip and Jeff Gordon.
