NASCAR Daily News Headlines * December 14, 2007

Michael Waltrip comments on 2008 crew chief lineup:

“My vision of Michael Waltrip Racing becoming one of the elite organizations in NASCAR has not changed since the day I started this team. Over the past four months we have made significant moves to position ourselves for success with the addition of my new business partner Rob Kauffman, our Technical Director, Dr. Eric Warren, and EVP of Business Operations Cal Wells.

“Our logical next phase was to bring in race and championship winning crew chiefs to lead our teams. And we have done that with the addition of Paul Andrews, Bill Pappas and Ryan Pemberton.

“The degree of difficulty in our monumental start up in 2007 was evident and standing flat-footed heading into 2008 was not an option for us. I could not be more proud of the recent developments. MWR is here to stay and I think these moves show our commitment to long-term success.”

Andrews, Pappas and Pemberton comments on new role at MWR:

“I am really looking forward to working with Michael again,” Andrews said. “Last year as the season went on, it was evident that Michael Waltrip Racing was making improvements. There is so much potential here, which is noticeable and that’s what attracted me to this team. Good things will happen for this organization because they are continuing to hire quality people. I wanted to come here and help them work their way into the top-35 in points because I know they are capable of doing that.”

“Last season, Michael Waltrip Racing built a foundation and now they are working on the internal pieces,” said Pappas. “I am pleased to have been chosen to be apart of this growth. I respect the vision of both Toyota Motorsports and Michael Waltrip Racing. In addition, it is a tremendous honor to be an integral part of Dale Jarrett’s final races. Jarrett is an ambassador to the sport and has had great success throughout his career. I am eager to work and learn from him throughout the season.” “Michael Waltrip Racing is a team that’s growing and I want to be a part of that,” Pemberton said. “I have respect for this team because I know how hard it is to start up an organization from scratch. There’s a lot to overcome just to make it to the racetrack when you are developing a new program especially of the magnitude they did. I can appreciate all of their hard work and dedication last season. Also, I feel really good about being David’s crew chief. I told many of my peers that I had decided to make Michael Waltrip Racing my home and they said that I would enjoy working with David and that says a lot about him.”

Additional crew chief information:

Paul Andrews, who established a relationship with Waltrip during his tenure at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI), entered the NASCAR scene with the late Alan Kulwicki in 1988. After much success together, the two clinched a NASCAR Championship in 1992. He also won five races with Geoff Bodine before moving to Penske in 1996. Andrews revisited Victory Lane two years later with Jeremy Mayfield, finishing seventh in the points standings. The next season Andrews partnered with DEI and guided Steve Park to his first of two victories. From 2002 to 2004, he was Jeff Burton’s crew chief at Roush Racing and then aligned himself with Akins Motorsports before joining Petty Enterprises in 2005 to work with Kyle Petty and Bobby Labonte. In his career, he has amassed 12 Cup wins and is expecting continued success with Michael Waltrip and the #55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry team.

Bill Pappas has an admirable racing history and will have the honor of working alongside Jarrett in his final races with UPS. As chief engineer at Ganassi Racing, Pappas won the coveted Indy 500 with Juan Pablo Montoya in his driver’s first visit to The Brickyard in May 2000. That same year he led Montoya to Toyota’s first Champ Car Series victory from the pole at the Milwaukee Mile and more wins followed along with a ninth-place finish in the points standings. Pappas joined Panther after spending seven seasons (1999 to 2005) with Chip Ganassi Racing. During his tenure at Ganassi, Pappas engineered cars that led the Indy 500 in every race from 2000-2004 and also engineered 2002 pole winner Bruno Junqueira, who won Montegi that same year. In 2003, Pappas helped Ganassi celebrate an Indy Racing League championship with Scott Dixon in 2003. From 1993 to 1996, Pappas was the head engineer on Gil de Ferran’s team, who was also victorious. As a support engineer at Patrick Racing in 1989, his team won the Indy 500 with Emerson Fittipaldi and a CART championship. Pappas is ready for his next challenge in an arena he is stepping into full-time for the first time.

Ryan Pemberton enters his 12th season as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief, most recently the crew chief of the #01 US Army team with drivers Joe Nemechek and Mark Martin. It all began for Pemberton in 1996 when he began calling the shots for Larry Pearson’s NASCAR Busch Series team. The next season he graduated to a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief role for MB2 and driver Derrike Cope. In 1998 at MB2, he guided Ernie Irvan to 11 top tens, three poles and a 15th-place finish in the owner’s points. Leaving MB2 after three years, he united with Jasper Motorsports in 2000 and returned to MB2 in 2003 with driver Jerry Nadeau. Throughout the years at MB2, one of Pemberton’s most defining moments in his career was his first win as a crew chief with Joe Nemechek from the pole at Kansas Speedway in 2004. Pemberton believes Reutimann has what it takes to take him back to Victory Lane.

Marcos Ambrose Hosts Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Ambrose and Earnhardt Jr. shared the track in a Ford and GM-Holden respectively for some laps before speaking with the assembled media contingent. Ambrose only recently arrived back in Australia after collecting his eighth place championship trophy at the NASCAR Busch Series Awards banquet in Orlando, Florida.

Earnhardt Jr. spoke with Ambrose late this season about his impending trip to Australia, taking tips from the Australian regarding his homeland. The two agreed to catch up on the Gold Coast in Queensland so that Ambrose could host Earnhardt Jr. and his friends for a day of fun and thrills at the V8 Superschool, which Ambrose co-owns with friend and Australian V8 Supercar driver Paul Morris.

“It was great to catch up with Dale and give him the chance to experience one of our cars at the V8 Super School,” said Ambrose. “I always make a point of visiting everyone here at the V8 Super School when I am back in Australia, and this time around they were very impressed with the friend I brought along for a drive. It’s been a great year for me in the United States and it’s nice to come home to the Australian summer for a break. Sonja and I are busy catching up with some friends and family and showing off our new daughter Adelaide along with Tabitha, who is already two years old.

“I’ve had the chance to speak with Junior a couple of times this year and late in the year he came up and asked me about Australia because he intended on coming down here for a holiday. From that point on I have kind of been his travel consultant. We made sure he saw the V8 Supercar final at Phillip Island, stayed in Melbourne, Sydney and now the Gold Coast.

“Dale and his buddies are here having a ball at the V8 Super School and it’s been great to catch up with him and spend some time with him because he is definitely one of the guys I look up to in NASCAR. “He’s a real driver’s driver and he’s got awesome skills. You can see how quickly he has adapted to these cars today just how good he is and I look forward to the day where I can hopefully get to his level and run side-by-side with him because he’s a great driver and a great guy.

“I’m already looking forward to next season. We’ve got some great things going and I think the Kingsford team will be really strong in the Nationwide Series next season. I’m also really looking forward to getting in the Little Debbie Ford for my first races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and working on the Cup program with everyone in the team.”

Earnhardt Jr. thoroughly enjoyed his time behind the wheel of one of the V8 Super School’s cars, more accustomed to oval racing a NASCAR at over 300km/h.

“I have to thank Marcos for everything he has set-up for me on this trip,” said Earnhardt Jr. “This is my first trip to Australia and I absolutely love it. Everyone here has been so good to me and to all of my friends and we will never forget this trip. I have really enjoyed the chance to drive these cars on a road course-style track. It’s great fun and Marcos and Paul Morris have been great to me and really looked after us. We are having a ball. It’s been great to experience Australia and see how racing is down here. Our group has all had a blast and Marcos’ advise on where to go and everything he has set up for us has been awesome. “He’s a great guy and I think he is doing very well in NASCAR and has the potential to go a long way.”