NASCAR Daily News Headlines * November 14, 2009

MWR Re-Ups With Toyota

MWR launched its full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams in 2007 during Toyota’s inaugural year in the premier series. With Toyota’s support, MWR has won three poles, the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 and competed for a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship until the final regular-season event at Richmond International Raceway in September.

In 2010, MWR will field the No. 00 Aaron’s/Tums/Best Western Toyota Camry full-time with driver David Reutimann, the No. 55 Toyota Camry with Michael Waltrip on a limited basis and the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry full-time with Martin Truex Jr. Additionally, MWR signed a two-year technical alliance extension with JTG-Daugherty Racing to field the No. 47 Toyota Camry with driver Marcos Ambrose.

MWR receives engines from Toyota Racing Development (TRD) out of Costa Mesa, California, along with Red Bull Racing. TRD’s Salisbury, N.C., facility supports MWR’s vehicle dynamics and development, aerodynamics, tire data analysis and race strategy programs.

“Simply put, MWR would not exist without Toyota,” said co-owner Michael Waltrip. “Toyota put us on the map in 2007 and that’s why I was so proud to deliver TRD’s engine facility its first NASCAR Sprint Cup win. For MWR to know it has Toyota’s support through the 2012 season is phenomenal and delivers our organization what every team in the garage desires – stability.

“Michael Waltrip Racing was a part of Toyota’s “Freshman Class” and they have shown tremendous progress, as well as dedication to Toyota’s goal of winning the Manufacturer’s Championship,” said Lee White, President of TRD. “Michael has always been a tremendous spokesperson for Toyota and continues to impress all of us with the moves he is making to elevate MWR to a championship caliber organization.”

This announcement comes on the heels of MWR announcing 100% renewal with its existing sponsors, a new relationship with TUMS as a primary and associate sponsor on the No. 00, a two-year extension with JTG-Daugherty Racing and a new partnership with its NASCAR Nationwide Series team with Gary and Blake Bechtel forming Diamond-Waltrip Racing to field Camrys for 18-year-old phenom Trevor Bayne.

“We have come a long way in a short period of time,” Waltrip added. “We have a lot more work ahead of us, but we are truly blessed that, in these times, we have so many positive announcements for our partners and employees.”

Labonte Signs With No. 71 Team

Labonte was under consideration for a ride with Chip Ganassi; however Ganassi's manufacturer's sponsorship deal is still unsettled, it appears. Ganassi still isn't saying much about what brand of cars he'll be running next year. With Labonte out of the Ganassi picture, Ganassi appears to have to decide between Jamie McMurray and Casey Mears for 2010.(mikemulhern.net)

Carl Edwards Wins Nationwide Race ~ Busch's Party Postponed

Saturday's race also fanned the smoldering rivalry between polesitter Denny Hamlin and fifth-place finisher Brad Keselowski into full flame. The drivers traded shots with their cars after a restart on Lap 157, with Keselowski spinning Hamlin's Toyota in Turn 1 to bring out the sixth and final caution of the race.

"That's 25 -- 25 (career Nationwide) wins," said Edwards, who beat runner-up Kevin Harvick to the finish line by 2.415 seconds. "I know Kyle's almost clinched the championship, but that's what we came here to do, to win this race."

Reed Sorenson ran third in Todd Braun's No. 32 Toyota, followed by Clint Bowyer and Keselowski.

Busch's clinching prospects were in jeopardy early in the race, after he spun the No. 18 Toyota off Turn 2 in front of Clint Bowyer's No. 29 Chevrolet on Lap 7. Busch tagged the outside wall with the right rear of his car and the inside wall with the left front.

Busch's team worked on the car on pit road and got Busch back on the track before he lost a lap. After restarting 35th, Busch worked his way to 12th in the running order by Lap 30 of 200. Busch ran as high as fourth before the final caution but faded to ninth at the finish.

With Edwards winning and leading the most laps, Busch needed to finish seventh or better to lock up the title. Asked about the early-race spin, Busch gave a terse explanation.

"I was driving a bucket of (expletive)," he said.

Keselowski and Hamlin had a lot more to say after the race, thanks to the Lap 157 incident that started with Hamlin bumping Keselowski and ducking beneath him. Keselowski retaliated in the corner and turned Hamlin's No. 20 Toyota.

Hamlin kept the car off the wall but had to pit and restarted at the back of the field on Lap 164. He finished 12th.

"On the last restart there, Denny got into the back of me and pushed me up the track," Keselowski said. "I was going to return the favor. When he did it to me, I saved it. When I did it to him, he didn't save it. We just got into a pushing match. I don't really hold any grudges. I don't know why he wanted to do that. But whatever, that's just how racing, is I guess.

"To me, I was over it. I'm focused on running the No. 88 Junior Motorsports car and trying to run up front, chase down Carl (for second in the standings) and finish second in points. I haven't put a lot of thought into (the rivalry), but apparently he has."

Hamlin implied he'd have a shot at revenge in next Saturday's race.

"I can sit here and bash him for the next 20 seconds or so and give you all a bunch of sound bites," Hamlin said, "but I'm just happy that I signed up for next week's Nationwide race, and you know in turn, there's a lot of guys that owe him. There's a lot of guys that have a lot of chips that they're going to cash in, I'm just going to be the first to the pay window."

Later on, after Hamlin spoke to NASCAR president Mike Helton, the two drivers had what USA Today reporter Nate Ryan described as an animated but civil discussion. -- The next event on the Nationwide Series schedule is the Nov. 21 Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The final race of the season starts at 2:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by ESPN2 beginning with its pre-race show at 2 p.m.  ...Daily Headlines
For Final Results...     Able Body Labor 200 Final Results
Point Standings...     Point Standings After Able Body Labor 200

MWR Signs Trevor Bayne

Currently, Diamond-Waltrip Racing has limited sponsorship from Aaron’s for the 2010 season and is still searching for additional sponsor support for the remaining races.

“We are extremely excited to have Trevor behind the wheel of the No. 99 Toyota,” said Gary Bechtel, co-owner of DWR. “Even though the No. 99 team is not fully sponsored, we are committed to running Trevor in the entire season so he can compete for the championship. He has shown a lot of promise this season and we expect him to be one of the frontrunners next year.”

“From the first lap he took in our car this past summer, we knew Trevor was special,” remarked Michael Waltrip. “Thanks to Gary and Blake Bechtel, we now have the opportunity to show the rest of the world what we already know about Trevor – he is young, smart, talented and will be an impact player for MWR and Diamond-Waltrip Racing. Some sponsor is going to want to grow through the ranks with him and we’re ready to deliver a winner.”

The Knoxville, Tenn., native joins DWR with an impressive résumé that includes more than 20 championships in go karts, Allison Legacy Series and the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series.

Bayne’s on track success continued when Dale Earnhardt Inc. signed the youngster to its driver development program in 2008. That year he began competing in the NASCAR Camping World East where he grabbed his first series win at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway on July 21. He went on to earn six top-five and seven top-10 finishes and finished fourth in the NASCAR Camping World East point standings.

In 2009, the young phenom debuted in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Bristol Motor Speedway in March where he finished 23rd. Since jumping onto the Nationwide Series scene, Bayne has grabbed one pole (Indianapolis Raceway Park), two top-10 and six top-15 finishes.

“This is what I have worked my entire life for,” remarked Bayne. “I am excited to finally make it to this level of competition. I have been dreaming of this moment since I began racing go karts. I am very grateful to Gary and Blake Bechtel and the entire MWR organization for giving me this awesome opportunity. I can’t wait to get to Daytona next year to begin a race for the championship.”

Bayne and the new Diamond-Waltrip Racing team will begin their quest toward a NNS championship next year at Daytona International Speedway.

Harvick Rallies To Win Truck Race; Hornaday Clinches Fourth Title

Harvick won the race despite bringing out the first caution, on Lap 6, with a spin off Turn 4. Hornaday, at 51 the oldest champion of a major NASCAR touring series, overcame an early penalty to claim the series title by finishing ahead of Matt Crafton, the only driver with an outside chance to overtake him.

Crafton came home eighth and heads to the final event Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway locked into second in the series standings.

In a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took the race one lap past its scheduled distance of 150 laps, Harvick won the race under caution after Tayler Malsam wrecked on the final lap. Aric Almirola was third, followed by Hornaday and polesitter Johnny Sauter.

"To see Hornaday lock up the championship tonight and win the race, I don't think you could script it much better," said Harvick, who at one point slept on Hornaday's black leather couch when he was trying to make a name for himself in racing.

"I thought I had screwed it up there in the beginning. I thought I got in oil. I about spun out in the turn before down there and came down here and just spun out, and (crew chief) Ernie (Cope) said the tire was bald when we came in. It just kind of took me a while to get back in the swing of things. I had lost a little bit of confidence in the truck.

"We got a little tight and made an adjustment there on the last stop and just came on strong."

Hornaday broke a tie for most series championships with his close friend Jack Sprague, who is not active in the series this year. And even at 51, Hornaday is confident he can add to his championship total.

"We're not done," Hornaday said. "As long as Kevin and DeLana will still have me, we're going to win some more. When you drive Kevin and DeLana's equipment, you feel like you're 18 years old."

On Lap 6, Harvick slid up the track into Almirola's Toyota and spun toward the infield, but neither truck lost a lap because of the accident.

In fact, Almirola passed Busch for the lead on Lap 44 and stretched his advantage to 3.3 seconds by Lap 65. Harvick was running third by then, having changed tires on Lap 35, under caution for Brad Sweet's spin in Turn 3.

Hornaday drew a penalty for improper fueling under caution on Lap 35, when the fuel-filler can was inserted into the receptacle on the truck before the catch can was in place. Faced with restarting from the rear of the field, Hornaday returned to pit road for tires and gradually worked his way through the field.

By Lap 81, Hornaday was 12th, seven positions behind Crafton, who had not stopped for tires. Hornaday passed Crafton in the pits on Lap 92 -- under caution called when Wheeler Boys slowed on the backstretch -- after Crafton was forced to retrieve a dropped lug nut.