Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced yesterday that veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will lead Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry beginning in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
“Pat is a passionate competitor, a winner and a championship contender. Those were the traits we were looking for in a crew chief that would help Martin deliver on the track for NAPA for years to come. We couldn’t be more proud to add a person of Pat’s caliber to our organization.”
Are you surprised as to what happened in The Chase after Richmond?
“Wow! I knew getting into The Chase for the Sprint Cup was going to be crazy. Matt Kenseth ended up being out. That’s the first time he has missed it since The Chase started. Brian Vickers made it in for the first time. Congratulations to Brian and his young Toyota team. They had a good season – a win, some poles and now he’s in The Chase. Anything can happen. Now it is game on and we’ll see what happens next. It’s going to be an exciting Chase for the Sprint Cup as always. We were a contender this year with David Reutimann and that’s a very respectable accomplishment for my young Sprint Cup Series organization. Next season, it is our goal to have one of our Toyotas in it.”
What is unique about New Hampshire?
“I think it has to do with the progressive banking. The track promoters did something smart a few years ago. They flattened out the bottom of the track. That means if you want to pass someone, it is shorter on the bottom. However, you do not have the banking to lean on. I love that layout. I think it would be a shame to change it. It is fun, and it is now tradition. The banking has created hard-nosed, flat-track racing. The easy way around is up top. The fastest way around is on the bottom, but you have to have your car handling better to work down there. It’s a really cool scenario, if you think about it.”
There have been some rumors that NASCAR is considering fuel injection. Do you think NASCAR should go to fuel injection engines?
“I don’t see why not especially if it makes it more efficient. It would also give the teams an area to learn and work to make our cars more relevant as to what is going up and down the road every day. I don’t have a problem with fuel injection. I also would like to see NASCAR take some power out of them if and when they go to fuel injection.”
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will be competing in his 750th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 27th event of the 2009 Sprint Cup season, the Sylvania 300, gets underway at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Waltrip will start in his 28th Cup race at the 1.058-mile track. His best start is fourth (July 25, 2004) and best finish is second (June 29, 2008) in the NAPA machine. In total, he has one top-five and five top-10 finishes at NHMS.
Waltrip has completed 7,654 of 7,945 laps (96.3%) at the track and has led a total of 78 laps in competition. His average start and finish is 23rd.
Earlier this season, the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS team rallied from being two laps down to finish 24th on the lead lap after being wrecked early in the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301.
Waltrip has raced in three Nationwide Series events at Loudon. He has collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He has led 13 laps in Nationwide Series competition at the track.
Are you surprised as to what happened in The Chase after Richmond?
“Wow! I knew getting into The Chase for the Sprint Cup was going to be crazy. Matt Kenseth ended up being out. That’s the first time he has missed it since The Chase started. Brian Vickers made it in for the first time. Congratulations to Brian and his young Toyota team. They had a good season – a win, some poles and now he’s in The Chase. Anything can happen. Now it is game on and we’ll see what happens next. It’s going to be an exciting Chase for the Sprint Cup as always. We were a contender this year with David Reutimann and that’s a very respectable accomplishment for my young Sprint Cup Series organization. Next season, it is our goal to have one of our Toyotas in it.”
What is unique about New Hampshire?
“I think it has to do with the progressive banking. The track promoters did something smart a few years ago. They flattened out the bottom of the track. That means if you want to pass someone, it is shorter on the bottom. However, you do not have the banking to lean on. I love that layout. I think it would be a shame to change it. It is fun, and it is now tradition. The banking has created hard-nosed, flat-track racing. The easy way around is up top. The fastest way around is on the bottom, but you have to have your car handling better to work down there. It’s a really cool scenario, if you think about it.”
There have been some rumors that NASCAR is considering fuel injection. Do you think NASCAR should go to fuel injection engines?
“I don’t see why not especially if it makes it more efficient. It would also give the teams an area to learn and work to make our cars more relevant as to what is going up and down the road every day. I don’t have a problem with fuel injection. I also would like to see NASCAR take some power out of them if and when they go to fuel injection.”
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will be competing in his 750th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 27th event of the 2009 Sprint Cup season, the Sylvania 300, gets underway at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Waltrip will start in his 28th Cup race at the 1.058-mile track. His best start is fourth (July 25, 2004) and best finish is second (June 29, 2008) in the NAPA machine. In total, he has one top-five and five top-10 finishes at NHMS.
Waltrip has completed 7,654 of 7,945 laps (96.3%) at the track and has led a total of 78 laps in competition. His average start and finish is 23rd.
Earlier this season, the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS team rallied from being two laps down to finish 24th on the lead lap after being wrecked early in the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301.
Waltrip has raced in three Nationwide Series events at Loudon. He has collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He has led 13 laps in Nationwide Series competition at the track.
Entering this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, the NAPA team is 32nd in the owner standings.
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