// TEAM 99 CREW CHIEF : JERRY BAXTER //

Waltrip Brothers Charity Golf Tournament

Jerry Baxter begins his fifth season as the crew chief for the No. 99 Diamond-Waltrip Racing (DWR) Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). However, this year's task will be a little different as he tries to mold an 18-year-old driver into the next superstar.

Baxter brings the veteran experience a young driver like Trevor Bayne needs to be successful on and off the race track. Last season he led Bayne, Patrick Carpentier, David Reutimann, Scott Speed and Michael Waltrip to two poles (Bayne, Speed), 10 top-10 and 19 top-15 finishes.

2010 will also mark Baxter's 11th year with the Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) family. Baxter joined the organization in 2000 as part of Waltrip's original, "Five Guys in a Garage" NNS operation that employed a handful of crew members in a small shop behind Waltrip's Sherrill's Ford home.

The team was small in number, but proved to be a force at the track consistently fielding competitive cars for owner/driver Waltrip on a limited basis through 2005.

Working as car chief for the family-owned team under the direction of former crew chief Bobby Kennedy, Baxter's knowledge, leadership and confidence helped build the foundation for what MWR has become – a winning organization. When the crew chief position opened up on the No. 99 machine in April 2006, Baxter was a natural selection.

That transitional season saw Baxter working as crew chief with three drivers – Reutimann, Darrell Waltrip and Michael Waltrip – and the California native was able to keep his crew focused on fielding competitive cars. With patience and pit road savvy, Baxter led the team to a top-15 finish in the NNS championship standings.

Baxter continued the solid momentum by finishing second in the NNS championship point standings in 2007 and seventh in 2008 with driver Reutimann. Over the two year span the duo collected one win, two poles, 13 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes. His tenacity and expertise also helped Toyota win its first NNS manufacturers championship in 2008.

For the last several years Baxter's leadership and guidance has been the benchmark for MWR by consistently fielding competitive cars at the track and producing solid results. Now he hopes the same recipe for success will lead Diamond-Waltrip Racing and young Bayne to their first NNS win and potentially the series championship.