Birth Date April 30, 1963 + Hometown Owensboro, KY

Residence Sherrill's Ford, NC + Children Caitlin, Margaret

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is arguably one of the most competitive sports in the nation and in 2007 Michael Waltrip set out to field three cars during Toyota's inaugaral year as a manufacturer.

In addition to being a full-time owner and driver, Waltrip was also a superintendent to his 140,000 square foot project to house his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams and his longstanding NASCAR Nationwide Series team.

Meeting and rising above challenges, Waltrip mastered the building phases of his visionary shop to move all teams under one roof. With all teams working side-by-side, he began to see each one strengthening from his office window.

Under Waltrip's watchful eye, MWR showed great promise during the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Waltrip, who is a two-time Daytona 500 champion, kicked last year's off his Sprint Cup Series year in the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota on the outside pole next to three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson for The Great America Race. In 36 starts, Waltrip was credited with leading 11 different races.

Waltrip's best finish of the season was a runner-up finish to Kurt Busch in the rain-shortened Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry team earned one top-five, two top-10, five top-20 and 13 top-25 finishes. Waltrip finished 29th in the owner points standings during 2008.

Taking his helmet off and placing his owner's cap on, Waltrip observed the No.44 UPS Toyota team's progression the year.  His driver, David Reutimann, stood out by leading the most laps at Richmond International Raceway and also posting multiple top-10 finishes the latter part of the season.  In the final event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Reutimann scored his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole award in his home state of Florida. In Reutimann's second season of full-time competition, he recorded four top-10, 18 top-20 and 24 top-25 finishes en route to finishing 22nd in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner points standings.

For Waltrip, the biggest accomplishment of the 2008 season was locking his teams inside the top-35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner points standings.

2008 was definitely an improvement from the organizations first year of full-time competition in the top touring division with three teams, but Waltrip also witnessed signs of success during their first year. For one, all three teams (with drivers Reutimann, Waltrip and Dale Jarrett) that were formed in less than a year's time with a brand new manufacturer raced their way into the prestigious Daytona 500.

Sure there were struggles, as with any new program that faces other businesses that have 10, 15, 20 years of experience. One thing is for certain. Waltrip never gave up. That year, Waltrip went on to finish in the top-10 twice and in the top-15 four times showing his team's dedication and gradual progress. Waltrip also earned his fourth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole at Talladega Superspeedway, where he was victorious in 2003 driving for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Noteworthy events such as these provided a glimpse of what the future may hold for Michael Waltrip Racing. 

As the Cup teams were getting up and running, Waltrip's well-established NASCAR Nationwide Series team delivered exuberance to the shop competing for wins on a weekly basis in 2007. Finally, Reutimann had a breakthrough moment at Memphis Motorsports Park and was victorious in the No.99 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry adding to Waltrip's victories he clenched while in the seat. The team was a serious championship contender and went on to finish second in the driver points standings. In 2008, Reutimann and the Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry team picked up where they left off. They went on to finish seventh in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings collecting one pole award, a runner-up finish at Memphis, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.

Waltrip's winning success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series was really what ignited his ambition to expand into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full-time and the timing was right with Toyota's entrance in 2007. Waltrip has won as a NASCAR Nationwide Series owner/driver and as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and is in the hunt for his first win as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner.   

As an owner, Waltrip is also most proud of growing his executive management staff and adding depth to his company thanks in part to his business partner Robert Kauffman. Waltrip has the right people and structure in place for a fresh start in 2009.

Wal trip and Kauffmann are owners of the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry and the No.00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry that will compete full-time this season. Waltrip and Reutimann will handle the driving chores respectively. Additionally, MWR formed a technical alliance with JTG-Daugherty and will provide assistance to the team as they field the No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota with driver Marcos Ambrose. JTG-Daugherty will work out of MWR's shop in Cornelius, N.C. MWR is also helping Germain Racing through a technical alliance.

"In building this race team, many people told me that the experience would be challenging, intense, fun and rewarding" Waltrip said. "Those people were right.  It was every bit of that and more, but they also said it was impossible.  Yet after enduring a few setbacks, MWR is still alive and as you have read in our announcements, growing stronger day-by-day.  I feel confident in declaring our teams 'light-years' ahead of where we were at this stage last year"