Speed to carry Toyota flag with Waltrip's No. 99 car

Michael Waltrip Racing, despite some sponsorship gaps, will field four full-time programs in 2009, including three Sprint Cup teams and one in the Nationwide Series, owner/driver Michael Waltrip said on Wednesday.

The Nationwide schedule for MWR's No. 99 Toyota proves again the cooperative spirit throughout the Toyota camp, as Waltrip said he'll split most of the schedule with Red Bull Racing newcomer Scott Speed.

Speed

"I'll do the majority of the races along with Scott, and when I drive Aaron's or Best Western will be on the car and when Scott's in it, it'll be a Red Bull car," Waltrip said. "We've got two or three [of the 35] races that are unsponsored at this time."

There was no mention of David Reutimann doing any Nationwide races despite his seventh-place finish in the point standings last season, the second consecutive year that he'd raced full-time in both Nationwide and Cup.

Despite the trying economic times, Waltrip said the competition side of his Cup Series operation remains virtually intact from a year ago, when he fielded three cars. By the end of 2008, Waltrip had announced a deal with JTG Daugherty Racing to run that program's driver, Marcos Ambrose, out of MWR's shop in Cornelius, N.C.

NAPA Auto Parts is the full-season primary sponsor of Waltrip's No. 55. Waltrip said that securing sponsorship for Ambrose's No. 47 was fully the responsibility of JTG Daugherty, and that the car was fully-funded for 2009.

Reutimann returns to the No. 00 car he drove two years ago and, despite the car having only half a season of funding in place from Aaron's, Waltrip said it would compete in all 36 point races.

Waltrip indicated that due to the lateness of securing sponsorship for Reutimann's unsponsored races, which includes the season's second race, at California, that the rates for those races would be cut.