Michael Waltrip Racing fueled for another step forward

The positive progress of Michael Waltrip Racing continued in 2009 with a season that included a first career Sprint Cup Series win for David Reutimann and an impressive performance by Marcos Ambrose with the JTG Daugherty organization, which shares an alliance with the team.

While team owner Waltrip struggled in what will be his last full-time season on the Cup circuit, overall MWR has positioned itself as a team with a solid future.

Marcos Ambrose and David Reutimann finished in the top 20 for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2009. (Getty Images)

"Our team is growing and our results this year prove that," said Ambrose, who finished 18th in the final standings and notched four top fives and seven top 10s along the way. "I'm a lot more confident as a driver and secure in myself that I can do the job. All those things will play a part. You can't guarantee you are going to move forward. It's a challenging world we live in. We are very focused on understanding that not every step is going to be forward and sometimes you may take a step backwards."

The Australian driver, who also scored a pair of victories in the Nationwide Series, was brimming with confidence when the season ended in Homestead.

"We want to win a race and make the Chase," Ambrose said. "Sure, it's a lofty goal, but I think it's achievable with our No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota if everything goes well. I think we are worthy of it and can do it."

Reutimann scored his first career win in a rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 Memorial Day weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. But although he celebrated the victory waiting for NASCAR to call the race as the rains poured down on the Charlotte track, his enthusiasm for his accomplishment wasn't dampened.

"When you envision winning your first Sprint Cup race, this is not exactly the way you envision it," Reutimann said. "But these things are so hard to win, we'll take it any way we can get it."

The May victory helped spring Reutimann on a summer charge that eventually came up short in his bid to make the Chase. He finished four spots out of the final playoff transfer spot in 16th place but his five top-five finishes and 10 top 10s were career highs for the Florida native who believes better things lie ahead.

"It's taken a little time to jell as a team but I really think with [crew chief] Rodney Childers leading this team, we will be in the hunt to get into the Chase next year and compete for a championship."

Waltrip won't have a championship on his resume as the veteran shuts down his career after making his debut in NASCAR's top division 24 years ago. He announced plans to step out of the No. 55 car for a limited schedule in 2010 in July and is at peace with his decision to concentrate on building and growing the team he created in 2007.

"It's just progress," Waltrip said of the somewhat amazing turnaround of a team that began life as an operation that couldn't qualify any of its cars for races and was in the middle of a controversy when an illegal jet fuel mixture was discovered in his car at Daytona. "Certainly I am very cognizant that in the middle of '07, people were wanting to stay probably as far away from here as they could.

"I don't think, without the perseverance and struggles I went through as a driver for 15-some years, I would have had the wherewithal to fight through it, just be persistent."

2010 preview

Waltrip's belief and persistence has paid off in transforming MWR into a destination capable of attracting top-level drivers, as it did when Martin Truex Jr. came into the fold for 2010.

The former DEI/Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver will pilot a NAPA-sponsored No. 56 Toyota for MWR joining Reutimann, Ambrose and Waltrip, who will compete in a yet-to-be-determined limited schedule.

"When I saw all they've got, it was eye-opening for me," Truex said. "It's solid. They seemed to have all of their ducks in a row, and that was comfortable for me."

Courted by several other high-profile teams, Truex Jr. feels his best chance to win regularly and compete for a championship came with MWR.

His new boss agrees.

"I'm turning my car over to a guy that I think can go win the championship in it," said Waltrip. "I've always said, I've been racing this car for a long time as we all well know. If I thought I wasn't the best man for the job I wouldn't have had to ride this long. If I wasn't the best guy that could run in the car and go racing on Sunday, someone else would take my place. I just believe at this time in my career that Martin is the right guy to take over my car and go win races in it."

Waltrip was also able to add veteran crew chief Pat Tryson to work with Truex Jr., putting together a formidable team that along with Ambrose and Reutimann all have a legitimate shot at making the Chase in 2010.

Not many would have believed that would be possible three years ago.