Waltrip, RAB Announce Nationwide Series Partnership

Michael Waltrip Racing and RAB Racing announced today that they have formed an alliance to field entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2012.

As part of the agreement, RAB Racing will acquire additional cars and receive technical and marketing support from MWR. Also, RAB Racing will change its current No. 09 number to the No. 99 starting at Richmond on April 27.


Pastrana's No. 99 will now be an RAB Toyota

RAB Racing will field the No. 99 Boost Mobile/KMC Wheels Toyota Camry for 11-time X-Games gold medalist and action sports star Travis Pastrana in seven 2012 NASCAR Nationwide races. RAB Racing will also field Nationwide Series entries for MWR in additional races.

“We love the Nationwide Series because it is what started Michael Waltrip Racing behind my house years ago,” said MWR co-owner Michael Waltrip. “As our organization has grown into three full time Sprint Cup teams, it has taken a lot of our focus and resources. We have been so impressed with what the Bentons and Brack Maggard have been able to do with RAB Racing that we believe this is the perfect relationship for both organizations. We can help RAB Racing in certain areas and they can continue to elevate themselves into one of the top Nationwide Series teams.”

“This is the next step for our team, having an alliance with a top Sprint Cup organization,” said RAB Racing co-owner Robby Benton. “We have a great core of people who believe in one another and this will help us grow in the future.”

Waltrip said the alliance isn’t limited to fielding cars for Pastrana.

“Whenever we have an opportunity to go Nationwide racing with any of our drivers, it will be in the No. 99 at RAB Racing,” Waltrip said. “We’ll add to the schedule here pretty soon with another announcement.”

While the announcement did not address specifics of the new partnership, sources close to the team say MWR will continue to prepare Pastrana's entries, with RAB fielding the cars using its Top-30 status to make Pastrana a guaranteed starter. 

Today's announcement also did not address the future of Kenny Wallace, who has driven the RAB Racing Toyota in each of the last two seasons. Wallace is believed to have sponsorship to run the car in approximately six additional races over the remainder of the season, but RAB Racing co-owner Robby Benton said recently that the team would entertain offers from other, better-sponsored drivers for events not driven by Wallace. Ryan Truex drove the No. 09 Toyota last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway,