REUTIMANN TURNS TO WISE AS THE NNS AND NSCS SCHEDULES SPILT

CORNELIUS, N.C. (June 4, 2008) – This is David Reutimann’s second year pulling double-duty full-time in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Reutimann has his No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry team fishing for a championship again, but is wise enough to know he needs the right person in his seat to keep it on the line when he cannot be in two places at once.

As the top-two touring divisions go separate ways for three weekends in June, Reutimann turns to Josh Wise for assistance to practice and/or qualify his NASCAR Nationwide Series car at Nashville Superspeedway, Kentucky Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile as the team currently sits fourth in the championship standings. Though he’s looking forward to this opportunity presented by Reutimann and Aaron’s, Wise has a few things in the works that may afford him the chance to race in one or two of those Nationwide events as well.

“Josh Wise is a phenomenal talent,” Reutimann said. “I really want him to be able to practice and even qualify our Aaron’s Dream Machine Nationwide car when needed during the split weekends when I am not there. However, Josh has been presented with some possibilities to race himself. We are fortunate to have him. Mark Green did an awesome job for us last year and I know Josh will do a great job for us too if he’s available. There’s no doubt.”

Wise holds Reutimann in high regard to, but admits he’d jump at the chance to race the No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry if there is a hiccup in his travel schedule.

“I hope it rains just enough up there to postpone whatever he has in Pocono to overlap with what he has going on for the Nationwide race at Nashville,” Wise smiled. “I like David and he’s my friend, but I hope it rains at Pocono. He gets to race enough and it’s my turn.”

Even though Wise has only had the opportunity to run nine NCTS events with and three NNS event (with Fitz Motorsports), he has experience at the upcoming tracks he’s possibly substituting for Reutimann while he’s tied up with Cup duties.

“I have raced both an ARCA car and NASCAR Craftsman Truck at Nashville and I’ve tested a Cup car for MWR there,” Wise said. “I pretty much have the same experience at Kentucky Speedway and feel really comfortable about going to those tracks. At Milwaukee, I tested a Cup car there and I won a Midget race (2005) with Tony Stewart at that track too.”

After winning the 2005 USAC National Midget Championship and following it up with the 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Series championship with Tony Stewart Enterprises, Wise arrived on the NASCAR scene last year with the help of Michael Waltrip and made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Kansas Speedway with Darrell Waltrip Motorsports. That race led to eight more races and a pair of top-10 finishes in the division as well as his first and only appearance in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“I’m looking forward to gaining more experience in the Nationwide Series thanks to Aaron’s and Michael Waltrip Racing,” Wise said. “I really want to do a good job for David, Jerry (Baxter), the team and Aaron’s. I’m thankful for the opportunity and I hope it leads to something more.”

About Michael Waltrip Racing: Michael Waltrip Racing enters multiple full-time Toyota Camry entries in 2007 during Toyota Motorsports inaugural year in the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Series. Beginning as a modest family-owned operation in Sherrills Ford (N.C.) nearly a decade ago, Waltrip's team developed quickly into a top-notch winning organization. After overseeing a winning NASCAR Busch Series team, Waltrip raised the bar for Michael Waltrip Racing and began fielding cars in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series on a limited basis. His trial run as a NASCAR Cup Series team owner was the driving force behind his vision to become a full-time owner.