Michael Waltrip, Bill Davis and Toyota

Toyota will support eight Nextel Cup teams when its cars make their debuts in 2007, but none of them is likely to be from Ganassi Racing, which all along figured to be part of the Toyota contingent.

Toyota Racing Development will support four Penske Racing squads and two each from Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. Davis and Waltrip will be partners in 2006, then turn their attention to Toyota. ...

Didn't you just know that there was another factor in Michael Waltrip's leaving DEI and not fighting harder to keep his ride?

I thought it was a good "give 'em the finger" that sponsors NAPA and Best Western have chosen to leave DEI and go with him. At the end of the day, the two companies realize that they'll never be in a position on a Monday morning of having to explain to their boards of directors why Michael Waltrip has done something that embarrasses them on a nationally televised race.

I look for Waltrip and Davis to be to Toyota what Everham has been to Dodge in their rise in NASCAR.