Michael McDowell:

RACE UPDATE
LAST LAP CONTACT KNOCKS McDOWELL BACK TO 26TH

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 28, 2008) - Michael McDowell finished 26th in his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series superspeedway race in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. After running as high as sixth place during the course of the 188-lap event, McDowell's efforts were derailed when contact was made to his No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine causing his Toyota to spin in Turn 1.

McD RACE RESULTS Talladega: April 27, 2008
FIN	START	LAPS	STATUS
26	24	188	Running

Photos: Autostock

"David (Reutimann) was up top, and there was a car on the bottom and I was in the middle," McDowell said. "I was holding my line and there was some contact. I can't say for sure what happened there. We went spinning across the track and tore up the car."

"We knew we were capable of running in the top five, but we just needed to find some drafting help. You're not going to have much help when you have a yellow stripe on your bumper."

On Saturday, McDowell qualified 24th for his sponsor's event. As the race started, the 23-year-old wasted no time charging into the top 15 on Lap 2. After a routine pit stop under caution at Lap 20, McDowell restarted 25th.

"The car was good and I was having a lot of fun out there," McDowell said.

On Lap 61, he was 19th before pitting again during a green flag pit stop taking only two tires. McDowell was 11th three laps later and on his next lap he moved into seventh place for eight laps.

"We were able to be up there with the frontrunners a few times and that felt great," McDowell said. "It was my first superspeedway race in the Aaron's Dream Machine. We had a pretty good run going. The only problem with Talladega is that you can be running near the front and then all the sudden be 20 something before you make it back around."

No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota

McDowell was a victim of being shuffled out of line as he slid from seventh to 20th on Lap 73. Being a Raybestos rookie, McDowell's biggest challenge was finding drafting partners to keep him up front where he was easily capable of running.

"I'm the new guy," McDowell said. "I hope I was able to make some friends out there. We kept our nose clean and ran up front with guys like Jimmie Johnson and my boss (Michael Waltrip) who has some wins at superspeedways."

McDowell marched forward and decided to hang around the top 15 until his next stop at Lap 99 under green flag conditions.

"We put on two right side tires during that stop," McDowell said.

As the pack raced by while McDowell was on pit road, he exited in 28th place. Once everyone else pitted, he was 16th on Lap 106. He returned to pit road under caution nine laps later for left side tires and restarted 15th.

Michael McDowell

"We continued to hang around the top 15," McDowell said. "We knew we were capable of running in the top five, but we just needed to find some drafting help. You're not going to have much help when you have a yellow stripe on your bumper."

On Lap 131, McDowell reentered the top 10 running as high as sixth place on Laps 133 and 134.

"We got shuffled out of line again," McDowell said. "It was frustrating."

McDowell was 22nd when another caution occurred around Lap 143 and he pitted for right side tires. Sitting inside the top 25 with 39 laps to go, McDowell started to make his way through the field again when several cars (1, 2, 20, 26, 43 and 88 in Turn 2) in front of him were collected in an accident.

"We were lucky to check up on that one," McDowell said. "It happened so fast and we were able to get through it unscathed."

The No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine restarted 15th on Lap 177. As his team owner Michael Waltrip took the lead on Lap 180, the yellow flag waved again. With six laps remaining, the Glendale, Ariz.-native occupied the 21st position on the restart.

"We were trying to get what we could there at the end," McDowell said.

As McDowell was moving forward, he was in the middle of David Reutimann and Greg Biffle. As the No. 44 UPS Toyota moved down and the No. 16 3M/American Red Cross car moved up the track, there wasn't much room for McDowell.

"We got crowded there at the end and there was some contact that caused us to wreck," McDowell said.

As McDowell spun off of Turn 1, the next event was another big crash near the back of the pack involving 11 cars off of Turn 2. McDowell brought his car around to cross the finish line in 26th place.

"It's unfortunate," McDowell said. "We had a really good car and had to load a badly damaged car back onto the Aaron's transporter."

This week Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry team travels to Richmond International Raceway. Live coverage of the event on Saturday, May 3rd begins at 7 p.m. ET on FOX and 7:30 p.m. ET.

QUALIFYING UPDATE
McD STARTS 24TH

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 26, 2008) – The grid is set for Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. Rookie Michael McDowell will start his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race from 26th on the grid, just ahead of his MWR teammates, Owner Michael Waltrip (27th) and David Reutimann (30th).

McD QUALIFYING RESULTS Talladega: April 26, 2008
POS	SPEED	TIME	BEHIND
24	184.758	51.83	-0.727

PRACTICE UPDATE
QUALIFYING UP NEXT

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 25, 2008) – The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to a restrictor-plate track for the first time this season with Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. With practice wrapped up at the 2.66-mile superspeedway, all that's left for the drivers on track is two qualifying laps Saturday before the green flag drops Sunday.

McD PRACTICE 1 RESULTS Talladega: April 25, 2008
POS	SPEED	TIME	BEHIND
27	191.908	49.899	-1.026

McD PRACTICE 2 RESULTS Talladega: April 25, 2008
POS	SPEED	TIME	BEHIND
32	185.693	51.569	-1.889

NEW ASSOCIATE SPONSOR
MS SBS Microsoft Small Business Expands Motorsports Sponsorship Reach with MWR

Sponsorship broadens awareness of Microsoft's Small Business Specialist Community

SEATTLE, Wash. (April 25, 2008) – Microsoft expanded its motorsports reach today in an effort to increase visibility of its growing Small Business Specialist Community of Partners and solutions for small businesses by announcing it has formed a unique sponsorship with Michael Waltrip Racing.

Michael McDowell

Microsoft will serve as an associate sponsor on MWR's #00 NASCAR Sprint Cup Toyota Camry entry driven by rookie sensation Michael McDowell for the remainder of the 2008 season, beginning this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

The sponsorship, in conjunction with California-based advertising agency RainMakers International, offers a motorsports marketing platform to Microsoft's Partners, a growing group which supports businesses everywhere in the Microsoft Small Business Specialist Community. Each participating partner will receive a structured marketing package which utilizes Michael Waltrip Racing marks, images of the #00 race car with their logo on it, tickets, likeness of Michael McDowell in his driver's suit, and the usage of Waltrip's race facility for contest winners. Additionally, each partner will have the ability to utilize the discounted media buying services offered by RainMakers, and more.

"Michael Waltrip is an icon; we see the progression his race team has made since being a startup themselves in 2007, and our partners can now be a part of that growth." - Eric Ligman, Microsoft

"Microsoft is committed to helping the more than 21 million small and home-based businesses within the U.S. and the partners that serve them through a breadth of accessible resources. This sponsorship will provide an affordable marketing platform for Microsoft's Small Business Specialist Partners, helping them to more easily connect with small businesses on a local and national level, while also raising awareness of the Microsoft Small Business Specialists themselves" said Eric Ligman, Microsoft U.S. Senior Manager of Small Business Community Engagement. "Michael Waltrip is an icon; we see the progression his race team has made since being a startup themselves in 2007, and our partners can now be a part of that growth."

Michael Waltrip

"My race team has been blessed by partnerships with some of the most recognizable companies in the world and it makes me proud to represent a powerful international brand such as Microsoft," said Michael Waltrip, team owner and two-time Daytona 500 champion. "My team will deliver to the many Microsoft Small Business partners marketing assets that will help their businesses grow, which is ultimately the goal of this relationship."

RACE PREVIEW
McDOWELL'S FIRST SUPERSPEEDWAY RACE IN THE AARON'S DREAM MACHINE JUST AROUND THE CORNER

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 22, 2008) – Another big weekend is around the corner for Michael McDowell as his No. 00 Toyota Camry sponsor holds the title sponsorship for both the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) events at Talladega Superspeedway.

"All the drivers know each other and since I'm the new guy, I'm kind of an outsider looking in. I'm really hoping to make some friends out there this weekend."

"Aaron's took a chance on a rookie and I'm grateful for that and I really want to give them the finish they deserve in their race on Sunday," McDowell said. "They were only going to sponsor the No. 00 Toyota Camry for David's (Reutimann) first five races, but they are sponsoring us through Richmond (International Raceway). We really want to perform for them this weekend."

For nearly a decade, Aaron's has supported Michael Waltrip Racing. Michael Waltrip has delivered three NNS victories in as many races for their brand and Reutimann delivered their fourth win in the division last season en route to a second place finish in the championship standings. On the NSCS side, McDowell focuses on bringing home their best finish in one of their biggest sporting events - the Aaron's 499.

"Michael Waltrip Racing's strong suit is superspeedways and I feel like we will be good this weekend," McDowell said. "I know Talladega is a tough place to figure out especially on the Cup level. All the drivers know each other and since I'm the new guy, I'm kind of an outsider looking in. I'm really hoping to make some friends out there this weekend."

Photo: Autostock

This may be McDowell's first superspeedway appearance in a NSCS entry, but he has experience at the 2.66-mile tri-oval.

"I've ran there twice in the ARCA RE/MAX Series," McDowell said. "My first time there, I finished fifth, but I wasn't so lucky the next time. We were only a few points out of the points lead and we were hit from behind and cut a tire. It really hurt us in the points and we ended up finishing second in the standings in the end. I'm really looking forward to my first superspeedway race in the Aaron's Dream Machine. We had a little time off this past weekend, but I'm ready to get back to racing."

McDowell took advantage of the off time to relax before he races 500 miles at Talladega Superspeedway.

"I'm a pretty intense person and on our off weekend I went fishing," McDowell said. "I'm discovering that it is really relaxing. I just started doing it and it's something I will probably continue to do. I enjoy it."

Live coverage of the Aaron's 499 on Sunday, April 27th begins at 1 p.m. Eastern on FOX and 2 p.m. Eastern on MRN Radio.