Veteran crew chief Robert "Bootie" Barker will join Michael Waltrip Racing in 2009, the team announced Wednesday.

Barker will serve as crew chief for owner/driver Michael Waltrip's No. 55 Toyota. Barker comes to MWR from Haas CNC Racing, where he has filled the crew chief role for the No. 66 Chevrolet driven by Scott Riggs.

--(Cont'd From Front Page)-- "I really appreciate the confidence that Michael has in me," Barker said Wednesday in a statement released by the team. "He has accomplished a lot in his racing career, and the fact that he wanted me to be his crew chief goes a long way for me personally. Everyone I met from the crew chiefs to the management team are very welcoming, and they are all racers."

Waltrip's Camry currently is 31st in Sprint Cup owner points. The Chevy driven by Riggs is 34th. Waltrip says the move will allow his current crew chief, Bobby Kennedy, to move to a more comprehensive role within the organization.

"Our organization continues to grow and add depth in several key areas," Waltrip said. "Bringing Bootie on as my crew chief is part of a larger plan that enables Bobby Kennedy to move into a critical management position. We have discussed this move since the summer, but waited until we were able to hire a crew chief of Bootie's caliber."

MWR recently announced the addition for 2009 of race engineer Steve Hallam from the Formula One McLaren team.

Reader comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy

---

NOTE: I'm a one man show, not supported by anyone. If you wish to donate to help offset expense, it would be appreciated:

toolbar powered by Conduit

BACK TO FRONT PAGE<