NASCAR

Regan Smith will compete in 12 races for Colorado-based Furniture Row Racing in 2009, starting with the season-opening Daytona 500, the team announced Wednesday. Smith edged Sam Hornish Jr. for 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, but he gained more recognition for his controversial finish Oct. 5 in the AMP Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Smith crossed the finish line first, but NASCAR demoted him to 18th place for passing Tony Stewart on the final lap below the yellow "out-of-bounds" line that separates the racing surface from the apron. NASCAR declared Stewart the winner. Smith's best official finish last year was 14th at Martinsville in March and at Bristol in August. He competed in 34 of 36 races in the No. 01 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet, having surrendered his seat to road-course ace Ron Fellows at Infineon and Watkins Glen. Smith finished every race he started, the first time a Cup rookie has accomplished that feat. "I look forward to continuing my career in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy," Smith said. "Though it's a single-car team that battles heavy odds against the mega multicar operations, the organization has always been highly respected in the garage for its use of some of the best equipment as well as an undying commitment to growing a winning team. "That's all a driver can ask for, and I can't wait to get to Daytona and compete in another superspeedway race." Joe Nemechek competed in 32 races for Furniture Row in 2008 and was 37th in the final Cup standings. With the team paring down its schedule for 2009, Smith will compete in both Cup races at Daytona, Phoenix, Talladega and Dover; the road course races at Infineon and Watkins Glen; Las Vegas; and the second race at Richmond. --- Michael Waltrip Racing owner Michael Waltrip says the No. 00 Toyota team for driver David Reutimann will run the full Sprint Cup season this year despite not having full sponsorship. Waltrip said on a national conference call with reporters on Wednesday that Reutimann will be sponsored by Aaron's for "half a season" as the company steps up to the Cup series for the first time after many years as a Waltrip sponsor in what is now known as the Nationwide Series. Waltrip said the first race Reutimann would be without sponsorship would be the Feb. 22 event at Auto Club Speedway in California. "We will definitely run the full season with David driving the 00 car," Waltrip said. "We'll just look at it as part of the investment in the future of our team. David is obviously a fast racecar driver that can win races at the Cup level. We believe that. We think that the investment in the future we cannot afford to not run that car, so that's what we're going to do." The search for sponsorship for Reutimann continues, Waltrip said, and a potential backer would be getting a bargain. "We understand that at this late date it's really tough to pull together sponsorship because of the timing, but we certainly want people to know we're open and available for partners that might want to run not only a race or two at a specific track, but also a program for the whole season," Waltrip said. "We're very cognizant of it being a late date, and the price of the sponsorship would reflect that." Waltrip's car, the No. 55, again will be sponsored by NAPA. MWR is also in an alliance with JTG Daugherty Racing to field the No. 47 Toyota for Marcos Ambrose that is fully sponsored. MWR will field one full-time car in the Nationwide Series, with Waltrip and Red Bull Racing's Scott Speed splitting most of the driving duties. Waltrip will have sponsorship from Aaron's and Best Western, while Red Bull will back Speed. A driver and sponsor for some remaining Nationwide races will be determined.