The folks at Michael Waltrip Racing have finally figured out how to make fans identify Michael Waltrip more with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  Following the age-old adage, if you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em, Mikey has invited every other driver in the Sprint Cup to join his race team.  After extending all of those invitations, however, he is bringing only Martin Truex, Jr. into the MWR fold.

The thinking here is apparent: If Martin Truex, Jr. was good enough to race in tandem with Dale Junior, he is surely fit to race beside Michael Watrip (and maybe even in front of him).  And just in case no one knows the pecking order at MRW, they gave Truex the 56 car, which interestingly enough comes numerically after the 55 Waltrip sends careening through NASCAR infields all over the nation.

What can Martin expect?  Well, a race car full of jet fuel will be waiting for him at Daytona, for starters.  Truex can plan to lose his drafting buddy Michael somewhere around Lap 3 at that race, and every successive track on the circuit.

Aaron’s is excited to rent Martin Truex a shop-strength vacuum cleaner to suck up the parts of his MWR that fall off his car during practice.  Unfortunately for Truex, he will continue to drive for a race team on which he is the least attractive driver.

And, in other news, David Reutimann has never driven faster than in his race for the exit at Michael Waltrip Racing.