// TEAM 56 CREW CHIEF : PAT TRYSON //

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With the exception of the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) championship crew chief, no other crew chief on the circuit has made the Chase more times than NAPA Racing's Pat Tryson. Tryson guides the organization's new driver of the No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Martin Truex Jr. and with one goal in mind – to win.

"Pat is a passionate competitor, a winner and a championship contender," said Michael Waltrip, co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing. "Those were the traits we were looking for in a crew chief that would help Martin deliver on the track for NAPA for years to come. We couldn't be more proud to have a person of Pat's caliber contribute to our organization."

Tryson becomes a member of the NAPA Racing team after a successful run with Kurt Busch, where he guided the former NSCS champion to two Chase appearances, five victories and 42 top-10 finishes since 2007 with Penske Racing. A native of Malvern, Pa., Tryson got his start in NASCAR working for Kenny Bernstein's NSCS operation.

In 1997, he launched his crew chief career by calling the shots for driver Geoff Bodine. Two seasons later, he joined Roush-Fenway Racing and worked with drivers Kevin Lepage and Johnny Benson. With Lepage at the wheel, Tryson helped steer him to one pole, two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

In 2000, Wood Brothers Racing hired Tryson and for nearly three seasons, he worked with drivers Elliott Sadler and Ricky Rudd. The crew chief guided Sadler to his first NSCS win at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2001.

Roush-Fenway Racing came calling midway through the 2003 season. This time, Tryson teamed up with driver Mark Martin to help the veteran make NASCAR's new playoff system -- The Chase. They repeated with berths in 2005 and 2006. Tryson is only one of three crew chiefs (Robbie Reiser and Chad Knaus) who qualified for The Chase during its first three years.

"Michael Waltrip Racing really came onto the scene in 2009 and the progress they have made over a very short time is impressive," Tryson said. "I believe that I can contribute. MWR is doing everything they can to get the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota back into victory lane and that's what my focus is. Martin is a talented driver and we'll be doing everything we can to make that happen."