WISE TO MAKE NASCAR BUSCH SERIES DEBUT

Michael Waltrip Racing in association with Fitz Motorsports announced today that the 2006 USAC National Sprint Car Champion, Josh Wise will make his NASCAR Busch Series debut behind the wheel of No. 22 Family Dollar entry fielded by Fitz Motorsports this weekend at O'Reilly Raceway Park (ORP).

“Michael Waltrip Racing helped facilitate this deal for me and it is a chance of lifetime,” said Wise. “This year, I have been in all sorts of racing from racing midgets on dirt tracks to the high banks of Daytona in an ARCA car. Now, I am ready to take on the challenge of the NASCAR Busch Series.”

This may be Wise's first time in a NASCAR Busch Series entry, but the California native has competed in numerous events at the .686-mile oval.

“I have raced Sprints, Midgets and Silver Crown at ORP, but I know that stock car racing is a whole other animal,” said Wise, whose best finish at ORP is second in the 2005 USAC Silver Crown event. “Racing in NASCAR, everything is completely different, but I really like challenging myself with new things. I look at this as a chance to race against some of NASCAR's best and learn more about stock car racing.”