Michael Waltrip Racing has named Rodney Childers the new crew chief of the No. 00 Toyota Camry in 2009. Ryan Pemberton’s departure earlier this week opened the door for Childers at MWR.

Childers held positions with Scott Riggs through the 2005-2007 seasons, and most recently at Gillett Evernham Motorsports in 2008 with Elliott Sadler.

"This is a great opportunity," said Childers. "When I heard the position was available, I looked into it because I really liked the idea of working with David. We have the same type of personality and as I see the progress MWR has made, I see it as a place where I could have a long future. Their relationship with Toyota also attracted me because it is easy to see their commitment to NASCAR."

"David really burst onto the scene this past year and has proven that he can do this," Childers added. "He is comfortable and feels like he's as good as anyone on the track and that's really important."

Experiencing a great amount of success at the end of the 2008 season, Reutimann is happy to have Childers a part of the No. 00 MWR team.

"I am looking forward to picking up with Rodney where Ryan (Pemberton) and I left off," Reutimann said. "The team built a lot of momentum during the latter part of the season. We've just got to build upon that. I feel like we have improved a great deal. If we can continue to position ourselves in the top-10, the top-fives will come and ultimately our first win."