Wells maintains profile while helping others (cont'd)

Enter Wells, who had the 37th-place owner points earned by his No. 32 team last season, but which was left without sponsorship for 2007.

"The points help," Wells said. "If it rains next week [at California Speedway] the points will help [in the determination of a rainout lineup]."

But a team's position in the owner points means even more in NASCAR in 2007, and Wells is aware of that.

"This might sound kind of ridiculous, but to be honest, if your truck is in [the Nextel Cup garage] and it's 37th versus 60th -- just getting through tech [is easier]," Wells said. "Here, they're set up to take that many cars, but next week in California they're going to miss practice unless they're up there [in points]."

Everything from a team's position in the inspection line to its place in the starting lineup in case qualifying is canceled is staggered to favor teams higher in the owner standings.

"So there was a lot of strategic intrinsic value to what I, unfortunately, was unable to capitalize on for myself," Wells said. "But I was able to help out and help Mike with his and Toyota's effort. It's all worked out and I think it's a win-win for everybody."

Wells said he had a history with not only Michael himself but also MWR's general manager, Ty Norris.

"I've got a strong relationship with Ty Norris, and with Michael, for that matter," Wells said. "I've done some business with Michael in the past, when we needed some help at a race we didn't qualify for, and it worked well.

"What Mike's bit off this year is big, with three teams and going [from the] ground-up operations. They needed some people and they needed some help in other areas that we were able to bring to the party -- assets we had that I couldn't utilize because my sponsor breached.

"So it was good timing on both parts, to be able to help out and to be a part of what he's doing."

The ownership of the No. 00 will more than likely revert to one of Waltrip's own management teams after the season's fifth race, when 2007 owner points are used to determine everything that points determine.

"I don't have an active role at all, but it put a lot of good people to work -- and they needed the people," Wells said. "And it put a lot of good team members to work that operate as a team, and I think that will show benefits over time."

And in the meantime, Wells says he'll maintain a position in the Nextel Cup garage as he tries to fully revive his racing operation, which won two Cup races with driver Ricky Craven between 2001 and 2006.

Wells' most high-profile employee, crew chief Gary Putnam, is working as Martin Truex Jr.'s car chief on the No. 1 Chevrolet in the Cup Series, Wells said.

"He and [Kevin] Manion [Truex's crew chief] were roommates at one time," Wells said. "[Gary's] doing a great job over there for them already. He's a great contributor."

At the end of last season, Wells went to court over the soured sponsorship deal.

"It's an ongoing process and it's one of those deals," Wells said. "Unfortunately we had to involve the courts, and we were successful, but now it's a matter of collection. It's another piece of the puzzle, we'll just keep working on it and hopefully we'll have it put together here, sometime soon."