DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- David Reutimann is extremely enthusiastic as he looks ahead to his 2008 NASCAR program, which for the second consecutive season includes full schedules in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series.

At the end of 2007, some people questioned what Michael Waltrip Racing's program for its No. 99 Toyota would be in the first year of Nationwide's sponsorship, but Reutimann wasn't among them.

Rumors had a couple of MWR's development drivers, Michael McDowell and Josh Wise, taking some races in the 99 along with Reutimann.

"There was talk about all of that at one time, but I wanted to run for the championship, and we weren't going to be able to do that splitting stuff up," Reutimann said. "I was adamant about running the car, I stuck to my guns and ultimately Michael [Waltrip] said, 'If that's what you really want to do, let's go ahead and do it.'

"Aaron's was on board for it, so it's the same thing we had last year."

A year ago in their first year together, Reutimann and crew chief Jerry Baxter finished second in the championship to Carl Edwards and won Reutimann's first Busch race, in October at Memphis.

The first third of Reutimann's 2008 Cup season will be marked by building a relationship with new crew chief Ryan Pemberton and adjusting to racing his familiar No. 00 Camry for the first five races before moving over to the No. 44 Toyota being vacated after Bristol by the retiring Dale Jarrett.

But Reutimann's looking forward to continuing to strengthen his relationship with Baxter, based on the consistency they established last season.

"I definitely think we'll get better," Reutimann said. "I was very happy with the way the last half of our season went. I think Jerry and I started communicating better -- and realistically that was my first full year in the Busch Series and Jerry's first full year working with the same driver.

"I really feel like we may be under the radar, but we're definitely a team that's capable of getting it done, I think."

Reutimann got very comfortable working with Baxter last season. "I liked Jerry's demeanor and the way he goes about doing things," Reutimann said. "He's one of the most laid-back guys I've ever been around, but when he's focusing on pit strategy or making his car better, the guy is on top of it and he's really aggressive.

"So to have such a laid-back guy and to watch him be as aggressive as he is on his program and to want to get that much better becomes exciting because I like people that are laid back. I'm not into the yelling -- I want a guy on the radio that keeps you calm.

"We talk about things on the radio, I tell him what's wrong with the car and generally he comes in and makes it better for me -- and that's all you can ask for." (Continued)