Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip has joined new NASCAR team Swan Racing for the Sprint Cup season opener.
Swan revealed at the end of last year that it was starting up after buying the assets of Inception Racing. David Stremme will be the team's full-time driver this year, but he will step aside to allow Waltrip to race the car at Daytona next month.
Team owner Brandon Davis said: "Swan Racing is here to compete and build a championship contender. This one-race partnership with Michael puts a two-time winner behind the wheel and the No. 30 car in the mix at the Daytona 500."
Stremme said he was fully supportive of the team's decision to replace him for the first race of the Cup season.
"This is a great move for Swan Racing," he said. "Michael and I have been friends for a long time. We got to talking last year and from my perspective I thought this would help to further our relationship with Toyota and be a good building block for the team."
Waltrip will be reunited with his former Dale Earnhardt Inc. crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who has joined Swan for this season after working with Danica Patrick last year.