Crew Chiefs
Matt Borland : Biography
Matt Borland was born Sept. 2, 1971 in Haslett, Mich., and now resides in Cornelius, N.C. with his wife, Stacy and their daughter, Samantha.
Borland led Ryan Newman to 12 wins, 37 poles, 54 top-fives, 83 top-10s in 186
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starts. The 35-year-old joined Penske Racing South in
November 1999, originally as an engineer. In 2001, Borland was then instrumental
in his driver's success as he participated in a combination schedule in the ARCA,
NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Borland looked on as Newman
amassed eight poles, two wins, five top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes.
In Borland's first full-time season in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series as a crew
chief, he claimed one win, six pole awards, 14 top-five and 22 top-10s. Borland
also led Newman to victory in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, the Raybestos
Rookie of the Year title and a sixth-place finish in the championship standings.
After years of success with Penske Racing South, Borland makes the move to
Michael Waltrip Racing.
"I'm looking forward to making a new home at Michael Waltrip Racing and working
with Dale Jarrett," Borland said. "Dale is a champion and he has a ton of
respect in the garage. He's obviously proven himself as a driver. Also, Toyota
will be great to work with. I think Toyota is one of the most technologically
advanced manufacturers."
"There are a lot of smart, innovative individuals in the NASCAR Nextel Cup
Series and I am thrilled that Michael Waltrip Racing was able to secure one of
the best in Matt Borland," Jarrett said. "He's obviously had a lot of success in
the few years he's been in this position. I think Christmas came a little early
for Michael Waltrip Racing and myself. This announcement just adds to my
excitement about 2007. I think he'll truly be a valuable asset to this #44 UPS
Toyota team and will complement Michael Waltrip Racing as a whole."
"Dale expressed his ideal crew chief was someone like Matt Borland," Waltrip
added. "We're were actually able to deliver Matt Borland. Matt's spirit and
determination will permeate throughout our shop."