Michael Waltrip Racing cutting to 2 full teams

Michael Waltrip Racing will run only two full-time cars next season because of the loss of sponsor NAPA, part of the fallout from its attempts to manipulate a race to get Martin Truex Jr. into the Chase.

Truex, crew chief Chad Johnston and 15 percent of the workforce were notified Monday they are free to negotiate with other teams.

The car Truex drives will be repurposed into a research and development team next season. It will run a partial schedule beginning with the Daytona 500 with team co-owner Michael Waltrip behind the wheel. It does not appear the team will use Truex's No. 56 on the car next season.

"Today was about doing what we had to do not what we wanted to do," team co-owner Rob Kauffman said. "It was important to let those whose jobs were affected know as early as possible, and a majority of those will remain with MWR through the end of the season."

Truex has been talking to Furniture Row Racing about the seat being vacated by Kurt Busch.

The meetings with Kauffman and Waltrip and their employees Monday were interrupted when driver Brian Vickers informed the owners that a blood clot had been found in his right calf. He was placed on blood-thinning medication that will prevent him from finishing the season in the No. 55 Toyota.

The team had previously planned to use co-owner Waltrip in this week's race at Talladega, and said it will decide later on its driver for the remaining four races.