▁Dan ▁Wh eld on . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁season , ▁however , ▁P PI ▁shut ▁down ▁its ▁open - w heel ▁and ▁off - road ▁programs , ▁ended ▁its ▁relationship ▁with ▁Toy ota , ▁and ▁shift ed ▁its ▁focus ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁NAS C AR . ▁ ▁P PI ▁also ▁competed ▁in ▁Toy ota ▁Atlantic ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 8 - 2 0 0 0 , ▁winning ▁races ▁with ▁Anthony ▁L azz aro , ▁Andrew ▁B ordin , ▁and ▁Dan ▁Wh eld on . ▁L azz aro ▁won ▁the ▁championship ▁for ▁the ▁team ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁NAS C AR ▁years ▁ ▁P PI ▁Mot ors ports ▁started ▁its ▁first ▁Cup ▁team ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁season ▁with ▁open - w heel ▁and ▁Trans ▁Am ▁stand out ▁Scott ▁P ru ett ▁behind ▁the ▁wheel ▁of ▁the ▁No . 3 2 ▁T ide - sp ons ored ▁Ford . ▁ ▁The ▁team ▁was ▁hardly ▁a ▁success ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁year , ▁finishing ▁in ▁ 3 7 th ▁place ▁and ▁failing ▁to ▁qual ify ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁races . ▁P ru ett ▁was ▁released ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁season ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Trans - Am . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁team ▁foc using ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁NAS C AR ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁P PI ▁field ed ▁a ▁two - car ▁W inst on ▁Cup ▁effort , ▁with ▁R icky ▁Cra ven ▁taking ▁over ▁in ▁the ▁" T