NAPA RACING PRESS BOX FEATURING MICHAEL WALTRIP
NAPA has been a great sponsor to you. You are doing something special for them this weekend.
“We are taking Michael McDowell to Infineon Raceway in a NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry. It is a chance to say thanks to NAPA. They are wonderful supporters of mine so I would like to say thanks for everything they have done for me.
“McDowell is going to California to showcase his specialty. His experience is in road racing. He is very talented and was very impressive at the Virginia International Raceway test we did two weeks ago. As for me, I had a top-five finish at Infineon in 2004 and I have always run well there so I am really looking forward to having two NAPA cars on track and in the race. NAPA will have twice the chance of getting great exposure.”
What makes Infineon a unique track?
“It’s a road course that is like a short track. I like to look at Watkins Glen as a superspeedway road course. The Glen has lots of grip and high speed turns. At Infineon, you have a little bit of everything. You’ve got esses where you are hanging the rear end of the car out. You have braking zones as they come down Turn 10 where you just have to stop the car, and get in the lowest gear you find and then head in the other direction. A guy that can truly drive a road race has a bigger advantage at Infineon Raceway than he would at Watkins Glen. A lot of people can clunker around Watkins Glen, but that’s not the case at Infineon.”
What does it take to run well?
“I am pretty proud of the fact that I finished fourth in 2004 in my NAPA car. I was chasing down Scott Pruett, and running ahead of Jimmie Johnson. I was right there in the mix to win the race late in the going. My focus was to just stay on the road. Unfortunately, that’s not good enough any more. You have to stay on the road and go fast.
“A big key to running well at Infineon is taking care of your transmission and engine. It’s all about being around for the entire race on Sunday afternoon. I think that gets overlooked a lot of times. Juan Pablo Montoya drove to victory lane last year. He had a tremendous amount of management to do over the course of the race. Doing well is about speed, but it is also about taking care of your equipment.”
Where is a good place to pass at Infineon?
“It’s the final turn. It’s fast and it is out of control fast. You have your foot wide open on the floor boards and you are genuinely not sure of the amount of control you have. You are taking a left hand corner while you are focused on the right turn that you have to take up just ahead. That is one of the most difficult parts of the track. It is also a place where you can make good time if you set up your timing to do that properly.”
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
- NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will qualify for his 705th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 16th event of the 2008 season, the Toyota/Save Mart 350, is held at Infineon Raceway on Sunday.
- Waltrip will start in his 19th Cup race at the 1.99-mile road course. His best start is sixth (May 4, 1997). His best finish is fourth (June 27, 2004) in the NAPA machine. In total, he has one top-five and seven top-10 finishes at Infineon Raceway.
- Waltrip has completed 1,658 of 1,664 laps (99.6%) at the track and has led a total of seven laps in competition. His average start is 20th and average finish is 16th.
- Entering this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 34th in the driver and owner standings. The NAPA team is guaranteed a starting spot in the Toyota/Save Mart 350. A total of 47 teams are entered at Infineon. Of the entrants, 12 are go-or-go-home teams. Driver Terry Labonte, who drove the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Camry last year at this race, is eligible for the past champion’s provisional, if needed.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip Infineon Raceway Statistics
DATE START FINISH DATE START FINISH
6/11/1989 |
28 |
10 |
6/27/1999 |
11 |
10 |
6/7/1990 |
20 |
9 |
6/25/2000 |
28 |
12 |
6/9/1991 |
8 |
10 |
6/24/2001 |
19 |
20 |
6/7/1992 |
26 |
20 |
6/23/2002 |
20 |
22 |
5/16/1993 |
16 |
23 |
6/22/2003 |
20 |
13 |
5/15/1994 |
9 |
16 |
6/27/2004 |
40 |
4 |
5/7/1995 |
13 |
10 |
6/26/2005 |
34 |
22 |
5/5/1996 |
16 |
22 |
6/25/2006 |
35 |
23 |
5/4/1997 |
6 |
7 |
|
|
|
6/28/1998 |
11 |
34 |
|
|
|
2008 NAPA AUTO PARTS PIT CREW
Front Tire Changer: Shannon Myers
Front Tire Carrier: Chris Hall
Jackman: Scott King
Rear Tire Carrier: Dwayne Moore
Rear Tire Changer: Andy Thurman
Gas Man: Art Harris
Catch Can: Shawn Soules
EVENT FACTS
Toyota/Save Mart 350
Event: 16 of 36
Track:Infineon Raceway
Length: 1.99-mile road course
Distance: 110 laps/218.9 miles
Date: Sunday, June 22
TV Coverage: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV:TNT
Radio: PRN
2007 Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya
2007 Pole: Jamie McMurray
Television Tidbits
Practice
Fri., June 20 at 3:30 p.m. ET
SPEED
Sat., June 21 at 12:30 p.m. &
1:30 p.m.
SPEED
Sprint Cup Qualifying
Fri., June 20 at 7 p.m. ET
SPEED
This Week in NASCAR
Mon., June 23 at 8 p.m. ET
SPEED
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