NAPA RACING PRESS BOX FEATURING MICHAEL WALTRIP
You have one more race to run with the 2007 owner points locking in the top 35. Are you looking forward to the current owner points standing coming into play after Bristol?
“Most definitely, if we can just have a normal performance at Bristol and qualify for the race, I mean, we have to do better than what we have been doing, but if we remain the same, we should be okay. It will allow us to breathe a little bit when we head to the racetrack on the weekends.”
It is no secret Fridays are stressful because you are so worried about getting into the races. Can you explain what it is really like being outside the top 35?
“In Atlanta, after practice was over, we were the second-fastest star car. I felt confident about what I had, but boy did I want it to rain because you never know what can happen. The fastest star car of the day was Johnny Benson. He ended up missing the race. That’s how much of a line you are teetering. You may be a little loose, but you are afraid to adjust it because when you go to qualify, if it pushes, you are in trouble. It’s very, very hard. It would be nice to qualify in a relaxed state of mind. I wonder what it would be like. I hear drivers say qualifying doesn’t matter. Man, it annoys me. I would like to explain to them what it’s really like to be in my shoes. Trust me, qualifying matters.”
How do you rate your team right now sitting 33rd in owner points?
“We are not where we need to be right now. Daytona we ran well. Our tests during the off season were very, very promising on the bigger tracks. For some reason, the last three races in a row, I have been so loose. All three of the Michael Waltrip Racing cars are basically the same. We finished from 20th to 30th in Atlanta. That has been pretty much our story. We have to get better. We would take a top 15 or top 20 and consider it a good day. We realize we are a new organization, but we certainly have to step up from where we are right now.”
Are you happy with the new car?
“We are still learning a lot about it. It is a race car. No matter what tires are on it, what engine is under the hood, we are still going to line up and race each other. It’s pretty simple. I think it is a matter of understanding that it is a different car. You have to open your mind about how you set it up. You have to be willing to open your mind to a wide range of possibilities in a set-up to get it going.”
Do you like the changes they made to Bristol last year?
“I really do. The Nationwide race last year produced a three wide finish to the checkered flag. It was a great race. This track will lend itself to great racing as we go forward. It is just a better place to race now. A driver has options. You can go high. You can go low. I think as we get adjusted to it, you are going to see more action that involves more than just the bump and run. I love the fact that you can race hard, and race clean there. Bristol is becoming one of my favorite tracks because of the new surface.”
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
- NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will be attempting to qualify for his 694th NASCAR Sprint Cup race when the fifth event of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, the Food City 500, gets underway at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.
- He will attempt to start in his 44th race at the .533-mile track. His best Bristol start is third, three times (August 26, 1995, August 24, 2002 and August 23, 2003) and best finish is fifth (April 5, 1994).
- During his career at BMS, Waltrip has earned one top-5 and eight top-10 finishes. His average start is 22nd and average finish is 19th.
- Waltrip has completed 18,684 of 21,342 laps (87.5%) at the track and has led a total of 64 laps in competition.
- Entering this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 33rd in the driver and owner points standings. The NAPA AUTO PARTS team will need to qualify for the Food City 500 on time since the No. 55 car was outside the top 35 in owner points standings in 2007. A total of 46 cars are entered in the Bristol race. Of the entrants, 11 are go-or-go-home teams. Waltrip will be competing for one of eight qualifying spots, one of which may be used as a past champion’s provisional by Kurt Busch, Dale Jarrett or Bill Elliott, if needed.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip Bristol Motor Speedway Statistics
YEAR START FINISH YEAR START FINISH
4/06/1986 |
24 |
32 |
4/13/1997 |
39 |
21 |
8/23/1986 |
22 |
13 |
8/23/1997 |
33 |
25 |
4/12/1987 |
23 |
13 |
3/29/1998 |
32 |
9 |
8/22/1987 |
12 |
14 |
8/22/1998 |
12 |
16 |
4/10/1988 |
22 |
12 |
4/11/1999 |
39 |
12 |
8/27/1988 |
32 |
31 |
8/28/1999 |
14 |
37 |
4/9/1989 |
7 |
11 |
3/26/2000 |
23 |
11 |
8/26/1989 |
11 |
32 |
8/26/2000 |
19 |
19 |
4/8/1990 |
20 |
20 |
3/25/2001 |
29 |
22 |
8/24/1990 |
27 |
9 |
8/25/2001 |
40 |
39 |
4/17/1991 |
25 |
23 |
3/24/2002 |
9 |
30 |
8/24/1991 |
31 |
25 |
8/24/2002 |
3 |
22 |
4/05/1992 |
10 |
17 |
3/23/2003 |
28 |
25 |
8/29/1992 |
22 |
14 |
8/23/2003 |
3 |
42 |
4/4/1993 |
15 |
14 |
3/28/2004 |
8 |
10 |
8/28/1993 |
24 |
10 |
8/28/2004 |
36 |
27 |
4/10/1994 |
23 |
5 |
4/3/2005 |
27 |
19 |
8/27/1994 |
28 |
7 |
8/27/2005 |
22 |
15 |
4/2/1995 |
33 |
22 |
3/26/2006 |
34 |
32 |
8/26/1995 |
3 |
15 |
8/26/2006 |
29 |
16 |
3/31/1996 |
25 |
10 |
8/25/2007 |
16 |
23 |
8/24/1996 |
6 |
6 |
|
|
|
2008 NO. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS PIT CREW
Front Tire Changer: Gus Hinton
Front Tire Carrier: Chris Hall
Jackman: Kevin Kreutzer
Rear Tire Carrier: John Gaynor
Rear Tire Changer: Colin Fambrough
Gas Man: Art Harris
Catch Can: Shawn Soules
EVENT FACTS
Race: 5 of 36
Food City 500
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
Length: .533-Mile Oval
Distance: 500 laps/266.5 miles
Date: Sunday, March 16
Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN
2007 Winner: Kyle Busch
2007 Pole: Jeff Gordon
TELEVISION TIDBITS
Sprint Cup Qualifying
Fri., March 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET
SPEED
Sprint Cup Practices
Fri., March 14 at 12 p.m. ET
SPEED
Sat., March 15 at 1 p.m. ET
SPEED |
