 BRISTOL, Tenn. –Michael Waltrip and the NAPA Racing team scored their best result of the season with a 23rd-place finish during Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It also guaranteed Waltrip a starting spot in the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 30th now that NASCAR’s top 35 in owner points is set by the current standings. The No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry ranks 30th in the owner points standings.
“We started out with a really good car,” said Waltrip, who lined up 40th for the Food City 500 after NASCAR set the field by the rulebook after rain cancelled qualifying. “It was great to run in the top 10 for the first half of the race. Unfortunately we had some problems in the pits that set us back. We had a loose wheel during two of our runs. It’s a shame. The guys worked hard to solve the problem, and we were able to make it to the end for a decent finish.
“Good news is we can breathe a little easier on Friday at Martinsville. It will feel so good to go there and know I will race. I am so proud of my team for getting us locked in. It’s been a long time for me to have that luxury. All three of my teams are now guaranteed a starting spot at Martinsville. I am so proud of everyone. It is a huge accomplishment for the entire staff at Michael Waltrip Racing.”
The opening laps of the Food City 500 showed Waltrip making an impressive run towards the front. A major improvement in track position happened when crew chief Paul Andrews chose not to pit during the event’s third caution of the afternoon. When the race resumed on lap 100, Waltrip was the leader. The top spot allowed Waltrip to gain five valuable bonus points.
The NAPA Toyota Camry had no problems keeping pace with the drivers who took on four fresh tires. By the time the caution was thrown on lap 120 for a single-car incident, Waltrip was running comfortably in 10th place. This time Andrews called his driver in for service. The pit crew changed four tires and added fuel. The race restarted on lap 125 with Waltrip in 15th place. Tony Stewart was the leader.
At the lap 150 mark, the first indication of a loose wheel developed. Waltrip called over the radio to report a very bad vibration. The driver persevered until the caution was thrown on lap 190 for a multi-car crash involving drivers Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray, Ken Schrader and Dario Franchitti. The NAPA pit crew evaluated the tires and found the right front wheel to be the issue. The race restarted on lap 197 with Waltrip in 15th place while Stewart remained in the top spot.
Another vibration started on lap 219. Fortunately for Waltrip, a caution occurred on lap 278. The crew fixed the problem on laps 282 and 283. The NAPA Toyota returned to action on lap 287 in 22nd place. Kyle Busch was the new leader, but found himself in trouble on lap 291 when he had a steering issue.
The remainder of the race saw Waltrip battling a tight-handling car. Air pressure adjustments were the main course of action during the team’s final stops on laps 378 and 491. The NAPA Camry went door-to-door with several cars for position to finish the 506-lap event in 23rd.
The winner of the Food City 500 was Jeff Burton. Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola, David Gilliland and Matt Kenseth.
Waltrip’s teammates David Reutimann and Dale Jarrett finished 20th and 37th, respectively. This race marked Jarrett’s final Sprint Cup points race of his career. He will return for the Sprint All-Star race in May for one final turn at the wheel.
Next up for the Sprint Cup teams is the sixth event of the season, the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway on March 30. The race broadcast will start at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX and MRN radio.
Food City 500 Unofficial Race Results:
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/5/data/results_unofficial.html
Food City 500 Lap-By-Lap:
http://www.nascar.com/2008/races/lapbylap/03/15/lap.by.lap.bristol/index.html
NASCAR Sprint Cup Driver Standings (Waltrip – 30th):
http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/data/standings_unofficial.html
|
