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Michael Waltrip putting organization's demands before racing career
By Jared Turner - SceneDaily Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Michael Waltrip (right) hands over control of the NAPA-sponsored Michael Waltrip Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup entry to Martin Truex Jr. during a news conference announcing the organization's 2010 plans.
Sam Cranston
NASCAR Scene
CORNELIUS, N.C. – Michael Waltrip says he is putting the interests of the Michael Waltrip Racing team he co-owns above his personal ambitions as a driver in making the decision to scale back to a partial schedule behind the wheel next season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
So for the 46-year-old Waltrip, who has been competing full time for the organization he founded in 2007, the move to step back and put newcomer Martin Truex Jr. in a full-time ride for 2010 wasn’t as difficult as some observers might expect.
“It was easy,” Waltrip said on Tuesday at the team’s headquarters, where it was announced that Truex will join David Reutimann as one of two full-time MWR drivers next season.
“I just decided I didn’t want to do it if I couldn’t be competitive, and I hadn’t been competitive, so it didn’t bother me any,” he said. “I wanted to be a car owner for 100 years, and this is a great move to help make our runway longer in order to have chances to be successful. Putting a guy like Martin in the NAPA [sponsored] car for the next few years, that’s a big deal for a young organization.”
While NAPA will move to Truex’s No. 56 team for the entire season, the longtime Waltrip backer has agreed to sponsor Waltrip – in his familiar No. 55 Toyota - in the season-opening Daytona 500. Waltrip still hopes to find sponsorship for the three remaining restrictor-plate races and possibly as many as 12 total.
He says there’s also a chance he could make a few starts for Prism Motorsports, which shares a technical alliance with MWR.
With the right sponsorship, Waltrip would consider driving in select events beyond 2010 as well.
“I’d like to think maybe I could run the Daytona 500 for the near foreseeable future anyway. I love that race, I love going to Florida,” said Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion. “I don’t think anybody’s any better than me down there, and I don’t see that changing overnight. So, yeah, I’d like to run a few races for the next few years if I could.”
But Truex, who is leaving Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to join MWR, can give the organization the results Waltrip believes he can’t.
In two full seasons with the group he now he now co-owns with Rob Kauffman, Waltrip has finished 44th and 29th, respectively, in the standings.
He is 34th in points this year – considerably lower than teammate David Reutimann and Marcos Ambrose, whose cars are fielded by MWR through an alliance with JTG Daugherty Racing.
Even as the organization as a whole has improved dramatically this season - Reutimann gave MWR its first Cup win in this year’s rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 – Waltrip has struggled.
“My brain can’t get its arms around not being competitive,” said the driver who has a total of four Cup wins since joining the series full time in 1986. “I went a long time without winning races, but I was always competitive, and I felt like I was in contention for wins. The chances to win and the ability to put myself in a position to win on a regular basis hasn’t been there for a while, and I just can’t handle it.
“I can’t handle getting beat, and I can’t handle not being competitive. There’s probably a thousand different factors that could play into that, but I don’t like it.”
By deciding to cut back next season, Waltrip noted Wednesday that he is just making good on a promise during 2009 Speedweeks at Daytona that he would consider retiring or semi-retiring if he didn’t run as well as the other team cars.
“I’m turning my car over to a guy that I think can go win the championship in it,” he said. “I’ve always said – I’ve been racing these cars for a long time, as we all well know – that if I thought I wasn’t the best man for the job, I wouldn’t have had a ride this long. If I wasn’t the best guy that could go racing on Sunday, [I’ve said] someone else would take my place. I just believe at this time in my career that Martin is the right guy to take over my car and go win races in it.”
Waltrip’s older brother, three-time Cup champion and Fox NASCAR analyst Darrell Waltrip, supports his younger sibling’s decision.
“He’s been sad because he hadn’t been able to do better than he’s done,” the elder Waltrip said. “He put all he had into this operation hoping that it would take him to another level, and in fact I think the running of the team and all the things that go into it has actually helped those other guys, but it has hurt him.
“The only thing I ever told him [was] I said, ‘Buddy, you’re going to find out real quick and this is what’s going to hurt you the most: Your name’s going to be on the front of the check and not the back, and that’s what’s going to hurt.’”
Mentioned Drivers: Michael Waltrip
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6248 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -184 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -192 |
| 4 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -239 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -279 |
| 6 | Kurt Busch | -312 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -340 |
| 8 | Ryan Newman | -402 |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | -414 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | -437 |
| 11 | Denny Hamlin | -448 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -556 |
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Comments
13 responses to "Michael Waltrip putting organization's demands before racing career". Post a Comment.
waterwalker26 said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 3:25 PMNow if they would just switch to chevrolet I could really get behind MWR! I closet love Reutiman and think Truex is a very talented driver. Remember he was beating cup drivers to win two NNMS championships in a row. Hard to do! I love this for Nascar and MWR! Way to go Mikey! Way to go Martin! Success will be there for you both!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportncjay08 said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 4:17 PMMaybe we'll get to see Truex run better. Waltrip Racing is performing well with Reutimann, so with Martin Helping out, hopefully things can only improve. Don't blame Martin one bit for leaving. The DEI/Ganassi situation appears to have only improved Montoya's team, and not much else.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbthompson133 said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 4:28 PMbout time
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» Confirm Abuse Reportrspweaver55 said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 4:39 PMI understand that Michael Waltrip made this decision to help his organization in the future. I will always be a Waltrip fan. I will miss Mikey at the tracks when he is not racing. But all his true fans still love him. Welcome to Martin Truex Jr. and good luck in the future.
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» Confirm Abuse Reporthorsekrazytoo said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 5:19 PMIts time for mikey to get out of the car. He can't win a race and hasn't won since the Daytona. Maybe if he had a Chevy instead of the junk car he could win.. As far as Martin I was really hoping that he was going to Stewart-Hass. They do have the better car and look Tony has won 2 races since he's been the owner and how many has Mikey won 0 and how did his cars win? A rain shorten race(on that one he was just plain lucky)
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» Confirm Abuse Reportaaamt2003 said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 5:25 PMIt ain't the Toyota!! JGR is winning or at least placing in the top 5 or 10 each week. It's the driver, he just doesn't have his head in the game.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSBeau said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 5:30 PMGiving up the 55 doesn't mean he has to quit racing. He can always ride full time in the trucks or nationwide series. Unfortunately more free time gives Mikey more free time for Tv. Which means coverage of the the sport across the board may become intolerable.....he can show up on FOX (which given its ties to Speed is very likely) and the possibility of him ABC/ESPN and TNT.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 5:41 PMhim being more on tv isn't all that great...i want some fair reporting and he would give us his biased opinion like DW...
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» Confirm Abuse Reportiusewd40 said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 5:51 PMI use the MUTE when DW is Flapping his Jaws---I guess I will just have to use it more often.
Report as AbuseI must say that we will have fewer Wrecks with Mikey out of the game.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportdale said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 5:54 PMDon't forget how well Ambrose is doing in an MWR prepared car.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportHammer said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 6:33 PMWOW! 4 wins in 23 years! Good record Michael. If I remember correctly one of your Daytona wins was with Junior pushing you; and the other was because of rain.
Report as AbuseYou and your brother are absolute clowns in my opinion; and both of you have needed to be gone long before now!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbobgregory said:
Jul 7, 2009 at 8:04 PMhammer your a sad and lonley clown with no life sounds like your a little bit jealous so grow up BOZO
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» Confirm Abuse Reportoallison1107 said:
Jul 8, 2009 at 7:48 AMOh, would you people leave the Waltrips alone they are far superior to that blabber mouth of D. J I just mute him as he sounds like Howard Cosell .
Report as AbuseGive me the Waltrips anytime.
Been watching Nascar for 25 years or more.
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