The 43 Days of Daytona - 25th Place in 2005
Over the 43 days leading up to the Daytona 500, I'll be doing a short review/preview of the Top 43 Drivers of 2005.
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Michael Waltrip
#55 - NAPA
He ran a full season in the #15-DEI-NAPA Chevy. He had 3 Top 5's, 7 Top 10's, and 1 pole. His average start was 26.6. His average finish was 23.4. He finished 25th and posted winnings of $4,251,099.
Those numbers look pretty good. But...but, they weren't good enough for The Powers That Be at Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated. DEI did not offer Michael a contract for next season. I don't understand that. Great spokesman. Good driver. Great with the sponsors. Time will tell if they made the right decision letting him go and filling his roster spot with Martin Truex Jr.
Bill Davis Racing recognized a good opportunity when it presented itself and signed him. And surprise, surprise, surprise, the majority of Waltrip's sponsors went with him to BDR. The way the deals worked out, effectively, Waltrip is driving for Michael Waltrip Racing and they are in partnership with both BDR and Bawell, who co-owned the #77-Jasper/Penske South car last year.
An announcement has come down that Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull will run Toyota Camrys in the 2007 season. This further positions Waltrip to move his Busch team to Toyotas and expand his role. With this announcement, you have to wonder how much factory support BDR and MWR are going to enjoy this season in the Dodge Chargers they will be running.
Next year when the jump to Toyota Camrys happens, Michael Waltrip Racing is supposed to field multiple cars including the #55-NAPA Camry. MWR has hired Larry Carter and Ty Norris away from DEI.
SIDEBAR: DEI is looking less and less like the company that Dale Earnhardt founded. I hope they don't screw it up by trying to make it into Dale Earnhardt Jr. Inc.
All these things are good for Michael and good for racing. There need to be more quality teams and more diverse ownership in this era of 3, 4, and 6 car owners fielding cars out of a single stable.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Yes. The NAPA sponsorship is another of those premier sponsorships, one of the most solid in NASCAR.
Do I think he could go win a championship? No.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? Yes. Waltrip is class. The money is there. If the engineering in BDR rises to the level that it did when Ward Burton was in the #22-Caterpillar car, they could absolutely win a race or two.
----------------
Michael Waltrip
#55 - NAPA
He ran a full season in the #15-DEI-NAPA Chevy. He had 3 Top 5's, 7 Top 10's, and 1 pole. His average start was 26.6. His average finish was 23.4. He finished 25th and posted winnings of $4,251,099.
Those numbers look pretty good. But...but, they weren't good enough for The Powers That Be at Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated. DEI did not offer Michael a contract for next season. I don't understand that. Great spokesman. Good driver. Great with the sponsors. Time will tell if they made the right decision letting him go and filling his roster spot with Martin Truex Jr.
Bill Davis Racing recognized a good opportunity when it presented itself and signed him. And surprise, surprise, surprise, the majority of Waltrip's sponsors went with him to BDR. The way the deals worked out, effectively, Waltrip is driving for Michael Waltrip Racing and they are in partnership with both BDR and Bawell, who co-owned the #77-Jasper/Penske South car last year.
An announcement has come down that Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull will run Toyota Camrys in the 2007 season. This further positions Waltrip to move his Busch team to Toyotas and expand his role. With this announcement, you have to wonder how much factory support BDR and MWR are going to enjoy this season in the Dodge Chargers they will be running.
Next year when the jump to Toyota Camrys happens, Michael Waltrip Racing is supposed to field multiple cars including the #55-NAPA Camry. MWR has hired Larry Carter and Ty Norris away from DEI.
SIDEBAR: DEI is looking less and less like the company that Dale Earnhardt founded. I hope they don't screw it up by trying to make it into Dale Earnhardt Jr. Inc.
All these things are good for Michael and good for racing. There need to be more quality teams and more diverse ownership in this era of 3, 4, and 6 car owners fielding cars out of a single stable.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Yes. The NAPA sponsorship is another of those premier sponsorships, one of the most solid in NASCAR.
Do I think he could go win a championship? No.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? Yes. Waltrip is class. The money is there. If the engineering in BDR rises to the level that it did when Ward Burton was in the #22-Caterpillar car, they could absolutely win a race or two.
posted by Mark "Puff" Anderson | 10:50 AM
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