(Daytona Beach, FL) – NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip showed he had a car that could go from the back to the front anytime he decided it was time to go. But after a series of late cautions and a penalty for speeding on pit road, time ran out on the Owensboro, Kent., native in the 48th annual Daytona 500. Waltrip crossed the finish line in the 18th position. It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but in the end it was a good start to 2006 for the new Waltrip-Jasper owned team.

The “Great American Race” got off to a booming start as Bon Jovi rocked the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway. While all the drivers were invited to watch from the front row, it was Waltrip, that lead singer Jon Bon Jovi singled out. With daughter Macy on his shoulders, Waltrip was told “good luck” by Bon Jovi as the band ended their three song set.

Clouds hung low over the speedway as the field took the green flag to start NASCAR’s most prestigious race.. The field separated into two distinct packs, with Waltrip leading the second group from his 30th starting position. It didn’t take long for the first yellow flag of the day. On lap 17, Martin Truex, Jr. smacked the outside wall coming off turn two bring out the caution. The NAPA team took the opportunity to pit for four tires and fuel as Waltrip said the car was handling very well.

On the restart, Waltrip developed a bad vibration which forced the No. 55 NAPA driver to fall back a little to feel out the problem. The shaking didn’t go away but it also never got any worse and soon Waltrip was working the draft once again. Contact between Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart brought out the second caution of the day on lap 46. Waltrip told crew chief Derrick Finley that the tires felt like they were bouncing almost as if he had an oblong wheel. The NAPA Dodge hit pit road under yellow and the NAPA crew changed all four tires while making an air pressure adjustment to both the left and right rear tires. Waltrip restarted the race in 26th position after the pit stop.

The middle stages of the event saw the NAPA car working its way through the pack. Waltrip used the top side of the track and soon had pushed his way into the top-10. On lap 106, Tony Stewart got into Matt Kenseth as the two raced down the Daytona Superstretch. Kenseth slid down into the grass and then up the banking bringing out the caution. NASCAR penalized Stewart for aggressive driving and when Kenseth ran into the side of Stewart’s car leaving pit road, he was forced to the back of the field as well.

With just 50 laps to go, it looked like Waltrip had put himself in the proper position for a shot at winning his third Daytona 500. A caution for debris on lap 154 brought the NAPA car to pit road for what the team had hoped would be their final four-tire stop of the day. It was a fantastic 14-second pit stop by the NAPA team and it gave Waltrip a chance to gain even more ground on pit road. But the opportunity was too tempting for Waltrip. As he tried to gain one last spot leaving pit road, the No. 55 driver was penalized by NASCAR for speeding on pit exit. The NAPA Dodge was forced to start at the end of the longest line, which in this case was the 33rd position.

Fog and mist now filled the nighttime skies in Daytona Beach. In the NAPA pit, it seemed like it was already raining as the dream of winning the Daytona 500 was virtually washed away. Waltrip, however, refused to give up behind the wheel. He used the top, the bottom and even the middle lanes of the track in order to pick up as many positions as he could. The NAPA machine was moving forward but another caution would hurt Waltrip’s progress.

On lap 186, Jamie McMurray and Kurt Busch got together and debris from Busch’s Ford littered the Superstretch. Waltrip missed the crash, but ran over some debris in the process. Knowing that a pit stop could end any hope for a top-10 finish, the team decided to look at the big picture and salvage the season. Waltrip hit pit lane to unsure he didn’t have a flat tire. The NAPA crew busted off another great stop and the No. 55 restarted in 27th.

The Daytona 500, like nearly every race at the year’s Speedweeks, would come down to a green-white-checkered finish. Jimmie Johnson led the pack to the green and never looked back. A late push by Casey Mears propelled Johnson to the win. It was his first Daytona 500 victory and his 19th NEXTEL Cup win since 2002 – the most of any current driver. Mears finished second, with Ryan Newman, third. Elliott Sadler and Tony Stewart rounded out the top-five. Waltrip crossed the finish line in 18th.

“It was an up and down day for the NAPA car,” said Waltrip. “We started in the back and then got up to the front, but wound up in the back. I messed up and got caught speeding on pit road, which I knew I did, but I thought I could just gas it up a little at the end to get another spot and I would be okay, but that didn’t work.

“Our goal is to finish in the top-20 every week until we get our legs about us. We qualified poorly down here but we were very competitive in all the races,” Waltrip said. “The pit crew did a great job and I’m real proud of our progress. It wasn’t the finish that we wanted, but I look forward to California next week and seeing if we can get after it again.”

Next week the NAPA team heads to California Speedway, just east of Los Angeles, Calif. The race can been seen on FOX and heard on MRN Radio and XM channel 144 at 3 p.m. ET. Check local listings for exact times for your area.