 NAPA RACING PRESS BOX FEATURING CREW CHIEF PAUL ANDREWS
(Feb. 28, 2008) -- With two races under your belt as crew chief, how do you rate the progress of the NAPA Racing team?
“I think the progress is going well. At Daytona, we got in an accident at the end of the race. We struggled somewhat with our car but got it competitive at the end. In California, we struggled a bit at the start of the race. Michael recovered well after we spun to get a 28th-place finish. I like the direction that we are heading. We had a good test in Las Vegas. I hope we can wrap it up with a strong qualifying effort and a good race.”
What is your goal right now for the team?
“Our first goal is to get back into the top 35 in points after the first five races. So far, we are on track with that. Daytona was good. In California, we learned a lot. Right now, we just need to keep building and keep making progress.”
This season is your first opportunity to work with Toyota. Are you impressed with the manufacturer and what it has to offer?
“I am real happy with what I have seen with the progress they have made. It seems like we have a lot of speed in the cars. The engine performance is good. Toyota is providing us with a tremendous amount of support in everything we do, and that’s great to have. You see a lot of heart in the folks that work for Toyota. They want to see everyone do well. It’s not because it’s their job. They really do care about the teams. I’m impressed by that.”
What does it take to run well at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway?
“With the new cars, the better you make them drive through the corners, the better they are going to be overall. That’s what we will be focusing on. Mid-corner seems to be the biggest challenge. We need to make the car turn without being loose on entry.”
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
- NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will be attempting to qualify for his 692nd NASCAR Sprint Cup race when the third event of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, the Las Vegas 400, gets underway at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
- He will attempt to start in his 10th Las Vegas 400. His best start at the 1.5-mile track is 2nd (March 7, 1999) and best finish is 3rd (March 2, 2003).
- During his career at the 1.5-mile oval, Waltrip has earned 1 top-5 and 1 top-10 finish. His average start is 15th and average finish is 22nd.
- Waltrip has completed 2173 of 2287 laps (95%) at the track and has led a total of 18 laps in competition.
- Entering this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 29th in the driver and owner points standings. The NAPA AUTO PARTS team will need to qualify for the Las Vegas 400 on time since the No. 55 car was outside the top 35 in owner point standings in 2007. A total of 48 cars are entered in the Las Vegas race. Of the entrants, 13 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 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Statistics
YEAR START FINISH YEAR START FINISH
1998 36
14 2003 9 3
1999 2 22 2004 14 37
2000 7 33 2005 36 21
2001 4 13 2006 25 35
2002 5 22
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: Las Vegas 400
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Length: 1.5-Mile Oval
Distance: 267 laps/500 miles
Date: Sunday, March 2, 2008
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Radio: PRN
2007 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2007 Pole: Kasey Kahne
TELEVISION TIDBITS
Sprint Cup Qualifying
6:40 p.m. ET, Feb. 29
SPEED
Sprint Cup Practices
3 p.m. ET, Feb. 29
SPEED
1:30 p.m. ET, March 1
SPEED |
