Huntersville, NC - Sports perpetuate rivalries. It’s the competitive nature of an athlete to find a point of reference to which his skill can be compared. NASCAR, more so than most professional sports, nurtures such competition in the form of paternal or sibling rivalries.

Volumes can and have been written on the track battles between fathers and sons, but the competition between brothers strikes a different cord with fans. These are battles far from the playground sandbox; fights a mother’s watchful eye cannot prevent. Fans know that when two brothers meet at speeds over 180 mph the results can be nothing short of thrilling.

Entering the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series in the shadow of older brother and champion Darrell Waltrip, Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 55 NAPA Dodge, set out to carve his own niche among the NASCAR faithful. This successful journey began May 26, 1985 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where Michael made his first career start in the Cup Series. Darrell Waltrip won a record six times at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and did so on that day en route to the 1985 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Championship. Michael Waltrip did not finish the race and earned a 28th finish.

Twenty-one years later, Michael Waltrip will drive the No. 55 NAPA Dodge in his 42nd start at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where he has earned four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. His best finish in the Coca-Cola 600 occurred in 2004 when he finished second to Jimmie Johnson.

Although the Waltrip’s no longer rub sheet metal on a weekly basis, the rivalry lives on, only the battleground has changed. Instead of fighting for track position, the Waltrip brothers compete for broadcast ratings as hosts of popular television programs. Michael Waltrip is the co-host of Inside NEXTEL Cup on SPEED Channel while brother Darrel is a commentator for NASCAR on Fox. 

NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip on the Coca-Cola 600...

What does it take to be successful in the Coca-Cola 600?

“I ran second in the Coca-Cola 600 two years ago and I ran third in the 600 in 1990 right on Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace’s bumper, so I understand what it takes to be successful in the 600. We had hoped to get a car running well enough in the All-Star race so that when we returned for the 600 it made us better.”

What are your expectations for the Coca-Cola 600?

“Charlotte is a place I always enjoy racing. It’s close to home. All the guys that work so hard on the cars in the shop and don’t travel get to come over to the track and see that hard work in action. We ran second in the 600 in 2004. We won the All-Star race several years back and I have won the Busch race there a couple of times, so this has been a good track for me. Anytime you go somewhere where and run well you are optimistic about your chances.”