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August 28, 2007
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Earlier this season, Michael Waltrip experienced a heartbreaker at California Speedway when despite turning in the 34th-quickest lap in qualifying for the Auto Club 500, he missed making the race by just .033 of a second. This time around, the driver of the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry is expecting better results, as his team’s qualifying performance has stepped up dramatically since the start of 2007. Waltrip credits the improvement to a variety of elements, including some help from his older brother Darrell.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip:
Talk about the track at Fontana. Is it similar to Michigan?
“Michigan reminds me of a superspeedway. It has long, sweeping turns. From the first time I drove at California, it felt like a big, short track. You fly down into the corner and then dive for the bottom. You can run high, but it just seems as if the turns are not banked as much as Michigan or as sweeping. You get more of a short-track feel to it. It kind of reminds me of Vegas from that standpoint.”
Are you happy with Michael Waltrip Racing’s performance at Bristol?
“Dale Jarrett finished 23rd on Friday night and 34th on Saturday night. David (Reutimann) finished third on Friday, so I really do think strides were made. Any time MWR can get two Cup cars in the race that means we are learning. We weren’t able to learn a whole lot at the start of the season because our qualifying efforts were so sporadic. Now, that’s not the case. We are showing some consistency, so I am hoping our race results will start to improve.
“I felt bad for David in Cup qualifying. He had to go out third. The first 20 cars were really loose. They were spinning their tires, and because of my qualifying draw (39th), Bobby Kennedy and I were able to put our heads together and adjust on the NAPA Camry. David didn’t have that luxury. He was the third guy out, and it was pretty much over for him before he really knew what happened. He looked really solid in practice, but it just didn’t go the right way for him. I am a real David Reutimann fan. He missed the Cup race, but then regrouped to almost win the Busch race in the same day.”
Your brother Darrell has been helping you test your cars. Why are you doing that?
“He gives great feedback, and I like to think I am keeping him young. I love the fact that putting him in a race car keeps him young, fresh and even helps him up there in the T.V. booth. We tested at Winchester (Ind.) for Bristol, and before I even took the checkered flag in qualifying, I had a message waiting for me on my cell phone from Darrell. He was pretty impressed with our lap (16th quickest) and was pretty proud that he helped contribute in some way that led to our result. I’m just glad that Darrell can be a part of this.”
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will attempt to qualify for his 683rd NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race when the 25th event of the 2007 season, the Sharp AQUOS 500, is held at California Speedway.
He will attempt to start in his 14th event at California Speedway. His best start at the track is 6th (April 28, 2002) and best finish is 7th (April 27, 2003).
Earlier this season, Waltrip and the NAPA Racing team turned in the 34th-fastest time (39.500 seconds/ 182.278 mph) in qualifying for the Auto Club 500. Unfortunately, Waltrip fell short of making the starting field by a mere .033 of a second.
During his career at the 2-mile oval, Waltrip has earned 2 top-10 finishes. His average start and finish at the track is 24th.
Waltrip has completed 3093 of 3255 laps (94.5%) at the track and has led a total of 15 laps in competition.
Entering this week’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event, Waltrip is 51st in the driver standings and 46th in owner standings. The NAPA AUTO PARTS team will need to qualify for the Sharp AQUOS 500 on time since the No. 55 car is outside the top 35 in owner point standings. A total of 48 cars are entered in the Bristol race. Of the entrants, 13 are go-or-go-home teams. Waltrip will be competing for one of eight qualifying spots.
Waltrip is a two-time Daytona 500 champion. He was victorious in 2001 and 2003.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip California Speedway Statistics
| DATE |
START |
FINISH |
DATE |
START |
FINISH |
 |
| 1997 |
18 |
11 |
2004 |
17 |
32 |
|
| 1998 |
37 |
20 |
2004 |
23 |
21 |
|
| 1999 |
15 |
23 |
2005 |
30 |
38 |
|
| 2000 |
21 |
30 |
2005 |
19 |
13 |
|
| 2001 |
29 |
43 |
2006 |
33 |
36 |
|
| 2002 |
6 |
10 |
2006 |
37 |
31 |
|
| 2003 |
27 |
7 |
|
|
|
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Sharp AQUOS 500 Broadcast Coverage
Live coverage of the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway begins Sunday, Sept. 2 at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN. If you can’t catch the race on TV, it can be heard on your local MRN Radio affiliate starting at the same time. Remember to check your local listings as dates and times of the race may change.
NAPA Camry Goes ARCA RE/MAX Racing
Josh Wise will be piloting the No. 22 Eddie Sharp Racing NAPA AUTO PARTS entry on Friday, August 31 at 9pm. The race will be televised LIVE on SPEED from Gateway International Raceway. Plus, the ARCA RE/MAX Series will race on Monday, September 3 at DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. This event will not be televised, but Wise will once again drive the NAPA AUTO PARTS Eddie Sharp Racing entry.
Race Information:
Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway on Sept. 2
2006 Winner: Kasey Kahne
2006 Pole Winner: Kurt Busch
Television: ESPN at 7 p.m. EDT
Radio: MRN
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