HUNTERSVILLE, NC – As the NASCAR schedule speeds through the “Heartland of America” for the Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway, Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 55 NAPA Dodge, hopes to headline a winning story that the world famous Kansas City Star newspaper would find hard to resist. Since its inception in 1880, the paper gained popularity throughout the country for its intriguing human interest stories steeped in American values.
It is no secret that luck has not befallen the two-time Daytona 500 champion, particularly in 2006. However, what makes Waltrip so American is his perseverance and the undeniable will to win against all odds. “If all it took to win a race was talent and sheer determination, I would be in the hunt every race,” Waltrip commented.
This Sunday afternoon, Waltrip will have his chance, climbing behind the wheel of the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Dodge for his sixth start at Kansas Speedway. “It’s not about proving we should have been in the Chase. It’s about showing ourselves and the other 42 drivers on the track that we belong there. We can still win – that has never been a question for me. There’s still a lot of miles left on these tires,” Waltrip said.
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip on the Banquet 400...
What are your thoughts and expectations for racing at
Kansas Speedway?
“ Kansas is a great track. I look forward to going there. The NAPA AUTO PARTS team is so much better than what our record may indicate, and we’re very focused on demonstrating that throughout the remainder of the year. There are a lot of guys in the garage and back home in the shop that put their sweat into making the No.55 NAPA Dodge competitive, and I’m going to drive the wheels off of it to make sure we get a finish we can all be proud of. We’ve never cracked the top-10 in Kansas with the Cup car, and I’m anxious to do that. I’ve had pretty good success there in the Busch series. We’ve won a few poles and led a lot of laps, so I’m confident we can do the same on Sunday afternoon. Everyone knew going into 2006 that this would be a transition year, but this NAPA AUTO PARTS team is here to compete, and I’m going to drive my heart out to end the year in the No. 55 NAPA Dodge on a high note.”
| Banquet 400 Broadcast Coverage… |
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Coverage of the Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods will begin Sunday, October 1 at 1:30 p.m. EDT on NBC. If you can’t catch the race on TV, it can be heard on your local MRN Radio affiliate and XM Satellite Radio (Channel 144) starting at the same time. Remember to check your local listings as dates and times of the race may change. |
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| Michael Waltrip Fast Facts |
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- NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will make his 6 th start at Kansas Speedway; Waltrip’s best finish at the track is eleventh (2004) and his worst is 40 th (2005).
- Waltrip has captured two Busch Series poles at Kansas Speedway, where he has also led over 170 laps.
- Waltrip’s best start of the 2006 season came at Daytona for the Pepsi 400; he qualified in 19 th position. Waltrip’s best finish of the 2006 season came at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Sharpie 500, where he finished 16 th.
- Waltrip climbed back into the top-35 of the NEXTEL Cup driver point standings after a 28 th-place finish in Dover. He is currently 35th, 1,616 points behind Chase leader Jeff Burton and 178 points behind 34 th-place driver David Stremme.
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| NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip at the Banquet 400... |
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| Year |
|
Start |
Finish |
Year |
|
Start |
Finish |
| 2001 |
|
41 |
38 |
2004 |
|
26 |
11 |
| 2002 |
|
4 |
26 |
2005 |
|
36 |
40 |
| 2003 |
|
31 |
39 |
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