Camping World RV 400 - Kansas Speedway

NAPA RACING PRESS BOX FEATURING MICHAEL WALTRIP

The NAPA team had a top-10 finish and David Reutimann almost did at Dover. MWR continues to improve. The progress the NAPA team made at Dover was impressive considering you started back in 40th.
"That's what I love about racing. Dover is fast, crazy and tight. I was thinking right before the race that there was no way I could make it up through all those cars that were in front of me. I knew I had a good car, but I also knew it was going to be tough. We made good progress, and we may have passed more cars than anyone on Sunday. We were very competitive. I have been doing this for 25 years, and my performance on Sunday is why I do what I do. I want to race. I want to have fun.

"Clint Bowyer gave me a nice compliment after the race. He said, 'Maybe you can drive. I'm not sure.' That was funny and I really appreciated what he said because I know I can go with the best of them."

Heading into Kansas, do you expect to see good racing at the so-called cookie-cutter tracks?
"I think you will see good racing at these 1.5-mile tracks especially because of the new car. I look for the same excitement we have had over the last several races. I think in the past, people criticized the cookie-cutter tracks because they were new and you had to run around the bottom because it wasn't seasoned yet for racing. Now that the track has been raced on for several years and it has been weathered, there are so many grooves out there at Kansas. It's no longer a cookie-cutter track. Kansas provides us now with so many options. You can run high and low. Kansas truly is a track that has come into its own. You will see lots of passing. We can go all over the place and that's what we like and that's what the fans like too."

Do you like Kansas Speedway?
"Yes because the racing is great. The track is a lot of fun. Another thing I like is the track was built with the fans in mind. The Great Wolf Lodge is a place Macy and I love to go. She loves to go down the waterslide. There is a mall. There is a Bass Pro Shops. It is all there. So when you come to Kansas for the race, there are so many things to do. It's a real destination point. That's what I really love about NASCAR. It is really evolving. We used to go way out in the middle of nowhere to race. Now we are bringing NASCAR races into mainstream venues and that's fun."

MWR just hired Steve Hallam from McLaren Racing. How did that come about?
"Steve is a Formula 1 guy. He's won the championship for two different manufacturers over the last 25 years. He's had success with many drivers including one of my favorite drivers, Ayrton Senna. We were introduced to him through our many connections like Toyota. Toyota has a Formula 1 team. There were rumblings that Steve was interested in NASCAR. When we heard that, we wanted to find a fit for him at Michael Waltrip Racing. We understand that there will be a learning curve for Steve when learning about our cars. It is our job to provide him with the right tools for him to succeed. I think Steve will be able to contribute to our organization rather quickly. We are looking forward to having him as a member of our team."

• NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will qualify for his 718th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when the 29th event of the 2008 season, the Camping World RV 400, is held at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.
• Waltrip will start in his eighth Cup race at the 1.5-mile track. His best start is 4th (Sept. 29, 2002) and best finish is 11th (Oct. 10, 2004). Waltrip has completed 1,554 of 1,812 laps (85.8%) at the track. His average start is 26th and finish is 31st.
• Waltrip's NAPA team won two race awards during the Camping World RV 400 at Dover International Speedway. Waltrip started 40th and finished 10th. The gain of 30 positions earned him the USG "Improving the Finish" award. Bobby Kennedy won the Moog Chassis Parts "Problem Solver of the Race" award given to the crew chief whose team finishes in the top 10 and posts the largest increase in average lap speed (-.406 sec) from the first half to second half of a race.
• In Nationwide Series competition, Waltrip has raced in six events and earned two poles (Sept. 28, 2002 and Oct. 4, 2003) at Kansas Speedway. He has completed 753 of 804 laps (93.7%) and has led 170 laps in competition. His average start is 10th and finish is 21st.
• Entering this week's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event, Waltrip is 29th in driver and 31st in owner points standings. He is guaranteed a starting spot in Sunday's race. A total of 45 cars are on the entry list.