Michael Waltrip News
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Michael Waltrip in No. 55 at Talladega: In celebration of its 55th year, Aaron's, Inc. will sponsor PRISM Motorsports' No. 55 with driver Michael Waltrip in the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway April 25. Waltrip, a two-time Daytona 500 champion and former winner at Talladega, will return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing with a long-time sponsor in Aaron's and a long-time friend in PRISM co-owner Phil Parsons.(Aarons PR)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Waltrip wants to run in next year's Daytona 500: Michael Waltrip wants to make the 2011 Daytona 500 his last competitive event in the Sprint Cup series. "I want the Daytona 500 to be my last race,'' said the owner of Michael Waltrip Racing, who won this event in 2001 and 2003. "I just [don't] want this one to be it. So we'll work on trying to figure out if we can talk someone into sponsoring me for 2011. Twenty-five is a nice even number. Well, not an even number, but it's funny.'' Waltrip, who already plans to run at Talladega later this year, hinted several times during Speedweeks he wanted this to be his last 500. But as he sat through a second red flag to repair a hole in Daytona International Speedway he said the plan is for one more. "I'd like to run Talladega and run here one more time and then be done,'' he said. "That would be 25 of them in a row. That would be cool.''(ESPN.com)
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Michael Waltrip dealing with last Daytona 500 start: Sunday’s Daytona 500 will likely be Michael Waltrip’s last. The 46-year-old has won Nascar’s premier event twice, including the 2001 race in which Dale Earnhardt was killed. “Sunday is going to be a whole new experience,” he says. “I’ve never climbed into a car thinking it might be the final time I get to race on the track that’s played such an important role in my career and life.” (Wall Street Journal)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Michael Waltrip announces he'll drive No. 51: Michael Waltrip had announced in July he wasn't going to return to full-time racing. He released his 2010 Sprint Cup schedule on Wednesday night at MWR during the 2010 Media Tour at the Budweiser Shootout and the Daytona 500. "I'm comfortable with that," Waltrip said during the Sprint Media Tour. "I talked to Billy Ballew about running some [Camping World] Truck [Series] races. I definitely am going to run a couple of those. When I think about going to Daytona, I get excited because I know I know how to win that race. & When I think about [the next Cup races at] California and [Las] Veags, I just haven't performed at a level that makes me say, 'I'm going to go out there and [win].'" Replacing Waltrip in the full-time ride will be Martin Truex Jr. from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and also new is Pat Tryson from Penske Racing to be the crew chief for Truex. The last time Tryson was seen in the garage, he was crew chief for Kurt Busch on the track but wasn't allowed in the Penske Racing shop except for a weekly meeting because of his pending departure to MWR. Tryson was no longer wanted in the Penske shop, but Penske also didn't let him start at MWR until Jan. 4. Tryson seemed to shrug off the late start with his new team. "The communication here is better than anywhere I've ever worked, between the crew chief, ownership, between the management," Tryson said. "It's really open, and everybody talks to everybody about everything. That's the way it needs to be. Martin is fun. We went testing, and he was fun to be around. He's a great guy." Truex will drive the No. 56 this year, while Waltrip will drive the No. 51. Neither car will have the No. 55 that Waltrip used ever since he started MWR in 2007. "The 55 was getting a little heavy," Waltrip said. "I hadn't won with it. I felt real comfortable coming close to winning a couple of times. But I just wanted a change of pace. The 15 [I once drove] was available, but I didn't feel like that was right. I wanted a variation of the 15, so I went with the 51."(SceneDaily)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Waltrip wrecks in 24hrs of Dubai: NASCAR fans found themselves with a small window of opportunity to follow Michael Waltrip and Marcos Ambrose in their Dubai debut. Ambrose, a veteran road racer and two-time Australian V8 Supercars champion prior to his switch to Sprint Cup, had the AF Corse Ferrari F430 in the thick of the battle for the lead during the opening stint. But when teammate Waltrip took over, he soon encountered a two-car crash on the front straight and the NASCAR veteran was forced to take avoiding action, resulting in a race-ending introduction to the pit wall. Waltrip reported via his Twitter account that he was uninjured. "Well that's disappointing. 2 guys crashed on the straight [and] I got knocked into it. But I didn't hurt so that's good. Hi mom!"(SPEEDtv.com)
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Waltrip plans to race in 24 Hour sportscar Dubai race: Michael Waltrip plans to competes in the fifth-annual Dubai 24 Hour sportscar race at the ultra-modern Dubai Autodrome on January 14-16, 2010. "I love racing cars," said Waltrip. "The Daytona 500 is the ultimate race for a NASCAR driver to win. But how cool is it to go to Dubai on the other side of the globe and race a Ferrari? I never thought I'd have a chance to be part of such a unique experience." The Ferrari Waltrip refers to is a Ferrari F430 GT2 of the AF Corse team co-owned by Rob Kauffman who will be sharing driving duties with Waltrip, Marcos Ambrose, Rui Aguas and Niki Cadei. Kauffman is also a co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing which fields NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entries for Waltrip, Martin Truex Jr. and David Reutimann. The Waltrip team has a technical alliance with Ambrose's team JTG Daugherty Racing. Waltrip and Kauffmann tested the Ferrari at the ACI Vallelunga circuit in Italy. Success at the test led the pair to review options for sports car races around the world before deciding to race in Dubai. The 3.5-mile track at the Dubai Autodrome is one of the most modern in the world; it is also one of the most challenging, as it has a combination of high-speed straights and technical corners. The race expects to start about 80 GT and touring cars. Track action starts on Thursday, Jan. 14, with practice, qualifying and night practice. The 24-hour race will start on Friday Jan. 15 at 2 pm.(MWR)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Michael Waltrip may run some truck races: Michael Waltrip might be going into semiretirement next season from NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, but he could see more time on the track than originally planned. Waltrip, who is scheduled to run only select Cup events in 2010 with the Michael Waltrip Racing team he co-owns with Rob Kauffman, has been in discussions with team owner Billy Ballew about a full-time ride in the Camping World Truck Series, Ballew said in a phone interview with www.SceneDaily.com on Monday morning. Waltrip, however, sounded less intent on a full Truck season when asked about his plans Monday afternoon. “He’s working on sponsorship, and if it comes through, there’s a pretty good chance I’ll run a couple races for him,” the two-time Daytona 500 champion said of Ballew. (Scene Daily)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Michael Waltrip: NASCAR needs to cut horsepower: Michael Waltrip said NASCAR needs to cut the engine’s horsepower from 900 to 600. That would close the competition and provide for more side-by-side racing. What’s not clear, though, is whether that would make it easier for cars to pass and the lead to change more often. Waltrip also notes that his opinion is just one of many. He said that NASCAR’s town hall meeting in late May with competitors, car owners and others provided little unanimous consent but rather “people saying 10 different things.” (Virginian-Pilot)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Waltrip ticketed after accident: Mooresville police are reporting that NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip has been ticketed after getting involved in a traffic accident with a motorcycle. Waltrip was driving a 2008 Lexus on Argus Lane when he turned onto Perth Road and attempted to make a U-turn when a 1980 Harley Davidson driven by Ronald Richard Hausman struck the driver’s side door. Hausen told police that he turned onto Perth Rd. from River Highway when Waltrip turned into his lane of travel. Mooresville police suspected Waltip of being under the influence and was given a sobriety test on the scene and had a blood alcohol content of .06 which is below the legal limit. Hausman was taken to the hospital where he later told police that he drank two beers prior to the accident. Waltrip has been charged with failure to yield.(WSOCTV.com)(
Sunday, October 18, 2009
MWR crew member suffers high ankle sprain: Michael Waltrip Racing jackman Tony Cardamone was taken to a local hospital after colliding with another crew member during a pit stop for Michael Waltrip during the NASCAR Banking 400 on Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, team and NASCAR officials said. An MWR spokesman reported that Cardamone suffered a high ankle sprain and will be out for the remainder of the season.(SceneDaily.com)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Waltrip crew member injured: Michael Waltrip Racing jackman Tony Cardamone was taken to a local hospital after colliding with another crew member during a pit stop for Michael Waltrip during the NASCAR Banking 400 on Saturday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway, team and NASCAR officials said. The nature of his injuries were not specified, but he was awake and alert when he was taken to the infield medical center.(SceneDaily.com)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Waltrip would like to run full-time in Nationwide series: Michael Waltrip told ESPN.com Saturday that his 2010 Sprint Cup schedule remains uncertain, and is contingent on sponsorship. His hope? To run the full Nationwide Series schedule. "Ideally, for me, would be to get the type of sponsor that I could run the full Nationwide [schedule]," he said. "That's what I'd love to do. Then I'm here at the races, here on Sundays, can be a team owner but still get to race."(ESPN.com)
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
Bootie Barker out as Michael Waltrip's Crew Chief: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced that veteran crew chief Gene Nead has been named interim crew chief for two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip and his No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts team. Nead officially joins MWR on Monday and will call the final 12 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season for Waltrip. Robert “Bootie” Barker remains with the organization and will be assisting engineering with special projects. Nead is a familiar face to MWR. Earlier this season, he worked for JTG Daugherty Racing who has a technical alliance with MWR. He led the team’s NASCAR Nationwide Series program with driver Michael McDowell.(MWR PR)
Monday, Aug. 3, 2009
Carpentier in for Waltrip at Watkins Glen: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced that Patrick Carpentier will return to the driver's seat of the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for driver Michael Waltrip at the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Watkins Glen International. Earlier this season, the Canadian driver produced an 11th-place finish for Waltrip at the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. "Patrick is being rewarded for perserverence," said Waltrip, who has 22 starts that equate to one top-five, four top-10 and 14 top-20 finishes at the 2.45-mile road course. "At Sonoma, he drove for me and started out with a car he wasn't happy with. He worked with my crew chief Bootie (Barker) and my NAPA boys to get an 11th-place finish. We also had a little deal on the side. If he was able to finish solidly at Infineon Raceway and he deemed the experience of working with my team as fun and wanted to do again, then he and I would ask NAPA to allow him to drive again. We all agreed so Patrick will drive the No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for NAPA and me at Watkins Glen." The NAPA Auto Parts team prepared for the upcoming event by testing with Carpentier at Virginia International Raceway on July 22nd.(Michael Waltrip Racing)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Michael Waltrip to race between 4 and 12 races: Michael Waltrip plans to drive at least four Sprint Cup races next season and as many as 12. That will entail creating a fourth team at MWR for a partial schedule. NAPA will sponsor him at the season-opening Daytona 500 (apparently while also sponsoring Truex) and Waltrip will pursue alternative sponsors for the rest of his races. A two-time Daytona 500 winner, Waltrip said it was important - and not ceremonial - that he competes in that race again. "I'm going to run those races because I think I'm the best driver there is" on those tracks, he said. (Charlotte Observer)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Michael Waltrip to run part-time in 2010? Carpentier in No. 55 at Infineon: Michael Waltrip said on Tuesday he is leaning strongly toward driving a part-time Sprint Cup Series schedule in 2010. "That's what it's feeling like for me," Waltrip told ESPN.com. "I said at the beginning of the year, and I was dead serious, if the other two cars are outrunning me and I'm not keeping up, heck with it. "This year it's not working for me. I just want to have a winning championship race team." Surrendering his seat in the No. 55 NAPA Toyota to Patrick Carpentier at Infineon Raceway in two weeks, Waltrip said, is a clear sign. The car is 32nd in owner points, compared with 11th for David Reutimann and 18th for Marcos Ambrose. "It's pretty obvious with my willingness to not drive at [Infineon] that I'm looking at what I'm going to do in '10," Waltrip said. "It certainly makes it easier when you see the performance of the other teams, see what we're building going forward." Waltrip said he'll definitely race at Daytona in 2010 and he'd like to drive a fourth car for Michael Waltrip Racing in a handful of other events. (ESPN.com)
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Michael Waltrip undecided on future plans: Eight races into the Sprint Cup season Waltrip is lagging behind the Chase for the championship contenders. He enters Sunday's race at Talladega Superspeedway buried 25th in the Sprint Cup standings and has finished 24th or worse in five Cup races, failing to build off a seventh-place finish in the Daytona 500. Waltrip, however, isn't ready to call it quits and devote his full energy toward running Michael Waltrip Racing. "I've just got to win. That's all there is to it," Waltrip said Saturday at Talladega. "I've got to run up front. I've run as good as my teammates, within a little bit, but they just get the results and I haven't and it's disappointing. "I still want to race. I don't sign up to be a race car driver so I can wear this cool suit," Waltrip said. "I sign up because I want to win. I think I can. I think I can win tomorrow. But week in and week out, we need to step it up with the 55 a little bit."(The Canadian Press)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
M. Waltrip donates to TN tornado victims: NASCAR driver and race team owner Michael Waltrip watched TV storm coverage in his Nashville hotel room as Good Friday tornadoes hit the Murfreesboro area. He was in the area to race April 11 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. Growing up in Owensboro, Ky., Waltrip knew the dangers of tornadoes and after seeing the devastation wanted to reach out to storm victims here. Waltrip, through his race team and sponsor, Best Western, donated $7,500 to the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties to help tornado relief efforts. "I know what those storms can produce," Waltrip said. "As a kid I know how scared I was of tornadoes. My heart genuinely goes out to those of you that were affected by the storm. (The Tennessean)
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Robby Gordon unhappy with Waltrip: Robby Gordon wasn't pleased with Michael Waltrip after contact with the No. 55 Toyota sent Gordon into the wall. "I'm really looking forward to having a new driver in the 55 next year," Gordon grumbled. Waltrip owns his car, but said before the start of the season that he'll retire at the end of the year if he's not competitive. "I don't know what Michael was doing," Gordon said, "but he just ran us over." (Charleston Daily Mail)
Related: Robby Gordon, Michael Waltrip Phoenix 2009 incident
Saturday, March 14, 2009
M. Waltrip tapes episode of My Name Is Earl: What does a Sprint Cup driver do on an off weekend? If he's Michael Waltrip, driver of the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota, he's headed to Hollywood! The two-time Daytona 500 champion, who is known for his comedic personality, is appearing in an episode of the NBC sitcom, My Name Is Earl. Waltrip's opportunity to be on the show came shortly after the airing of an Auto Club Speedway commercial he appeared in with actor Greg Germann. The speedway's President Gillian Zucker, who has many connections in the entertainment industry, recommended using Waltrip to her friend, Greg Garcia, the creator and executive producer of My Name is Earl. "This experience is going to be a lot of fun for me," Waltrip continued. "I play myself and I help Earl and his brother Randy get out of a big jam." Waltrip will be in California through Saturday. The episode featuring Waltrip is scheduled to air on Thursday, April 30 at 8 p.m. ET - which happens to be Waltrip's 46th birthday. (MWR PR)
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Ganassi-Waltrip meger? Car owner Chip Ganassi pulled the plug on Franchitti's team a month ago, in a shocker that left 71 people without jobs. That move by Ganassi has led to intense speculation about Ganassi's NASCAR future. Some of that speculation includes the possibility of some merger between Ganassi and the Michael Waltrip operation, which is also struggling and may be down to one sponsor next season for that three-car operation.(Winston Salem Journal)
June 12, 2007
Terry Labonte to replace Waltrip in the #55 at road courses: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced today that two-time NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Champion, Terry Labonte will step into the No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry for the road course races at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International. “It’s not an easy decision for me to remove myself from the car, but I know it is for the betterment of our whole program,” said Waltrip. “I know Terry’s experience and road race savvy will breathe a breath of fresh air into my young NAPA team.” (More at MWR)
Michael Waltrip Page 2 News
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Birthdate: April 30, 1963