| 2001 review: Waltrip
started the season by ending his career-long winless
streak with victory in the Daytona 500, but he struggled
much of the rest of the year, finishing 24th in
points.
2002 outlook: Waltrip's relationship with Labbe,
who was hired near the end of the season, looks
to be a good one. The team should show marked
improvement.
Waltrip won the 1996 Winston all-star race, starting
from the 20th (last) position.
Following in the footsteps of Winston Cup Champion
and older brother Darrell, Michael began racing
go-karts in the Midwest in the late 1970s and
early 80's.
His stock car career took the green flag in 1981
when he won the Mini-Modified division track championship
at Kentucky Motor Speedway. In 1982, Michael competed
in the Goody's Dash Series. He won the Goody's
Dash series title in 1983 and earned the series
Most Popular Driver award in 1983 and 1984.
Michael Waltrip's role has evolved since his
inception into the Busch Series in 1988. He emerged
from a driver, to an owner who currently manages
and drives his Busch Series entry. He is running
a limited schedule for the 2001 season with his
new sponsor Aaron's in the No. 99 "Dream
Machine."
Michael Waltrip started the 2001 season with 149
starts in the Busch Grand National Series. He
has 8 wins in his career as a Busch Series driver.
His first win came in his fourth start at Dover
on September 17, 1989. He also has wins at Dover,
Bristol, Charlotte, Darlington, Indianapolis Raceway
Park, and Richmond. In addition, he has 40 top-5's,
and 61 top-10's and has notched 11 career poles.
Michael's most memorable Busch Series race was
the 1993 spring race at Bristol. He won the race
and made the first ever backwards lap around the
track in memory of his fallen competitor, Alan
Kulwicki. The memorial Polish victory lap was
a tribute to the Winston Cup Series champion who
had been killed several days earlier. He also
proposed to his wife, Buffy, in victory lane that
day.
In 2001 Michael Waltrip joins a winning partnership.
Dale Earnhardt finally said the words one guy
had been waiting to hear for quite some time,
"I'm glad to announce that Michael Waltrip
will be driving for DEI in the NAPA Monte Carlo
for the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season."
Eyebrows raised when 38-yeaar-old Waltrip was
picked to pilot the NO. 15 Chevrolet on the Winston
cup circuit, but for Waltrip, it was a long time
coming.
Michael Waltrip and Dale have been friends and
competitors for a long time. Michael even stepped
in to drive Earnhardt's Busch Series car a couple
of times in the early 1990's. That friendship
grew and the idea of teaming together had been
brought up more than once since Earnhardt started
his DEI Winston Cup program. Timing is everything,
and it never seemed to be the right time for the
pair. All that changed in September of 2000 when
Michael became the newest member of the DEI/NAPA
family.
"Ecstatic," is how Michael explains
his feelings about the new venture. "A driver
can only ask for good equipment, dedicated crew
members and some racing luck. I know we have the
first two and I'm still searching for the final
part of the plan." |
