Waltrip Looks Forward to the Auto Club 500 at the AAA Speedway

// Courtesy : Autostock Images //

You’ve always enjoyed going to the Auto Club Speedway. What can fans expect to see?

“Races at the Auto Club Speedway are a lot of fun to watch. If I am a race fan, which I am, I am going to want to go and see the race because there are some unknowns heading into this event. I am very interested to see how these new cars will run without any testing and how that factor plays out in the race. Will it be the usual suspects back up front like Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle? Or has someone else figured out a way to test their car and prepare for this 2009 season? To me, this race is very important and could be a key to how this season will play out.
 
“Another reason why I like racing at the Auto Club Speedway is you are going to see speeds well in excess of 210 miles per hour. That’s something you don’t ever see at a place like Daytona International Speedway. At Daytona, speed was very important. At California, handling will really come into play especially in the corners. There will be three-wide racing with guys running up high and guys running down low. Drivers enjoy racing here because they have options. It’s all there at California.
 
“I also can’t wait to see how my new crew chief Bootie Barker works with my guys and see how they work together to change my set up for this weekend. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to run up front and do better than I did last year.”
 
What are your thoughts on Michael Waltrip Racing leaving Daytona with three cars in the top 20?

“I’m really proud that all three cars did well and finished in the top 20 at Daytona. Marcos Ambrose did a great job especially considering it was his first Daytona 500. Reutimann got 12th. It was a day that MWR needed and now we are going to hopefully build on that and continue the momentum with good runs.
 
“As for the NAPA AUTO PARTS team, our NAPA Toyota really handled well. We didn’t have the speed we needed, but it really drove well. As the cars were getting strung out, I could march up through the field. At the end, I knew the end was near so I just had to make the charge. We were real fortunate to get in a couple of holes and make it all work out.
I am really proud of the NAPA team. It was my first race with new crew chief Bootie Barker. I really enjoyed working with him. It was a lot of fun. I really look forward to going to California.”
 
Michael Waltrip Fast Facts
 
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip will start in his 727th NASCAR Sprint Cup race when he competes in the Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

He will be competing in his 17th race at the Auto Club Speedway. His best start at the track is 6th (April 28, 2002) and best finish is 7th (April 27, 2003).

During his Cup career at the 2.0-mile oval, Waltrip has earned two top-10 and seven top-25 finishes.

He has completed 3,628 of 4,005 laps (90.6%) at the track and has led a total of 16 laps in competition.

His average start is 25th and average finish is 26th

Waltrip will be pulling double duty at the Auto Club Speedway as we will also compete in the Nationwide Series race. Waltrip will drive his No. 99 Best Western Toyota Camry in the Stater Bros. 300.

The NAPA AUTO PARTS team is guaranteed a starting spot in the Auto Club 500. The team finished 29th in the owner point standings in 2008. Currently, Waltrip ranks eighth in driver and owner points standings.

Waltrip Scores Seventh-Place Finish in Daytona 500

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Daytona Beach, FL. – Michael Waltrip kicked off the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with a solid seventh-place finish in his No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry in Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The two-time Daytona 500 champ was in contention for the win when rain shortened the race to just 152 laps out of 200.

 “We might have over achieved a little bit,” said Waltrip who started the race in 27th position in a back-up car. “We didn’t have a great car especially in comparison to my primary car that was wrecked Wednesday in practice. We had to scramble to get in the top-10 so I’m happy with that. If we would have gone back to racing,e miht have gotten an even better finish. I didn’t feel like I had the fastest car, but it handled great. Maybe that’s why it wasn’t so fast because it was set up to handle well. I’ll just tke what I can get.”
 
The opening laps of the Daytona 500 saw Waltrip battle both a loose and tight-handling condition. Crew chief Bootie Barker used the competition yellow on lap 25 to make air pressure and track bar adjustments. Waltrip returned to the track in 33rd place and Kyle Busch took over the lead from the pole sitter Martin Truex Jr.
 
Waltrip’s NAPA Toyota responded well to the changes as he was able to run just outside the top 10 by the 50-lap mark. The driver called over the radio to say the car was very well balanced, but just needed more speed. However, the lack of speed wasn’t the only concern for Barker and the boys. Tire failures slowed the race down two times to bring out the caution on laps 55 (Travis Kvapil) and 119 (David Stremme). Plus, inclement weather was lurking. During the caution periods, the team inspected the tires, bolted on four fresh Goodyears and added fuel.
 
When the race restarted for the fifth time on lap 124, the NAPA Toyota Camry was 20th and Elliott Sadler was the new leader. Unfortunately, it took just one lap for the race to slow after Brian Vickers tried to put a block on the lapped car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Instead of a clean block, the two touched triggering a 10-car crash involving drivers Kurt and Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Robby Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray and Scott Speed. Waltrip dodged the melee, and to be on the safe side, Barker brought his driver in to inspect the car, change all four tires and take on fuel. 
 
The green flag once again waved on lap 133 with Waltrip in 20th. The NAPA driver knew rain was on its way so he made another fast charge to the front. He climbed to 11th place when Jeff Burton and Regan Smith got together to bring out the yellow flag on lap 138. Barker kept the NAPA Camry out on track to maintain the track position as rain drops started to fall. Fortunately, the weather improved and NASCAR threw the green flag on lap 143. In just two laps, the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota was in fifth position and in contention for the win. Unfortunately, Waltrip’s momentum slowed when Aric Almirola wrecked on the backstretch. The NAPA Toyota was posted in seventh position, but moments later, the rain once again began to fall. NASCAR was forced to call the race completed after being under a red-flag period for 20 minutes. 
 
Winning his first Daytona 500 was former NASCAR champion Matt Kenseth. Rounding out the top-10 finishers were Kevin Harvick, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Elliott Sadler, David Ragan, Waltrip, Tony Stewart, Reed Sorenson and Kurt Busch.
 
Michael Waltrip Racing turned in the highest finishes for Toyota in the Daytona 500. Besides Waltrip’s top-10 finish, David Reutimann scored 12th place and Marcos Ambrose finished 17th.
 
Next up for Waltrip and his NAPA Racing team is the Auto Club 500 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Broadcast Coverage gets underway Sunday at 5:00 p.m. ET on FOX. It can also be heard on MRN Radio and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.