Michael Waltrip
2005 season statistics
Wins: None
Best Finish: Second (Phoenix)
Top-fives, top-10s, DNFs: 3, 7, 10
2005 Recap
While he had some impressive finishes in the first half of the season, the floor basically fell out from under Michael Waltrip in the second half of the year. First he lost crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who became Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief in early September, and then Waltrip decided to leave the team when team owner Teresa Earnhardt could not make a firm commitment on her plans for 2006 for either the No. 15 car or Waltrip.
2006 Outlook
What's next
Waltrip moves to Bill Davis Racing, where he'll have a new number (55 instead of 15) and will drive a new make of car (Dodge instead of Chevrolet). Waltrip may actually wind up driving better because he'll have less pressure on him than he had at DEI. Part of the lure that brought Waltrip to BDR is how he reportedly figures so highly in the organization's plans to help bring Toyota to Nextel Cup in 2007. Reports of Waltrip being Toyota's lead driver when the move occurs certainly would seem to explain why he was so anxious to join the BDR stable.
Best case scenario: Without the pressure juggernaut that was DEI, Waltrip can potentially drive with a more relaxed attitude. While wins and good finishes still are important, he won't be under the microscope anywhere near as much as he was at DEI. In a surprising move, primary sponsor NAPA followed Waltrip to BDR rather than staying with DEI, speaking volumes about how much faith the company has in Waltrip. If things fall into place, Waltrip potentially could have a career year. It might be a stretch to say he'll make the top 10 or even top 15, but a top-20 finish definitely is doable.
Likely scenario: BDR has nowhere near the kind of funding DEI has and can't buy the best engineers and crew members. Plus, it does not have factory support from Dodge. Those all could be hindrances to Waltrip. Making the top 25 is about the best he can expect, given the circumstances.
Beware: Waltrip has to let DEI go. He can't hold any grudges, particularly on the race track. This is a new chapter in his life; heck, it's practically a new book with an entirely different cast of characters. Waltrip will never win three Cup championships like older brother Darrell, but with maybe another five or six years of racing left, he certainly can make his career end on an upswing – if he can race within himself, avoid distractions and not try to overdo things.
