NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip heads to California with a brand new chassis after testing in Las Vegas, Nev., in late January showed the Waltrip-Jasper team they had some work to do. Crew Chief Derrick Finley elected to bring a different car than what tested with hopes of another top-20 finish.
Waltrip said the goal of his new Waltrip-Jasper team is to finish in the top-20 week in and week out. He feels that would give the newly formed team the foundation they need for their move to Toyota in 2007.
It was a trip to Toyota Racing Development (TRD) while in California that led to Waltrip’s entry into NEXTEL Cup Series ownership. “When I saw what Toyota could bring to the table, I knew this is where I needed to be,” said Waltrip. “They make it possible for cats like me to be NEXTEL Cup owners and compete with the top teams in NASCAR.”
The NAPA team will race chassis BD 94 at California Speedway. It is a brand new chassis (Jan. ’06) at Bill Davis Racing. The car was not run in pre-season testing.
WALTRIP READY TO GET AFTER IT AGAIN IN CALIFORNIA
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip heads into this weekend’s Auto Club 500 at California Speedway with hopes of continuing the growth of his newly formed Waltrip-Jasper Racing team. With equipment and pit support by Bill Davis Racing, Waltrip showed he could compete with the elite and established teams in NASCAR during Daytona Beach, Fla., Speedweeks.
Waltrip finished 18th in the Daytona 500, but was a contender before a pit road speeding violation sent him from ninth to 33rd with just 41 laps to go. The Owensboro, Kent., native wheeled the NAPA car back into contention but ran out of laps to make a strong charge at the lead pack. However, Waltrip felt like the positive weekend gives them momentum heading into NASCAR’s West Coast swing.
“I’m pleased with where we are right now as a team. As a driver, you always want to win every race, but as a car owner you know that isn’t very realistic,” said Waltrip. “We were competitive at Daytona. I could tell we didn’t have the kind of car that could make up for mistakes. But it ran well in the draft and it handled really good. Knowing that we can make the car handle well gives me confidence that we can be competitive at tracks like California and Las Vegas.”
NAPA AUTO PARTS driver Michael Waltrip on the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway...
What are your thoughts on racing at California Speedway this weekend?
“I’m looking forward to the race out there. We finished 13th last fall and had a top-10 run going before a late caution. Some teams took two tires, some got four and we got passed by a couple more than I thought we would. It was a good run for us and I hope we can repeat it with our new Waltrip-Jasper team.”
What did your team do in the off-season to prepare for the Auto Club 500?
“We had a test out in Las Vegas, Nev., a month or so ago for this style of track. We didn’t like what we had there, so we are taking a different car. There is a lot of hard work going on at Waltrip-Jasper Racing. The guys are really putting their heart and soul into this deal. 2006 is a very important year for our team because we want to make sure we build a foundation that can support everything we have going forward, which includes the NAPA Toyota Camry in 2007.”
Michael Waltrip Auto Club 500 Statistics at California Speedway
Year Event Start Finish Laps Status Winnings
1997 California 500 18 11 249( 250) Running $40,275
1998 California 500 37 20 249(250) Running $43,775
1999 California 500 15 23 248(250) Running $47,025
2000 NAPA AUTO PARTS 500 21 30 248(250) Running $47,925
2001 NAPA AUTO PARTS 500 29 43 152(250) Accident $55,903
2002 NAPA AUTO PARTS 500 6 10 250(250) Running $77,375
2003 Auto Club 500 27 7 250(250) Running $95,025
2004 Auto Club 500 17 32 245(250) Running $101,831
