Michael Waltrip has to make the show at Talladega on speed and he is slightly concerned.
"I qualified poorly at Daytona," commented Waltrip. "I have to qualify here on speed.hopefully it will be a smooth two laps.I'm confident I can take the Napa car to the front if we make the show.It's my birthday I can't miss the race."
Waltrip is also working on building his shop for Michael Waltrip Incorporated Racing that should be ready in 2007. Currently, they are working out of several different locations and Waltrip is hoping that a more unified effort will help his fledgling Toyota team next season.
Bill Elliott will run five races for MWI this year sponsored by Burger King.
"We've been able to land solid sponsors," said Waltrip. "It's not Toyota, it's their teams that are going about trying to conduct business.It's my business they are just my manufacturing partner.that's the story."
MWI hopes to run two Cup cars and two Busch cars in 2007. Waltrip stated that he already has sponsorship in place for the second Cup team and is just waiting securing a driver to make the announcement.
Waltrip is talking to David Reutimann about running one of his Busch teams full time and is still on the hunt for another driver for the second Busch ride.
"We want to get the driver line up as soon as possible," said Waltrip. "We want to hire the best driver we can get, and not be controversial about it."
Waltrip also stated that he had talked to Dale Jarrett about coming to drive one of his Cup cars. Jarrett's contract at Robert Yates Racing is up at the end of this year. Media reports had surmised that Toyota was after Jarrett, but Waltrip cleared that up and made it clear that Jarrett was a friend and Waltrip approached him, not Toyota.
"We're going to try and get the biggest best guy we can," said Waltrip. "The list was top guys for awhile, then the list was top guys and medium guys and now it's who do you think we can get.it might be a to guy it might not be its just a matter of what we can work out.its more important to my sponsors who we get than it is to Toyota."
Talladega to be repaved after this race: Immediately following the race weekend at Talladega, the 2.66-mile track will be repaved for the first time since 1979. The project is expected to be completed before the fall Chase race weekend.
