A year ago, the big question Michael Waltrip faced when he got to Talladega Superspeedway was if he could beat then-teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Any time the Cup series got to Talladega or Daytona, the two tracks where NASCAR requires carburetor restrictor plates to slow the cars, the Chevrolets driven by Waltrip and Earnhardt were among the favorites. The two of them won 11 of 19 plate races while they were teammates.
Now Waltrip is driving Dodges for Bill Davis Racing and things aren't going so well.
Heading into Saturday's qualifying for the Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Waltrip has fallen out of the top 35 in car owner points. The top 35 are guaranteed a starting spot in the race, but Waltrip will now have to qualify for one of the other eight starting spots in Sunday's race on speed.
Asked if he was worried, Waltrip said, "Very.''
"Last year, we came here on a roll,'' he said. "We had been running very well and getting good results. This year, I've kind of come in here back on my heels.''
Waltrip was 44th on the speed chart at the season-opening Daytona 500, but he said his team has brought a new car to Talladega that was better in the wind tunnel.
"Hopefully, it will be a smooth two laps (in qualifying),'' he said.
Asked if he would be devastated if he fails to qualify for the race, Waltrip said, "It wouldn't be devastating, but it would be disappointing. It would be something I didn't expect.''
"If we do have a problem getting in, I'll have to nose around and look for another ride. Sunday is my (43rd) birthday. I wouldn't want to miss that race.''
