RICHMOND, Va. (May 2, 2006) – Following a top-15 finish at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, Michael Waltrip competes in the 99 Cottman Transmission NASCAR Busch Series entry fielded by Michael Waltrip Racing at Richmond International Raceway.
“One of our biggest goals has been to turn our NASCAR Busch Series program around,” said Waltrip. “We’re making improvements and we are moving forward in the right direction. We had respectable finishes in the last couple of races. We finished 13th at Phoenix (International Raceway) in the Best Western car and 14th in the Aaron’s Dream Machine at Talladega (Superspeedway). We’ve also advanced in the points standings. Now, we’re going to Richmond in the 99 Cottman Transmission car expecting even better results. We're thrilled Cottman Transmission has partnered with Michael Waltrip Racing at Richmond.”
Last year at Richmond, Waltrip finished 34th in the spring, but rebounded with a ninth-place finish in his 99 Domino’s car in the fall.
“After having a disappointing finish in the spring NASCAR Busch Series race, we were able to come back in the fall and finish in the top-10,” said Waltrip, who also recorded a ninth-place finish last spring in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. “We're looking to deliver a solid finish for Cottman Transmission. This will be my second race with them. David (Reutimann) ran a race for Cottman at Nashville Superspeedway in April."
The 11-time NASCAR Busch Series winner has recorded one win, five poles, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at the historic .75-mile D-shaped oval.
“I’ve had a lot of success at Richmond in a NASCAR Busch Series car,” said Waltrip. “I’ve won there before and had several solid finishes. We’re bringing a new car that David (Reutimann) tested for us there recently. We are hoping to continue our progression at Richmond.”
Waltrip gained four points in the NASCAR Busch Series standings after his 14th-place finish in the 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine at Talladega and is now 16th in the driver’s points standings. The Michael Waltrip Racing team is within reach of a top-15 position. Waltrip is only nine points out of 15th-place heading into Richmond.
“We’ve gained a few spots in the points,” said Bobby Kennedy, who is the Director of Competition for Michael Waltrip Racing. “The Busch program is not where we want it to be at this point, but in the last couple of events it has shown improvement. The car was very competitive at Phoenix. At Talladega, it was just a victim of circumstance at the end. We’re going to Richmond where he has won a race before and won poles. He will be very competitive in that race.”
Live coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series Circuit City 250 at Richmond International Raceway on May 5th begins at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on FX and MRN Radio.
About Cottman Transmission Systems, LLC:
Founded in 1962, Cottman Transmission is the nation’s leading chain of transmission repair centers. With 400 franchised locations coast to coast, Cottman specializes in every phase of transmission work, including manual and automatic transmissions, American and import vehicles, and front-wheel and four-wheel drives. Cottman technicians undergo regular, rigorous training and use the latest state-of-the-art electronic diagnostic equipment. For more information, please visit Cottman’s website at www.cottman.com.
